The Belgrade Irish Festival (BIF) opens with a thematic visual arts exhibition inspired by the work and ideas of Samuel Beckett, a key figure in 20th-century Irish art and culture. Titled “Siege in the Room,” the exhibition will be inaugurated on March 12 at 6 PM at Bioskop Balkan.
The exhibition is the first in a series of events in this venue as part of the festival. The audience can look forward to discussions, book promotions, music programs, and a range of high-quality cultural contents celebrating Irish heritage.
Prominent local and regional artists – Vana Urošević and Zoran Todović, Marija Ćalić, Zoran Dimovski, Aleksandar Denić, and Nikola Šuica – are exhibiting works emerging from the atmosphere of Beckett’s writings. Diverse techniques are featured: drawings, silk embroidery, photo prints, acrylic transfers, transformed objects, and video installations. The curators are Nikola Šuica, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, and Ksenija Samardžija, director of the Saša Marčeta Foundation, which supports the festival’s realization and the promotion of contemporary art and cultural exchange, thereby contributing to the richness of the Belgrade Irish Festival dedicated to Samuel Beckett’s legacy.
Vana and Zoran Dimovski
The title “Siege in the Room” metaphorically captures the sense of isolation and inner struggle from Beckett’s postwar period (1946–1950), when he created in cramped Parisian rooms, often in poverty and solitude. Artists, long immersed in his suggestive world of existential collapse themes, present their recent and specially created works. Among them is Aleksandar Denić, known for set designs in Emir Kusturica’s films and Serbia’s representation at the recent Venice Biennale, who brings two Beckett-inspired pieces.
Marija Ćalić
On the same day, March 12, the French Institute will host the opening of Irish photographer Nigel Swan’s “Free Zone” photography exhibition, dedicated to Beckett’s wartime period in France.
A Unique Glimpse into Beckett: We recommend the interview Beckett gave to Swedish television after receiving the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature – the condition was no questions asked, so a minute and a half of silence serves as his unique response to the accolade.
Watch the interview here
Zoran Dimovski
The full program, activities, and locations of the Belgrade Irish Festival can be found on the Belgrade Irish Festival website.