ALEKSANDAR REVIVES A FORGOTTEN GRADIŠKA THROUGH CHARCOAL AND ACRYLIC

The art scene in Gradiška will be enriched in the autumn of 2026 with an extraordinary exhibition by academic painter and senior curator of the Homeland Museum, Aleksandar Obrenović. By combining archival materials with contemporary artistic expression, Obrenović is preparing a retrospective of the town as it was known to generations after World War II.

PHOTO: Milan Vujić / Glas Srpske

At the heart of the exhibition lies a fascinating exploration of the legacy of Gojko Šerbula, a longtime journalist of Glas Srpske. While preparing the exhibition, the artist embarked on an extraordinary journey through 9,500 photographs, carefully selecting motifs that are today almost unrecognizable to the modern eye.

The Spirit of the City in 9,500 Photographs

“I had the opportunity to review all 9,500 photographs from the legacy, and I can say that Gradiška at that time had a completely different appearance — very interesting and highly inspiring,” Obrenović said.

From the vast archive, he isolated images that allowed him to experiment with composition, reshaping and reinterpreting them through his own artistic sensibility.

“I selected certain photographs that appealed to me, but of course, I recomposed them in a different way. Through this exhibition, I want to present entirely new motifs — scenes that people living here today have never had the chance to see, nor even knew that certain buildings once stood in places such as today’s ‘Korzo’ or other parts of the city,” Obrenović explained.

Opening in September

The exhibition, scheduled to open in mid-September, will feature around twenty works divided between charcoal drawings on canvas and acrylic paintings.

“I find these analogue photographs particularly intriguing. They carry their own grain and a specific atmosphere. Especially the black-and-white ones — they allow me to express color the way I personally feel it, rather than being confined by the colors originally captured by the camera,” he noted.

Through Obrenović’s brush and charcoal, old buildings and streets cease to be mere archival numbers from a collection and become living works of art.

“Old photographs are always fascinating. Technically, they are perfect in their own way. My desire is to use them to present motifs that will offer our fellow citizens a new perspective on the town they inhabit every day,” Obrenović concluded.

With this exhibition, Gradiška’s past will not only be remembered — it will be reimagined, reshaped, and brought vividly back to life.