Art Madrid'24 – Veljko Vučković
Veljko Vučković
Gornji Milanovac, 1994
Veljko Vučković is an artist who explores the medium of painting by recontextualizing pre-existing visual imagery. His works are inspired by politically charged films like Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) by Elio Petri, and Z (1969) and State of Siege (1972) by Costa-Gavras. These films address themes like politics, corruption, power, and freedom, which Vučković uses as conceptual starting points.
The process begins with a carefully selected film snapshot, extensively altered in Photoshop to crop, adjust contrast, eliminate elements, or add text, transforming the image into a new composition. This digital groundwork is then materialized through traditional oil on canvas, blending digital and manual artistry in what he calls a post-digital gesture.
Using grey tones deliberately evokes the monochromatic nature of capitalism and modern media. Vučković aims to create paintings that reference their cinematic origins while standing as unique, ambiguous works with subtle social and political undertones, embodying Umberto Eco's concept of the 'open work.'