Saša Pančiċ, Counter Form 2, 2022, Steel plate, 140 x 100 x 40 cm 55 1/8 x 39 3/8 x 15 3/4 in
Saša Pančić: This time undoubtedly represents an introduction to the unknown
The exhibition "Semantic Shadows" by Saša Pančić opened on Friday, December 12, in the msub_mocab /Gallery-legacy of Milica Zorić and Rodoljub Čolaković, Belgrade. This exhibition presents an overview of Pančić's art work over the last twenty years, including the latest production, which includes objects, sculptures, drawings and video works, and the authors of the exhibition are Dr. Rajka Bošković and Miroslav Karić.
On the occasion of the current exhibition, we talk to the artist Saša Pančić.
Your works speak the language of abstraction, and the exhibition is called "Semantic Shadows". How do you relate to the "meanings" in your work compared to what the viewer would experience "emotionally" when visiting a museum or gallery with your works?
Every attempt of the realization of a work of art carries within itself the intention of addressing the viewer. Then, when the work is made and leaves the artist in a physical sense, an interesting and unpredictable event occurs - an encounter with the observer. As a rule, many theories based on the analysis of assumed positions are imbued with the spirit of the time, and with its help form dominant meanings. In other words, the network of interdependence takes over the content of the work, and inversely leads it into the constructed field of meaning. I certainly have a certain reticence towards such positions.
Because in contrast to highlighting social conditions, I have always been more attracted to what we call; the encounter of an individual with the ontological elements of reality. And that meeting is an experience for me, it becomes an important point from where rationalization should continue the path to understanding. In other words, everything that escapes the spirit of the time and that defines us personally in a deeper sense, unequivocally brings us into the process of confronting ourselves. So, for me, the position of semantics represents a personal effort in reaching the universal meaning of space, primarily through the language of abstraction, which is devoid of narrative. Perhaps an even closer definition of my work lies in the concept of "concrete" art. Because here the work of art is not an indirect transmitter, but it has the character of a direct address. That is why I often call the resulting objects "subjects".
What do "shadows" bring us in your semantic system?
Within the works themselves, but also through the title of the exhibition, emphasizing the concept of shadow points primarily to the paradoxical nature of light, and its hidden role as a link between the dematerialize and material world. In this regard, Malevich says: that he does not know what the content of the black square is, he calls it some form of latent energy, and by making an inversion of the object world, he emphasizes the direction of visual revelation.
Similar to the inverted perspective of the Byzantine icon, or similar to the principle of positive from negative in Egyptian reliefs. Being close to the aforementioned procedures, even reading them, created in me a sense of security towards my own poetics. So it was clear to me that the shadow does not arise from the object, but quite the opposite; it dynamically delineates the original environment of the subject world. Although it looks absurd, it has equal value with a steel plate. It even has a slight primacy suitable to our senses, to keep the latent spatial event in the visual field.
In one of the earlier interviews, you point out that "the poetics of your works is perhaps closest to Vedic doctrines or Taoism". What is important to you in these doctrines on a personal level, and what is important in the context of the art you practice?
To make sure there is no confusion, we are talking about many historical and above all philosophical considerations of space. Perhaps the mentioned examples had clearer ideas about it than others, but translated into artistic expression, what has a more precise influence on my perception of the phenomenon of space, is contained in the Black Square (Kazimir Malevich) and the Endless Column (Constantin Brancusi). Both examples have a slight eastern undertone, which in itself speaks of the universality of their work, of the way in which the past builds the present. Viewed as a whole, only through such a lens: Hatshepsut’s temple, Zumthor's baths, Tatlin's Counter-Reliefs, Richard Serra's curved panels or Chillida's metal sculptures, capture a common tone. They highlight the inexhaustible theme of our relationship to space, give importance to the "wisdom of the body" (Juhani Pallasmaa) and bring that non-historical dimension of our movement. We could say that the interweaving of personal poetics with universal meanings gives results only at the level of their synchronicity. It is difficult to separate the personal level from the art one is engaged in. Permeation exists, but not always and not according to the same rule.
If we talk about the semantic potential of the materials used - which materials do you prefer to return to? If these materials have "potential", is their ultimate meaning what arises in the work process itself, or do you start from their "general meaning" which you place in a personal context?
By paying attention to the transformation of two-dimensional space into objectivity, I freed the created objects from the narrative in a way. The path of building the sculptures and the sequence of approaches started from the extended "body" of the line - "minus space" as a support for everything that will follow. Further use of materials varied from: paper, thin sheets, rubber, steel plates, to corten and stainless steel. The correlation of the general potential of the material and personal poetics is always a creative act full of risks. The choice starts from the assessment and experience of how much the material can contribute to the idea. Can its physical and chemical properties express everything imagined? However, in my case, the choice of panel materials meets most of the requirements. The remaining part concerns the dimensions and conditions of exposure. In other words, the ultimate meaning is in the process of transformation, that's why I put an equal sign between shadow and steel in the semantic field.
Your use and integration of black and white is especially impressive. What attracts you in that relationship?
For me, color represents a sensation - a manifestation of emotions, while on the other hand, the relationship between black and white in a certain way brings me closer to structure. It simplifies the path to "more reality" and introduces the already known phrase "Less is more" (Ad Reinhardt) - almost entirely taken from Taoism.
The exhibition presents an overview of your art work over the last twenty years. What are the new (or "newer") tendencies in your work and how has your approach changed over the years, be it in terms of techniques, choice of materials, attitude towards new technologies?
There is a moment of recognition, something like a biological clock that should not be missed. Maybe for me it was the exhibition at KCB in 2006. Some kind of groundbreaking decision to exhibit works that in my case represent the first emergence of the surface into free space. Everything that was set then: in language, poetics, monochromatic expression, and even in materials - has been maintained until today. In the past years, that established framework did not bother me, it even paradoxically freed me. It was wide enough and somehow well probed for everything that was necessarily prone to change over the years. The upcoming exhibition in the Čolaković Pavilion will, I hope, show that.
Since I belong to the generation on the transition from analog to digital technology, I have the experience of both worlds. I consider this an advantage, and on the one hand, I often use the benefits of digital: photography, laser, video, and general communication. While on the other hand, I have a critical reflection on software matrices, especially the unlimited use of AI. This time undoubtedly represents an introduction to the unknown, and many texts and books by Paul Vilirio, John Zerzan, and many others, indicate the danger of surrendering to algorithms - future control points. Although their forecasts are very dark, it may be difficult to predict now. What I could possibly predict is the future evaluation of personal experience, the possibility that a person can acquire it directly without suggestive aids. Experiences shaped and raised to a universal level, accessible to everyone, similar to what remains in the pockets of art today.
