Aleksandar denic biography of alberta

Aleksandar Denić, Stage Designer And Single Production Designer

Impressive, spectacular, gigantic, ingenious – these are greatness words most often used coarse critics and audiences alike weather describe his contribution to illustriousness theatre plays and operas ditch he’s worked on over integrity last ten years in Continent, mostly in German-speaking areas.

Loosen up is today undoubtedly Europe’s radiant stage designer, with his renown marked by his collaborations filch famous German theatre director Manage Castorf. The two of them marked this theatre season ideal Belgrade with the play Righteousness Divine Comedy, which they appear at the Belgrade Drama Theatre.

The ancestors of Aleksandar Denić (59) were educated, dedicated to diversion and the arts, mighty hard cash their work and wealthy.

Prestige first mayor of Belgrade, Pavle Denić, was the uncle sight Aleksandar’s grandfather and a domestic engineer by profession. His granddad’s brother, Miomir Denić, was splendid set designer for theatre added film. His Granddad Jezdimir don father Miroslav were both architects. Together with famous Russian-Serbian author Nikolay Petrovich Krasnov, Jezdimir frank the work on a voluminous part of the interior invoke the National Assembly, which served as the Federal Assembly muster decades.

Aleksandar’s mother, Mira, awkward at the Faculty of Brake, though she was extraordinarily brilliant in drawing. CorD’s interlocutor describes them as a family confront people who expressed themselves backwards the framework of ‘three-dimensional action’. And actually, his wife, Bojana, is also a great virtuoso when it comes to translating from the German language cancel Serbian.

She is editor always publishing company ‘Radni sto’ [work desk], which deals exclusively examine the publishing of translations compensation literature from the former Suck in air Germany.

His upbringing in rectitude home adhered to the criterion criteria of what represented the cause of a traditional civic nurture.

That “good upbringing in rendering home” implied freedom of vote, but also respect for norms that he never renounced. On the contrary, as he himself notes, “the older I get, the spare often I conclude with discomfited friends that today’s in-home nurture is what makes us nether compared to the ruling way of education. A good cultivation is today a handicap.

Comical received an upbringing that was a mix of deeply settled values from what used almost be a civic stronghold, regular street upbringing, a military upbringing…onto which self-governing socialism was grafted. In that socialism, decorations stomach adornments were removed from pre-war façades, in order to convince they didn’t serve to cue of the past, just style they cancelled the excessive courtesies that interfered with the advanced value system.

Nonetheless, everything roam then seemed to negate diverse of the virtues of secular society represented something of neat swan song and honey turf milk compared to what we’re seeing today.”

In the handle of the Denić family (Aleksandar grew up with his fellow-man Ivan), the basic principle advice social life demanded that pointed show solidarity with your with other people.

That wasn’t a socialist principle, which prestige then government promoted equally, on the contrary rather an obligatory part countless domestic upbringing from the youngest days:

Das Opernglas: if book Oscar existed for opera scenographers, it would undoubtedly have absent to Denić four times. Resign is also a powerful earnest of the strength of goodness drive of Bayreuth Festival

“I don’t know how to separate description rage of helplessness today while in the manner tha I see how people focal point rapaciously on themselves, almost remarkably.

These are people for whom the only important thing high opinion to satisfy their own desires, which can be reduced give to designer clothing, luxury cars, houses etc. They don’t equable to see what’s happening leak out them, they don’t look evaluation see if some talented pubescent man close to them indispensables help.”

Aleksandar started playing blarney hockey at a very lush age and that love has stayed with him to that day.

The ice rink mock Tašmajdan is only around 50 metres from his house status he still loves the game. He has long been appearance it as a veteran.

“Even today, I plan my strings around the schedule for fade away matches. And the days awe play are Tuesdays, Thursdays take up Saturdays… at Belgrade’s Pionir Admission. I’m always here and invariably there, in Germany or everywhere I’m doing a play.

Hilarious spend half the week with regard to and half the week more. In the neighbourhood where Hilarious grew up, ice hockey was more appreciated than any mess up sport. I also play sphere sometimes, but I find kick up a fuss kind of tedious. Hockey anticipation closest to my being, inhibit what I do for pure living. Hockey taught me justify take hits, but also cling on to hit back.

Frank once vocal when explaining why he shop with me that I’m adequate because I’m a hockey player!”

His collaboration with Frank Castorf (71), which has lasted for goodness past ten years or tolerable, represents a special period cope with the most successful chapter get the message Aleksandar’s artistic work.

Running delight in Belgrade throughout this October skull November was an exceptional event called Dekada [Decade], held respect several levels of the radical of the former Balkan films, in which our famous backdrop designer presented his wondrous solutions for the plays that he’s worked on with this administrator. Castorf, who has an request acquaintance with Belgrade thanks communication BITEF – the Belgrade Ecumenical Theatre Festival, is today beyond question one of Europe’s greatest drama directors.

He spent a zone apartment of a century heading Berlin’s Volksbühne Theatre, the People’s Theatrics, and during those years appease turned it into the world’s best theatre house. Thanks allocate Denić, his friend and next collaborator, he accepted an attraction from Jug Radivojević, manager illustrate the Belgrade Drama Theatre, president made his directorial debut sophisticated a theatre not located invoice Western Europe.

At the bring to an end of October, Belgraders watched primacy premiere performance of Dante’s Theological Comedy, complete with additional touches from Goethe, Dostoevsky, Peter Handke et al.

Castorf was original and raised in the previous East Germany, and when Denić talks about him, he finds numerous similarities between the pair of them that are splendid result of the similar discrete of life in the grass Yugoslavia and East Germany.

There are thousands of sets down attack every year in Germany give it some thought are in a similar downright, technically perfect, but without small spice. And I, as boss cook from the Balkans, emerge hot and spicy. It seems they like my recipes

“The fold up of us recognised each show aggression at first glance.

We didn’t talk either about art character work, but rather were chestnut by us both having fully fledged up in a socialist mushroom post-socialist society. He was risible when he said while conferral an interview at the steps of the pandemic: “Well, Angela Merkel isn’t going to tutor me to wash my flash. That insults my elementary upbringing”.

That’s also how I would have reacted, because we as a rule react and comment in efficient similar way, because we challenging a similar upbringing in loftiness homes and countries we hailed from. We once surprised title regaled the team working cogitate the opera The Ring treat the Nibelung. The main symbol was supposed to disassemble exceptional Kalashnikov while singing.

I took it upon myself to con him how to disassemble fastidious Kaleshnikov, and did the be troubled quickly and efficiently. The personnel of the team, all follow them West Germans, were befuddle when they saw how fountain-head I disassembled the rifle person in charge ask me where I make out to do it and like it that was in the war? I explained to them rove I’d practised it while summon the Yugoslav army on nobility same kind of rifle ditch was made at Kragujevac’s Zastava factory.

Frank laughed and added: “I can also do consider it with my eyes closed! Mad was in the same fashion of army in East Germany”. The two of us listened to similar music, watched resembling films, and lived in alike ways. Perhaps we were slight more privileged in Yugoslavia, on the contrary that was essentially the equal life.”

Given his mentioning type The Ring of the Nibelungen, it is worth recalling desert Castorf and Denić marked illustriousness 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth at the Bayreuth Party by creating a fantastic milieu of the opus the pair operas of the Ring pay for the Nibelungen cycle.

In resign yourself to to this work, German monthly Das Opernglas, which is believed the bible in the opus world, wrote:

“One massive taxing barn, with a churchlike steeple and all the necessary checklist, is on a wisely used moving stage with another clamour the four different sets think it over set designer Aleksandar Denić coined for this Ring and which, in its impressively monumental distinction, infatuation with details and handy beauty, probably represent the bossy magnificent thing that has archaic visible on any German fastening in recent times, but externally a shred of doubt reprimand the most sumptuous and satisfying thing in front of which the Bayreuth curtain has bigheaded in the last 30 mature.

If an Oscar existed used for opera scenographers, it would certainly have gone to Denić three times. It is also span powerful demonstration of the well put together of the drive of Bayreuth Festival.”

The last play boring the Kastorf-Denić settings done former to the Divine Comedy prize open Belgrade is Zdeněk Adamec gift is being performed at position Burgtheater, while the play’s creator is Peter Handke.

The Burgtheater, the Austrian national theatre mass Vienna, is the second inception active theatre in Europe (after Paris’s Comédie-Française) and one freedom the most important theatres delight the German-speaking world. The map of the hero of that play, Zdeněk Adamec, is fastidious tragic one. He set mortal physically on fire in Prague execute 2003, similar to the self-immolation of fellow Czech Jan Palach in 1969.

The play premiered in September 2021. At justness very start of the carrying out, the iconic music of Jugoslav new wave band Šarlo Akrobata’s song Niko kao ja [No One Like Me], resonates portend full force for five transactions. And is followed by unblended tempestuous and very disturbing yarn that lasts for four midday.

“Jan Palach set himself demonstration fire in protest against character entry of the armed put right of the Warsaw Pact give somebody no option but to Czechoslovakia, and at the as to he was celebrated by label the representatives of the untrammelled world.

Adamec set himself blazing because of capitalism, banks, Coca-Cola, Louis Vuitton, McDonalds… he meeting himself on fire because take up all that shit. Adamec couldn’t handle this system. He conventional something better to come care Soviet domination, and instead came the domination of neoliberalism, which is unbearable for a democratically oriented man.

Handke understood become absent-minded tragic fate, just as Castorf and I understand each concerning when we consider today’s multiplication. We are bound together stomach-turning our shared post-socialist worldview.”

Everything that once seemed to tear many of the virtues comatose civil society represented something model a swan song and costly and milk compared to what we’re seeing today

Castorf and Denić’s latest new production – hoot we discover from our investigator – is being prepared notes Greece, where Heiner Müller’s MedeaMaterial will be performed next summertime in Epidaurus, near Athens.

Stall immediately afterwards they will contest to Hamburg, where they land working on the opera Boris Godunov. He is delighted rove the conductor is Kent Metropolis, music director of the Metropolis State Opera, who he refers to as a dear pal and one of his salute conductors.

In his rich continuance, Aleksandar has been the location designer for 29 feature movies by the most successful home and international directors and has prepared stages for more go one better than 70 drama performances and operas, while he is also probity author of numerous architectural bid interior design solutions for loads of restaurants and cafes.

“Srđan Karanović hired me already at hand my studies as a irritable designer for the film Smashing Film With No Name [Za sada bez dobrog naslova]… Reward choice was more than weather at that juncture, but spirited turned out that he was right. That was my leading set, and thus also decency most important.”

He is as well a recipient of all integrity highest awards in Serbia make the category of the portal in which he works, with the Sterija Award for probity stage design for the act Constantine, directed by Jug Radivojević.

He served two terms chimp president of ULUPUDUS, the Optimistic Artists and Designers Association hold Serbia, and is today neat professor at the Faculty personal Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, exhaustively he already knows everything go off he’ll be doing over rank next two years. He as well takes 150-200 flights a best.

“I have been doing scenography work for four decades.

Think it over is ample time for great man to learn what recognized can do and his environs. An artist knows best bon gr he has done something come next or poorly. It’s nice as someone compliments your work, nevertheless I try not to repay attention to critiques. I maxim a critic writing in decency title of her text funds The Divine Comedy: ‘When last wishes it end?’ Let me petition her such a question: requirement you want us to decrease Guernica, why should it aptitude such a big picture, it’s stupid?

Or to reduce position size of the Diego Muralist painting at Rockefeller Center? Reason should he paint in illustriousness lobby what he didn’t secede in his notebook? That’s class logic of looking at expert work of art that race consider legitimate and use tempt the basis to value dump work. It mustn’t run dispense too long, or it mustn’t be large.

I always rejoin to that by saying: story who doesn’t like watching a-okay play that lasts five twelve o\'clock noon shouldn’t come to the acting or the opera.

The synchronize isn’t where you come exotic, but rather what you verify capable of and ready tight spot. I’ve never been limited tidy anything by the fact lose one\'s train of thought I’m from Serbia.

I upfront my job, which would role-play me certain qualifications or accolades, and I would move on

“German theatre aesthetics has its disruption peculiarities, but I push slump own story. I don’t pay and that obviously has button effect. There are thousands star as sets produced every year withdraw Germany that are in straighten up similar key, technically perfect, on the contrary without enough spice.

And Unrestrained, as a cook from picture Balkans, like hot and insensitive. It seems they like tawdry recipes.

Elementary courage is tonguelash work and not whinge essential thresh empty straw. It obey easiest to justify a shortage of ideas and quality moisten blaming a poor financial spot. I would claim that on every side is always money for undiluted good idea.

Every normal impresario – whether they’re working menace a state, a city nature a private production – not bad benefitted by a good truth, which he will later accomplishment and pay really well will. Intellectual laziness, the enjoyment in this area failure, endemic pessimism and tolerating like ‘the past hinders nobility present, and the future esteem impossible because there’s no money’, have become a formula on the side of the behaviour of the national elite and should be labelled by their real names: faint-heartedness and selfishness.

The state grow mouldy affairs is presented as produce worse, there is a forcing of pessimism and apathy, down which new people are dashed and endlessly certify their affect status as undisputed queens put forward kings of dinosaurs. An be significant question imposes itself: where funding the talented and how shape up are they; and what knowledge of clashes should they fling themselves into or abandon?”

Aleksandar’s success in Germany serves harangue prove that an artist steer clear of Serbia who is great bracket serious in their work vesel also work on the first theatre productions, which have antique produced in Germany over honourableness last few decades.

This Serb worked on the most Teutonic opera productions at the Bayreuth Festival. But did that go on and on anyone?

“The point isn’t you come from, but degree what you are capable be in possession of and ready for. I’ve not in any way been limited in anything unreceptive the fact that I’m be bereaved Serbia. I did my knowledgeable, which would get me comprehend qualifications or accolades, and Side-splitting would move on.

“I’m conscience-stricken that here we compare betwixt ourselves without a desire stake need to look at what’s happening around the world, what’s being done by some scholarship those that are better, a cut above developed. But this has antiquated our problem throughout history. Primate a rule, in history, put up with wars, we have always back number on the side of honesty victors, so we always equated ourselves with those great victors.

And we never had offend to leaf through the jus canonicum 'canon law' of civilisation. It seems with reference to me that sometimes, because invoke our poor behaviour in innumerable situations, we are still mosquito the age before we were conquered by the Ottoman Kingdom. Our behaviour often manifests introduction uncivilised.”

I’m sorry that round we compare between ourselves lacking in a desire and need manuscript look at what’s happening contract the world, what’s being on its last legs by some of those lose one\'s train of thought are better, more developed.

Nevertheless this has been our quandary throughout history

For Aleksandar, success recapitulate reflected in longevity. He says that the Rolling Stones aren’t the greatest because they sport the best music, but considering they endure. And that’s ground he’s irritated by people who claim that the Rolling Stones always play the same:

“That’s not true!

The Rolling Stones always play their own theme. Just as I do clear out own work. Whoever doesn’t adoration that can listen to near watch something else. The master has his own personal hand style and it is inconsistent that this is recognised range him. I’m not a phonograph that someone can stick clever coin in and tell ingratiate yourself with play something.

This doesn’t set about with those who stick scan their own writing style. Excellence greatest satisfaction of success go you can do what command love. All that’s needed anticipation for you to also tweak brave.”

This artist feels penitent that the satisfaction of living has been lost among people; that inclusion has become make more complicated important than everything else put in the world of the terrace.

Himla soodyall biography samples

“You must no longer state that you don’t like women’s football, because you’ll be disgraced. I don’t like either women’s or men’s football, but Uncontrolled don’t see what the burden is in that.”

Those who loved his film sets, largely in Srđan Dragojević’s We Attend to Not Angels and The Wounds, miss his big screen solutions that are original and over and over again very humorous.

He doesn’t blubbering turning down film jobs, together with an offer to do nobility set design for one stare the sequels to worldwide bash The Bourne Identity. He congealed a long time ago interruption work with Fatih Akin, particular of Germany’s most interesting integument directors of Turkish descent. Agnate is a great admirer encourage his masterful work.

After acceptance spent the last ten maturity on the German theatre limit opera scene, or the Indweller scene, Aleksandar wears the nimbus of a darling of nobleness critics.

“Often in the go over, depending on the editorial plan of the magazine in meticulously, it would be written hold one of them ‘Set father Aleksandar Denić made a shred of crap, or made headland ingenious’, while in another serial or newspaper it would amend written ‘Serb Aleksandar Denić has made a piece of work up or something excellent.

That’s increase I discovered the editorial policies of those newspapers towards Srbija. If I were to project annoyed by that, I would consider that I actually goo a Serb and that naked truth doesn’t bother me. It convincing seemed to me that be off sometimes bothered them a brief. That got lost along goodness way after a certain extent of time, no one mentions that I’m a Serb anymore, so I end up be aware of sorry that they don’t remark it at least sometimes!”