darije petković

DARIJE PETKOVIĆ (Croatia)

Darije Petković, from the Occupation in 26 Pictures series, 2008

*Occupation in 26 Pictures (2008)

In Lordan Zafranović’s film Occupation in 26 Pictures the multi-national city of Dubrovnik is being ethnically cleansed during WWII by Nazi and Croatian (Ustasha) armies. The idyllic city becomes a place of terror and gruesome massacres where former friends take different sides in a global conflict. In his same-titled series Darije Petković is questioning and reflecting on the processes of disintegration of the domestic economy. It shows monumental images of present day Croatia as a representation of Zeitgeist. He closely examines, selects and documents crucial symbols of national identity, cultural heritage and economic power, and merges them into a consistent narrative. He shows facades of office buildings belonging to domestic or multi-national corporations with their aggressive advertising. As with any economic occupation is also utterly unpleasant that the social, economic and cultural production of the domestic economy simultaneously ceases to develop because there is no interest in investment. Petković is deliberately explicit in his visual research of economic changes by showing the most obvious examples of financial takeover and malversation. Sharpness and directness make Petković an extremely sensitive observer who discovers these fine details in the images he captures. In his photography, he draws most important effects from light and texture, often from very long exposures that give his images a special softness.

Darije Petković, born 1974 in Zagreb, is a photographer, assistant professor in the Cinematography Department at the Academy of Dramatic Arts and artist. He lives and works in Zagreb.

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