Branko Milisković: We are an unnecessary layer of society for the state

"Dialogues on principles and social contract in art" is the title of a series of conversations between Branko Milisković, a performative artist, and his interlocutors, in front of the audience at the "Balkan" cinema.

That audience is so large that the last "Dialogues", the third in the series, were moved from the hall to the larger space of the "Balkan".

On Tuesday at 19 pm, the fourth "Dialogue" will begin, and Branko Milisković and his interlocutor, Nela Tonković, curator of the Contemporary Gallery in Subotica, will discuss the purchase of contemporary works of art, the relationship of the state to contemporary cultural heritage, the relationship between public and private collections and similar important topics.

Talk about problems

Branko Milisković tells "Vreme" that "Dialogues" arose from "the need to clearly and loudly point out the problems and challenges faced by artists and culture in Serbia", and states that the topics so far have been "the status of an independent artist, competitions of the Ministry of Culture and the Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, and the influence of geo-politics on the visibility of artists/curators on the international scene".

He announces that on Tuesday, apart from the already mentioned, he will also discuss the ways in which "art works are preserved, especially if they are of an ephemeral nature, such as performance, sound, video, text, VR or NFT. These are all questions that I ask myself every day and try to answer them, but it makes a big difference whether you look for the answers in your head, or dare to publicly insist on finding them."

He chooses his interlocutors, says Milisković, "in relation to the topics I want to cover, but also in relation to whether I can establish a dialogue with them in front of the audience. There are numerous artists and cultural workers who are very good at their jobs, but they simply do not have the charisma, life experience, eloquence and integrity, so that I could engage in an uncompromising dialogue with them in front of the audience".

He explains that he mainly chooses independent artists to whom he belongs, because "our status is the most threatened, and our existence is uncertain" and states that the "Dialogue" cycle began in "December last year with the artist Uroš Đurić. The second interviewee was art historian, professor and political activist Branislav Dimitrijević, and the third conversation, at the end of February this year, was with the artist Nemanja Mate Đorđević".

Is the artist important to this country?

One of the topics, the reason why "Dialogues" were started, is the importance of artists and art in local society. Branko Milisković assesses that this is an "extremely important topic, considering that in this country there is a myth circulating that artists are some kind of privileged class of society, who are engaged in art for fun, and why should the state even have to pay them contributions, because for God's sake, what have they contributed to it in the first place. People do not understand that only a small percentage of artists are well-off. The rest literally live on the edge of poverty, without income, sometimes for more than half a year. At the same time, culture and art are of vital importance for all societies, including ours - both civilized and primitive. If we don't invest in it, we will remain blind and deaf and dumb, and such are best managed."

Milisković says that "in countries with dictators at the helm, culture is reduced to propaganda. Everything that goes out of that framework, or tries to criticize the regime, is considered undesirable activism, an intrusion of state enemies, which should be suppressed and discouraged. I believe that in a healthy democratic society, which is a utopia, the government would have to hire, listen to and consult independent thinkers and artists, so that it does not go astray and become self-sufficient, separated from reality. Because dictatorship feeds on single-mindedness."

One of the topics that inevitably ran through all the conversations was the budget for culture. As is known, it is embarrassingly small, the lowest in the region.

Abuse of artists

"I am most disturbed by the constant and shameless reduction of the budget for culture and the abuse of artists, the sabotaging of artistic work and the endangering of existence by the constant delay of competition results and the payment of funds, which are often paid out in October, and it is expected that the projects will be realized and financial reports will be issued by the end of the current year. The impression is that this government would be most suited if we were no longer there at all and that we were an unnecessary expense."

Therefore, he emphasizes that "artists and cultural workers should constantly fight for their rights and profession, and with their activism point out the problems, as well as the lack of art spaces, corruption, nepotism, incompetence and arrogance, conflict of interests... there is more".

Solutions

"Dialogues" spontaneously crystallized solutions to some problems, and Milisković points out "how to change the law according to which independent artists are treated as small businessmen, which is not true, because our job is not the production of commercial content and goods, but cultural goods", and says that "at ULUS we are working on the formation of working bodies and initiatives that would deal with improving the status of independent artists".

"Our goal is to activate awareness of the importance of the art market, because if the system were regulated, artists would not depend only on the charity given to them by the Ministry of Culture, nor on the goodwill of quasi-collectors who ask for a discount. In the next 'Dialogues', we will also raise the issue of the possibility of publishing a new art magazine, which would also have content from the international scene. There is no such magazine in Serbia, and I would be fascinated to see it, not only in museums, but also on newsstands, in addition to the daily press."

The topics dealt with by "Dialogues" are topics that suit the institution, not the individual. For the circumstances here, Milisković does not find it strange. He says that "institutions are managed by individuals who are paid to run them and maintain a semblance of normalcy. How do you expect individuals who have a salary and seniority, and who depend on state support, to criticize it? They are interested in their own stability, without much unnecessary fluctuation, in carrying out annual programs within the budget allocated to them by the state, so in the end we have everything, but we don't even have dinars for artists and their engagement".

"As an independent artist, I know what it's like to live like a wild animal, without a secure income, without the possibility of taking out a loan, buying an apartment, paid sick leave, annual vacation and all those benefits that a civil servant takes for granted."

No one is in charge.

The previous "Dialogues" were full. Did he notice any of the authorities in the audience?

"No! Never! Although I inform them personally every time, no one has ever deigned to come," replies Milisković and notes that "it would be a very unpleasant evening for them and face questions that they skillfully avoid answering so far. The institution and political immunity protects them from responsibility, at least for now."