Jovan Despotović

Jovan Despotović was educated at the University of Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia (now the Republic of Serbia), earning an Academic Degree in Art History in 1976.^[1]

From 2001 to 2004, Despotović was the Deputy Minister of Culture for the Republic of Serbia. He was also director for the protection of cultural heritage at the Coordination Center for Kosovo and Metohija.^[2] From 2004 to 2014, he was editor of the Cultural and Information Desk for the Third Programme of Radio Belgrade and Radio Television of Serbia.^[3] From 2014 to 2015, he was director of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. From 2015, he was the Editor in Chief of documentary programming at Radio Television of Serbia, a post from which he retired in 2017.

Despotović was the Yugoslav Commissioner at the 7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition in Budapest (1987),^[4] and the 22nd Biennale in São Paulo in 1994.^[5]

Despotović has published over 2,000 articles, critical reviews, and essays and is the founder and editor of numerous journals: Sveske (edition Association of Art Historians of Serbia), Vreme umetnosti (a special supplement of the Vreme weekly), Treći program (edition Radio Belgrade), and Moment.^[6] His work has been translated into at least 13 languages.

Despotović has published art criticism and articles since 1978. At the beginning of the 1980s, he participated in the creation and development of New Wave with a group of young Serbian artists in Belgrade. New Wave is a countercultural art movement that aimed to challenge expectations of the time. With numerous writings and art exhibitions, Despotović contributed to New Image Painting ('Nova Slika'), notablity in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia) and abroad.^[7]

Despotović is involved in cultural policy, an active movement for political change and changes in arts and culture.^[8] The effort to establish a new, democratic order in the 1990s brought together many intellectuals, artists, and non-governmental organizations. His contributions include being named Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Culture during Zoran Đinđić's term as prime minister. He has also been involved in the protection of Serbia's cultural heritage, especially in Kosovo following the arrival of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

General Sources:^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

• New Now, (Galerija “Pinki”, Zemun, 1982)
• Umetnost osamdesetih, Art of the Eighties (as co-author, Muzej savremene umetnosti, Beograd, 1983, p.p. 10–12)
• Vera Božičković Popović (Umetnički paviljon “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Beograd, 1984)
• Svetomir Arsić-Basara (Umetnički paviljon “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Beograd, 1984–1985)^[11]
• Sava Šumanović (Jugoslovenska galerija umetničkih dela, Beograd, 1986) ISBN 978-86-82857-01-3
• Darija Kačić, Dubravka Duba Sambolec, Aneta Svetieva (7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition of Budapest, Budapest, 1987, p.p. 138–139) ISBN 978-963-7402-07-4^[12]
• Slika i informacija 1945–1989, Srpska fotografija 1839–1989 (Picture and information 1945–1989, Serbian photography 1839–1989, as co-author, Galerija SANU, Beograd, 1991, p.p. 122–126)
• Mića Popović – Drawings, 1941–1988 (as editor, “Mrlješ”, Beograd, 1994)
• Zdravko Joksimovic (22nd Biennale of São Paulo, São Paulo, 1994, p.p. 291–292)^[13]
• Rezime, Summary (Muzej savremene umetnosti, Beograd, 1995–1996) ISBN 978-86-7101-094-8
• Dragoslav Djordjević (as editor, “Clio”, Beograd, 1996)
• A Saudade de Anica Vučetić (Museu de Arte Contemporanea da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 1995–1996)
• Sreten Stojanović (Jugoslovenska galerija umetničkih dela, Beograd, 1998)
• Umetnost i angažovanost devedesetih, Art and the involvement of the nineties (20 memorijal 'Nadežde Petrović', Umetnička galerija 'Nadežda Petrović', Čačak, 1998)^[14]
• Restoration of art, reconstruction criticism: criticism of art of the eighties (as co-author, The art at the end of the century I, “Clio”, Beograd, 1998, p.p. 117–139, 316–329)^[15][16]
• Vida Jocić – Apel za mir, Vida Jocic – Appeal for Peace (Centar za kulturnu dekontaminaciju, Beograd, 1999)
• Aktiver Widerstand, Zentrum für Kulturelle Dekontamination, Čedomir Vasiċ (as co-author,Dossier Serbien, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, 2000, p.p. 16–19, 32–34, 60)
• En fin (Galerie de l'UNESCO, Paris, 2000)
• Aktiver Widerstand, Zentrum für Kulturelle Dekontamination, Čedomir Vasiċ (as co-author, Dossier Serbien, Akademie der bildenden Künste, Wien, 2001, p.p. 16–19, 32–34, 60)
• Regionalno univerzalno, Regional univerzal (as co-author, Galerija savremene umetnosti, Pančevo, 2002, p.p. 49–74)
• Da Fattori a Morandi e La vie mediterranee dell'icona cristiana (preface, Narodni muzej, Beograd, 2001, La Collezione Grieco, Pinacoteca Provinciale, Bari, 2002, p. 7) ISBN 978-88-7329-017-9
• Živko Grozdanić Gera, (as co-author, Umetnička galerija “Nadežda Petrović”, Čačak, Centar za savremenu kulturu Konkordija, Vršac, Greelery Square Gallery, New York City, 2002, p.p. 50–53)
• Svetomir Arsić Basara, Or a foreword inevitably intended as an epilogue (preface, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, Narodna i univerzitetska biblioteka 'Ivo Andrić', Priština, 2004, p.p. 06-09) ISBN 978-86-7935-076-3^[17]
• Old Now (Kulturni centar Beograda, Beograd, 2004) ISBN 978-86-84235-15-4
• Čedomir Vasić, Red data Book (Umetnička galerija “Nadežda Petrović”, Čačak, 2004) ISBN 978-86-83783-08-3
• Led art 1993–2003 – Documents (as co-author, Multimedijalni centar LED ART, Novi Sad, 2004, p.p. 19, 20, 169–172, 195–198, 240, 241)
• Nagrada za umetnost 'Mića Popović', Award for art Mića Popović (as co-author, 10 godina Galerije Haos, Umetnički paviljon “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Beograd, 2005, p.p. 53–60) ISBN 978-86-906951-0-2
• Nova slika, New Image Painting (“Clio”, Beograd, 2006) ISBN 978-86-7102-236-1
• Za bolji put Srbije, For a better way of Serbia (as co-author, Demokratska stranka, Centar resornih odbora, Beograd, 2006, p.p. 414–415, 671–674) ISBN 978-86-7856-001-9^[18]
• Madlena, (as co-author, Zepter internacional, Milan, Paris, 2006)
• Slobodan Trajković, Metamorfoze, Slobodan Trajkovic, Metamorphosis (Prodajna galerija “Beograd”, Beograd, 2007) ISBN 978-86-84393-43-4
• Evgenija Demnievska, Discours sur les utopies du modernisme (Umetnički paviljon “Cvijeta Zuzorić”, Beograd, 2007) ISBN 978-86-82765-45-5
• Nebojša Mitrić (as co-author, Spomen zbirka Pavla Beljanskog, Novi Sad, 2007, p. 117) ISBN 978-86-906563-6-3
• Vojin Stojić, život i delo, Vojin Stojić, life and work (as co-author, “Apostrof”, Beograd, 2007, p.p. 45–50) ISBN 978-86-7634-092-7
• Nežno i čvrsto, Gently and firmly (Galerija Zvono, Beograd, 2008)
• Milovan Destil Marković, DeStil Marković and the 'New Image' of the Eighties (as co-author, Umetnička galerija “Nadežda Petrović”, Čačak, 2008, p.p. 49–55) ISBN 978-86-83783-25-0^[19]
• Živko Grozdanić Gera, 'Meteorska kiša', Meteor Rain (as co-author, Simptomi singularizacije, Symptoms of singularisation, Biro za kulturu i komunikaciju, Vršac, 2008, p.p. 46–47) ISBN 978-86-907379-3-2
• Od 'džakova oraja' do održivosti javne umetnosti, From 'sacks of walnuts' to sustainability of public art (as co-author, Skulptura u urbanom prostoru, Sculpture in urban space, “Visart”, Novi Sad, 2008, p.p. 40–51) ISBN 978-86-911911-0-8
• Živojin Turinski – Works 1958–1967 (Kulturni centar Beograda, Beograd, 2009) ISBN 978-86-7996-033-7
• Umesto pogovora, Dosije Srbija – aktivizam devedesetih, Instead of the afterword, Dossier Serbia – activism of the nineties, (afterword Serbian edition in Collectivism after modernism, “University of Minnesota Press”, Minneapolis, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8166-4461-2, “Clio”, Beograd, 2010, p.p. 355–375) ISBN 978-86-7102-376-4
• Pažnja kritika, 50 godina Oktobarskog salona, Attention to criticism, 50 years of October Salon (Kulturni centar Beograda, Beograd, 2009, p.p. 334–336, 436–438, 438–440) ISBN 978-86-7996-035-1^[20]
• Ljubomir Erić, Kolekcija crteža, Art Collection (“Arhipelag”, Beograd, 2010) ISBN 978-86-86933-67-6
• Milena Jeftić Ničeva Kostić (ULUS, Beograd, 2010) ISBN 978-86-82765-62-2
• Pohvala stilu, Madlena, Decenije, Praise style, Madlena, Decades (as co-author, Zepter Book Word, Beograd, 2010, pp. 75–79) ISBN 978-86-7494-117-1
• Džafo, (as co-author, Muzej savremene likovne umetnosti Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 2011) ISBN 978-86-84773-80-9^[21]
• Above and Below, (preface, Slobodanka Stupar, Subjectil is Subjectil, Prodajna galerija “Beograd”, Belgrade, 2011) ISBN 978-86-6141-014-7^[22]
• Josif, (Josif Vidojković, “Intelekta”, Valjevo, 2011) ISBN 978-86-7072-056-5
• Nune and Magnet, (“Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina”, Novi Sad, 2011) ISBN 978-86-84773-86-1
• Slobodanka Stupar, (“Sales Gallery 'Belgrade'”, Belgrade, 2013), ISBN 978-86-6141-047-5
• Odložba nije izložena (koautor), Kritičari su izabrali – Mrđan Bajić, Tahir Lušić, De Stil Marković, str.162-164; Kritičari na delu, str. 215–219; Kulturni centar Beograda, Beograd, The postponement was not presented (as co-author), Critics chose - Mrđan Bajić, Tahir Lušić, De Stil Marković, pp. 162–164; Critics in Action, pp. 215–219; Belgrade Cultural Center, Belgrade, 2019 ((ISBN 978-86-7996-245-4))

General Sources:^{[3][6][7][8][9][10]}

General sources^[6][7][8][9]

• New Now (Galerija “Pinki”, Beograd, May to June 1982)
• Umetnost osamdesetih, The art of the eighties (as co-author, Muzej savremene umetnosti, Beograd, June to August 1983)
• Jugoslavian Nykytaidetta (as co-author, Alvar Aalto museet, Oslo, April 1984)
• Jugoslavisk Nutidskonst (as co-author, Taidehalli, Helsinki, May 1984)
• 7 th International Small Sculpture Exhibition of Budapest (Palace of Exhibitions, Budapest, November to December 1987) ISBN 978-963-7402-07-4^[24]
• Slika i informacija 1945–1989, Picture and information 1945–1989 (Galerija SANU, Beograd, January to March 1991)
• 22nd Sao Paulo Biennale (São Paulo, October to December 1994)^[25]
• Rezime, Summary (Muzej savremene umetnosti, Beograd, 1995–1996) ISBN 978-86-7101-094-8
• Sava Šumanović (Jugoslovenska galerija umetničkih dela, Beograd, July to August 1996) ISBN 978-86-82857-01-3
• Pėrtej (as co-author, Centar za kulturnu dekontaminaciju, Beograd, April 1997)
• Sreten Stojanović (Jugoslovenska galerija umetničkih dela, Beograd, 1998)
• Umetnost i angažovanost devedesetih, Art and the involvement of the nineties (20 memorijal “Nadežde Petrović”, Umetnička galerija “Nadežda Petrović”, Čačak, 1998)^[26]
• Vida Jocić, Apel za mir, Appeal for Peace (Centar za kulturnu dekontaminaciju, Beograd, April 1999)
• Glasovi novog veka, Voices of the New Century (Galerija Haos, Beograd, May to June 1999) ISBN 978-86-906951-0-2 ^[27]
• Dossier Serbien (as co-author, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, November to December 2000)
• En fin (Galerie de l'UNESCO, Paris, December 2000)
• Dossier Serbien (as co-author, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Wien, January to February 2001)
• Old Now (Likovna galerija Kulturnog centra Beograda, Beograd, January 2004) ISBN 978-86-84235-15-4 ^[28]
• Živojin Turinski – Works 1958–1967, (as co-author, Likovna galerija Kulturnog centra Beograda, Beograd, September 2009) ISBN 978-86-7996-033-7

Co-founder

• 1992: Belgrade, Award Lazar Trifunović (for the best theoretical work, art critic or a book in the field of art and visual creativity)^[29]
• 1997: Belgrade, Award Mića Popović (for individuals who are critical active as artists and engaged intellectuals)^[30]

Winner

• 2000: Belgrade, Award Lazar Trifunović for fundamental work in art criticism and the text in the catalog, 'En fin', held at the Gallery of UNESCO, Paris, 1999^[31]

• 1986: International Association of Art Critics (AICA)^[32]