STREET ART

Street art in Belgrade has been commonplace  since the 1980s , and its constant expansion has been consistent ever since. Belgrade has become the center of a lively and diverse culture of graffiti, stencils, murals, stickers, as well as other artistic interventions in the space. Belgrade stands out in Europe as a city of great activity in the sphere of street art.

The Belgrade scene has developed so much in the last few years that 3D models of graffiti and murals were installed in 2021, which are intended to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people.

The variety of street art is contributed by various art groups, as well as numerous street artists.

The graffiti scene emerged in the mid-1980s and is closely tied to the New Belgrade blocks. The creation of the first graffiti began with various tags (signatures) in a black and silver combination. In Block 45 during the years 1984-1985, a group called Fantastic Boys appeared, leaving their first tags. This movement was fueled by the wave of hip-hop culture that spread across Europe and then reached Belgrade. Soon, trains, city buses, and trolleybuses were also adorned with graffiti (1997).

A particularly significant moment in the creation of the graffiti scene occurred in 1999 when the first graffiti festival was held in Belgrade. It took place at the "Kralj Petar" school in the city center, with local artists joined by graffiti masters from Slovenia and Croatia.

During that period, three artist groups were active - BG Illegal, SDB, and MAC / LMC.

In the early 21st century, graffiti became increasingly prevalent in all parts of the city. Among the new graffiti masters, an artist known by the pseudonym Lortek expanded this form of art to other parts of the city.

Lortek, XIV beogradska gimnazija

The emergence of festivals and civic initiatives has fueled the growth of graffiti art, and today, a large number of graffiti artists operate in Belgrade. Female artists, in particular, have made significant contributions, with important roles played by Aleksandra Petković, known by the pseudonym TKV, Jana Danilović, and many others.

Aleksandra Petković TKV, Jana Danilović, Uroš Štrboja (Rosh) i Vuk Đurić (Endo), Silosi, 2022

In Belgrade, black and white murals stand out, most often painted on residential buildings in the center of the city, starting from the "upper" Dorćol area and spreading to other Belgrade municipalities and neighbourhoods, mainly in the city districts: Vračar, Stari Grad, and Savski Venac. These murals bear the characteristics of the supporters' group "Partizan," specifically the group called Partizan Grobari Trash Romanticism (GTR), in collaboration with the punk band "Grupa JNA," which is also oriented towards supporting the sports club Partizan. The murals depict public figures from Serbia and around the world who are somehow connected to the aforementioned sports club.

These portraits were initiated by the groups in 2015 and feature black and white murals of public figures, often dressed in Partizan jerseys, accompanied by a specific quote from the depicted person that promotes their urban culture, a kind of banal poetry of the club, as well as the club itself.

Painting murals of deceased personalities is a phenomenon that can be seen all over the world, including in Serbia. After the death of a certain public figure, especially from show business, street artists paint their portraits as a tribute to their contribution to culture and art. The murals of British singer Amy Winehouse, musician David Bowie, boxer Muhammad Ali, basketball player Kobe Bryant, actor Robin Williams, etc. stand out. In the context of  Belgrade artists, then musicians Dragoljub Đuričić, Džej Ramadanovski, actors Danilo Batu Stojković, Petar Kralj, Marinko Madžgalj, Borivoj Boro Todorović, Zoran Radmilović, Velimir Batu Živojinović, Milena Dravić and Dragan Nikolić are notable. They are depicted in or near the place where they spent time, where they worked or places that are characteristic of them by some other feature, so behind the theater Atelier 212 and next to the Belgrade Drama Theater there are murals dedicated to deceased actors, near the tavern on Dorćol where he often stayed, there is a mural of Džej Ramadanovski.

Murals of historical figures

The attitude towards national history in Serbia represents an important aspect of collective identity, which is why it is understandable that among the multitude of painted murals, historical figures stand out. They are increasingly present in public spaces, both on the facades of residential buildings and on public surfaces such as communal areas or the walls of abandoned industrial structures. This phenomenon is not unique to Serbia, as the representation of famous historical figures from the fields of art, science, politics, wars, and sports is part of universal practices. Portraits belonging to this group of murals are generally universally recognizable or at least recognizable at the national/local level if they are part of the national history of a particular place.

One of the most common motifs when it comes to historical figures, both in Belgrade and throughout Serbia, is the portrait of Nikola Tesla. As one of the personalities that is recognizable all over the world, Nikola Tesla, due to his contribution to science and his origin, is on the walls not only of Belgrade, but  all of Serbia. His character is associated with a feeling of national pride, without the certain political-ideological background that the authors imply in the cases of some other portraits of historical figures. The Tesla mural, apart from being painted in public spaces, started being painted in schools and even cafes.

One of the most common motifs when it comes to historical figures, both in Belgrade and throughout Serbia, is the portrait of Gavrilo Princip, which has a political and ideological context. It serves as a symbol of national pride, revolutionary spirit, the struggle for liberation, and Serbian unity. Alongside the portrait of Gavrilo Princip himself, one can often find the quote, "Our shadows will walk through Vienna, roam the palace, and frighten the gentlemen" which was supposedly written by Gavrilo Princip himself while he was detained in prison in Sarajevo.

In a series of historical murals, there are also portraits of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II Romanov, Prince Petar Petrović Njegoš, the famous mathematician Milutin Milanković, General Živojin Mišić, a Serbian military leader from the Balkan wars and from the First World War. Not infrequently, the mural is accompanied by quotes with a clear political goal of provocation or arousing national pride. For example, next to the mural of Njegoš is written the text, "Everyone is born to die once, honor and shame live forever!", next to the mural of Karađorđe is written, "Serbia cannot rest." ,General, we are surrounded! Excellent, my comrade, now we can attack in all directions!''

One of the most tragic events at the beginning of the 21st century was the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. Zoran Đinđić was the Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia, after the democratic reforms, in the period from January 2001 to March 12, 2003. At the entrance to the Government building, at the place where Prime Minister Đinđić was shot, a year after the murder, in 2004, a commemorative plaque was placed. A quote from Đinđić is engraved on the plaque: "If someone thinks that they will stop the implementation of the law and reform by removing me, then they are seriously mistaken."

The mural located on the plateau opposite the entrance to the Faculty of Philosophy was created in 2018, and after a few days the mural was desecrated by paint. However, the mural was restored every few months, after which it would be desecrated again. The recent situation is such that the mural is placed on a higher level, so desecration is difficult. The mural is stylistically similar to other murals in Belgrade—with a tendency towards hyperrealism. What marks it is the place where it is located—the plateau of the Faculty of Philosophy, the oldest higher education institution in Serbia. The mural is located in the place where Đinđić studied philosophy.

Mural dedicated to Zoran Đinđić in front of the Faculty of Philosophy

It is located right under the mural painting of Vladimir Velićković, which was created in 1970 as one of the first murals in Belgrade. The same place also had a mural dedicated to Joe Strummer, the frontman of the English punk group The Clash, who is considered a symbol of resistance, a youthful revolt against the traditional value system. The place of the mural is also a place where students gather, organize protests and a place that connects the busiest parts of the city—Student Square and Park with Knez Mihailova Street.

The commemorative mural to the political activist Oliver Ivanović, the murdered leader of the civil initiative Freedom Democracy Justice from Kosovo, is located near the police station on Despota Stefana Boulevard. The text "You cannot live in an atmosphere of fear" is written next to the portrait. This mural has not been damaged, painted over or desecrated.

A special group of murals consists of commemorative portraits of anonymous, mostly young people who were killed or died in tragic accidents. By placing these murals in a public space, they acquire a general character, because their tragic death causes a collective resistance to the injustice they were exposed to or the misfortune that happened. They are an expression of collective memory with which the community wants to immortalize their young lives and remind them to be careful in preventing tragic events.

Such murals are usually painted in the immediate vicinity of where the person lived or where he spent his time. Such a mural was created on the occasion of the murder of Miloš Mileusnić, a student from Čačak who was killed as a bystander in Dimitrija Tucovića Street in 2019 when the murderer Neđeljko Đurović, in an unstable mental state, "randomly selected" stabbed him several times with a knife. His mural in Belgrade is located on Dorćol in Strahinjića Bana Street.

A fifteen-year-old girl, Minja Draganić, was the victim of a fire that broke out in the apartment where she lived with her parents in Dorćol. A mural dedicated to Minja is located at the "Braća Baruch" elementary school, which she attended.

On Zvezdara, near the Ivan Goran Kovačić school, there is a mural dedicated to Stefan Radojević—Radet, a young man who tragically died in a motorcycle accident on Dimitrija Tucovića Street.

On Vračar there is a mural dedicated to Nemanja Antic, a young man who died in a traffic accident near Ada Huja in 2014, while on the facade of the First Belgrade High School there is a mural dedicated to Miloš Janković, also a victim of the same accident.

On the building in Kraljice Marije Street , since 2022, there is a mural dedicated to the student Jovan Ivić, who committed suicide on that very spot.

Those commemoration actions are initiated in most cases by friends and family.

Football fans, known as "ultras", originated in Italy in the late 60s of the 20th century, and in the 80s they spread to other parts of Europe. Organized into football fan associations, ultras are characterized by passionate support for a football club, often linked to political ideology or ethnicity. Over time, some branches of ultras fan groups began to get involved in dangerous criminal activities.

Thus, subgroups of ultras fans, who deal with violence and organized crime, gathered hooligans into a well-organized criminal structure. These hooligan groups, due to the large number of murders that followed as a result of mutual confrontations, especially in the last decade, commission murals of deceased members, realistically painted in the style of GTR. However, these murals depict fans of different fan groups who belong to hooligan groups due to their criminal activities.

With this way of memorializing personalities, certain urban neighborhoods or units are demarcated in a picturesque way, and visual messages are sent to certain social groups. They can have overt or hidden meanings such as threat, revenge, or simply honoring the deceased. Particularly active in the sphere of commemorative street art are the fans of FC Partizan, the so-called Grobari. A number of commemorative fan murals are scattered around the city, and just near Partizan's stadium, there are now 13 murals dedicated to different people. These are individuals who, in addition to being fans, have a history of violent and hooligan behaviour. Mostly unknown to the public, these fans only used football support as a cover for certain criminal activities.

Among the series of murals of this type, the mural of Ljubomir Marković Kića, the former leader of Partizan's fan group "Alcatraz", stands out. Murals are dedicated to him at two locations in Belgrade, one in the Petlovo brdo neighborhood, the other in lower Dorćol. On the Dorćol mural there is a text that reads "You are the pride of Belgrade". Ljubomir Marković became known to the general public during the investigation into the murder of French fan Brice Taton in September 2009. Marković was then arrested, sentenced to 30 years in prison, in the meantime his sentence was reduced to 13 years, after which he was released from prison in 2017, and two years later he was killed.

On the street 27. Marta/Kraljice Marije in Belgrade, on the facade of a residential building there is a mural of a man with text that reads "Dovla 1978-2013". Dovla or Vlada Zlo were some of the nicknames of Vladimir Lukić, a fan of FC Rad, who was killed in the same street. Vladimir Lukić was part of the fan group of the mentioned club, "United force", as well as the leader of the neo-Nazi squad "Combat 18". In 27 Mart Street itself, as well as in the surrounding streets, a large number of stencils were drawn with the image of Vladimir Lukić along with the words Dovla underneath.

The mural of Alen Kostić, also known as Kubi, is located in the Belgrade neighborhood of Železnik, at the bus interchange. Alen was killed while he was the leader of the partisan fan group "Zabranjeni", against whom 15 criminal charges were filed at that time. It is believed that he was killed because of a conflict with the rival Partizan group "Alcatraz".

There is also a mural dedicated to Vladimir Vojvodić Vojvoda, the former leader of Crvena Zvezda fans, from the close circle of Željko Ražnatović Arkan, the leader of a criminal clan from the 1990s.

In New Belgrade, in Block 21, there is a mural dedicated to Velibor Dunjić, the leader of Crvena Zvezda fans, a group called "Hyenas". Velibor, against whom about 40 criminal charges were filed, was killed in front of a raft in New Belgrade. He is depicted unusually for a commemorative mural—in action, holding a megaphone in one hand. Next to the mural is the full text of Duško Trifunović's song "I made a lot of mistakes".

A mural dedicated to Luka Mišković, who was killed in front of the Konoba Akustik tavern, is located on the upper part of Dorćol. Luka, who had several criminal charges, was shot during his arrest because of a "bitter argument" with the owner of the said tavern.

The mural in Zdravko Čelar street is dedicated to two Partizan fans, who are represented only by their nicknames—Vlajko and Grobi. Vlajko was Vladimir Živković, a member of the partisan fan group "Zabranjeni", who died after being stabbed by a member of the rival partisan camp "Alcatraz". Grobi is the nickname of Ivan Perović, also a member and sympathiser of the "Zabranjeni" group, who was killed by a firearm in New Belgrade by members of "Alcatraz".

The complex local and global political situation also reflected on street art in Serbia. In this, the iconography of right-wing organizations is especially prominent, which resulted in the appearance of murals dedicated to controversial political figures from the wars of the 90s, as well as belligerents of the war in Ukraine.

The mural of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which "emerged" at the beginning of March 2022 at the corner of Njegoševa Street and Kralj Milutin Street, was created in support of the current Russian President. The image of the Russian president dominates the wall decorated with the Russian and Serbian flags, and the word brother is written in Cyrillic next to the portrait. This mural was damaged several times, and was finally repainted at the beginning of 2023. It is neither the first nor the only mural of Vladimir Putin in Belgrade. Another mural with his image is located in New Belgrade in Narodnih heroja street, on a residential building. In addition to the portrait of Putin, there is also the former US President Donald Trump in the same place, and between them is written the text "Kosovo is Serbia", also written in Russian.

Mural of Putin, and the former US President Donald Trump

It should be mentioned that an increasing number of right-wing pro-Russian oriented organizations have their "heroes" immortalized on the facades of Belgrade streets. One such example is the mural dedicated to the deceased commander of the Russian paramilitary formation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic, Arsen Pavlov, also known as Motorola, a participant in the conflict with Ukraine. Motorola died in 2016, and shortly after his death, he got his own mural in the Paris Commune neighborhood of Novi Beograd. He is shown saluting against the background of the Russian Tsarist flag. The mural is the work of the organization Serbian League and SNP 1389, which are valid for conservative, right-wing and pro-Russian organizations, which added iconography with this mural that represents their attitudes towards heroism and patriotism.

The mural featuring Ratko Mladić is located at the corner of Njegoševa and Alekse Nenadovića Street in Belgrade. The mural depicts a uniformed Mladić in a military salute alongside the words, "General, thank you to your mother." The mural was painted the month after Mladić was convicted on July 23, 2021. Residents of the building on which it appeared tried but failed to get municipal utility companies to erase it. Since its creation, the mural has gained significant media attention and sparked protests from civil activists. Each time the mural was damaged, a group of anonymous young men would restore it within 24 hours, sometimes even within a few hours on the same day. Civil activists threw eggs at the mural of Mladic on November 13, 2021.  After Serbian police banned activists from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, a Belgrade-based NGO, from holding a public gathering to paint over the mural. The protest that ensued was not the first one, but it was the first time that opponents of the mural publicly voiced their opposition, whereas prior interventions on the mural had been anonymous. After this incident with Ratko Mladić’s mural in the center of Belgrade, stencils featuring Ratko Mladić's image with the message "Ratko Mladić, war hero" appeared all over the city.

Recently , after the school massacre which occurred on May 3 2023. in Belgrade,  Mladić’s mural was painted over with white paint with the Partizan supporters message “Turn on Your Brain”, painted over it. The mural included the insignia of a Partizan supporter group who are supporters of and under the control of the authorities.