By James Brewer
When war is over – it is not over. Pain, trauma and the anguish of not knowing what has happened to countless missing loved ones remains bitterly sharp.
This was the aching impetus for a moving display of artwork under the title Behind The Sky: A Tribute to Missing Persons from the Croatian Homeland War. The displayatthe Mayfair galleryD Contemporarywas certainly not a dirge or lamentation, though.
The installations and canvases were created by Gordana Špoljar Andrašić to honour the memory of victims and missing persons from the war (1991–1995), also known as the Croatian War of Independence. After Croatia broke free from the Yugoslav Federation, Croat forces were in bitter conflict with the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and local Serb forces. Gordana’s artistic contribution was in the tradition of many films and cultural initiatives of the past 30 years inspired by the violent period.
Gordana was born in Molve, a small community 120km from the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
This was her first solo show in the UK, although she has exhibited extensively in her home nation and elsewhere, including at more than 60 solo shows.
Her latest artwork is described as “a poignant combination of portraits, fragile materials and symbolic textures” that refer to the tragedy of war, the unresolved fates of the missing, and the enduring pain of their families.
The London event was opened by the chargé d’affaires at the embassy of the Republic of Croatia in London, Davor Ljubanović , who paid extensive tribute to the output of the artist. Mr Ljubanović said that the republic, through the ministry of Croatian veterans, was still searching for 1,782 missing and deceased persons from the war whose fates remain unknown. He pledged that Croatia would pursue the search with all available means, adding that the numbers of known victims are constantly changing. The diplomat spoke movingly of the heavy casualties continuing in conflicts in many countries across the world.
Mr Ljubanović stressed that the exhibition is dedicated not only to the victims but also to the resilience of survivors, underlining the importance of collective memory in understanding and honouring Croatia’s modern history.
An essay in a catalogue published by Croatia’s ministry of foreign and European affairs says that Gordana’s tribute to the victims of the war is emotional and poetic. In portraits of the missing people, their eyes are veiled with white tempera to protect their identities. “This accentuates the sense of loss and anonymity while preserving their dignity…. The images are intentionally faded and partially covered with silk paper, creating the impression that the memories of these individuals though blurry, fragmented and gradually slipping the mind, are still present.” The description continues: “Textual elements, written in graphite pencil, enter the images like quiet, almost invisible inscriptions, reminiscent of hand-written notes in diaries.”
Especially moving are Gordana’s depictions of children, surrounded by complex and surreal textures, evoking innocence interrupted by brutal events. Black spheres and spirals represent confusion and disorientation in time and space caused by the horrors of war.
Photo-collages of the deceased in transparent tubes and their images in acrylic glass discs that ‘float’ above us, the viewers, symbolise uncertainty and the loss of freedom, a visual metaphor for the void that the missing leave behind.
Jonathan Fakinos, art collector and consultant, welcomed guests to the private view on March 19. Patricja Andrašić, daughter of Gordana and a specialist in fine art, spoke of the importance of memorialising the impact of warfare, and declared: “Art is one of the ways in which we continue to seek answers to the questions.”
D Contemporary since its establishment seven years ago has hosted more than 50 exhibitions, for both established and emerging artists and seeks to raise the profile of new international art markets.
Behind The Sky: A Tribute to Missing Persons from the Croatian Homeland War is at D Contemporary, 23 Grafton St, London W1 until March 29, 2025.
