Artist
David Bakarić Mihaljević
David Bakarić Mihaljević, born in 2001. In Zagreb, is an undergraduate student of cinematography at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. With ambitions of completing a master's degree in photography at the academy, David has had three solo exhibitions and participated in five group exhibitions. One of these, named "So Far," he organized himself with the help of his colleagues and friends. Besides photography, and prior to attending the Academy, David filmed two experimental documentaries. His film, "From You I Am Happy," was shown in the non-competition program at the Zg Dox festival.
Polymerization
The project under the working title "Polymerization" is guided by the idea of exploring myself, my girlfriend Ana, our everyday existence, and our surroundings through the lens of elevated reality. The concept for the project gradually evolved through several smaller series of photographs created during my studies at the Academy, and the current selection is compiled from these images.
My aim is to broaden the conceptual scope of the work and delve into generational frustrations related to the desire for independence and the creation of a home in a highly unpredictable global environment. Additionally, through the project, I want to explore the dynamics between Ana and me, as well as the idea of forming connections with others through childhood interests that have influenced our perspectives and expressions. One such interest is the card game "Yu-Gi-Oh," in which "Polymerization" is a magical card used to fuse two monsters.
By employing a staged photography approach with a touch of spontaneous unpredictability, I resist the literalness of reality with the intention of creating an elevated perspective that more effectively communicates dedicated themes and my emotions. Inspired by the influence of Internet cultures, I aim to construct an imaginary space where digital and fictional worlds of influence blend into a fabricated entity of hyper-reality.
Organ Vida’s FUTURES selection for 2024 is based on a group of photographers and visual artists working in the broader regional context of former Yugoslavia. Their artistic practices cover a variety of visual approaches which document, but also speculate about, everyday life and the different possibilities of intimate storytelling. For Eva Bevec, everyday is captured in the homely setting full of absurdity and curiosity. David Bakarić Mihaljević documents his personal, everyday life narrated as a generational perspective on growing up in the imaginary space where digital and fictional worlds collide. In Lucija Rosc’s practice, everyday family life is fictionalised, further questioning the role of memory through the playful staging of reality. Petra Slobodnjak is a participant-observer of the communal living experience which translates the spontaneity of shared everyday life situations. And Pavle Banović offers a diary format of everyday life spent in New York, where their camera gaze intertwines with other protagonists they encounter along the way.