Art installation Richard III - RECOGNITION
The art installation Richard III – RECOGNITION was conceived as an intervention on the facade of the Palace of Serbia (originally the Palace of the Federation of Yugoslavia when erected in 1959). The work draws inspiration from Shakespeare's King Richard III: the merciless power struggle and cruel authority of the titular king create a direct association with this chosen site, which has contained - and continues to contain - traces of turbulent and contested political power across past, present, and future. The building once symbolised governmental strength and stability in the early 1960s, but with the dissolution of Yugoslavia, it lost the meaning and significance tied to its original purpose.
The installation, positioned on the facade facing Mihailo Pupin Boulevard, comprises two interventions: first, the white stone facade was covered with matte black foil; second, the long horizontal rows of windows were overlaid with semi-transparent foils bearing printed photographs of faces - portraits of various individuals. Visually, these images evoke the format of Serbian obituary notices. The photographs, depicting men and women of different ages in equal measure, are taken frontally. They appear blurred and obscured, some almost to the point of being unrecognisable. Yet they represent real people: members of the nation who built this state and this building, and who lived under the governance housed within its walls.
The black and white of the facade serve as metaphors for good and evil. The installation brings these opposites together through the cyclical rhythm of night and day, transforming across different hours. By day, visitors are struck by the dramatic colour shift from white to black. By night, a purpose-built lighting system illuminates the windows from within, bringing the semi-transparent portraits to life. Accompanied by music whose rhythm follows the shifting light, the faces become animated and dynamic - evoking Richard III's nightmares, summoning the spectres of all those who fell victim to his regime. Through the continuous repetition of architectural elements, coordinated light, and music, the installation underscores the recurring patterns of history across the Balkans.