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] 2004–2014, he has been editor of the Cultural and Information Desk at Third Programme of Radio Belgrade and Radio-Television Serbia.[3] 2014-2015 Despotović was Director of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade. Since 2015 he is Editor in Chef of Documentary program on Serbian Broadcasting Corporation. Since 2017. he is in pension.
Despotović is a well-known presence in Belgrade's art and culture scene, which includes the Open Society Institute, Center for Cultural Decontamination and the Auction House Madl’Art. Prepared by 300 authors show in Serbia, former Yugoslavia and abroad. He 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]
Area of interest
Despotović is an art historian with wide-ranging interests in contemporary and recent arts. He 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 (special supplement of the Vreme weekly), Treći program (edition Radio Belgrade), Moment.[6] His work has been translated into French, English, German, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Macedonian and Albanian.
New Now – New Wave
Published art criticism and articles since 1978. At the beginning of the 1980s, together with a group of young Serbian artists in Belgrade: Milovan Destil Marković, Vlasta Vulcano Mikic, Tahir Lusic, Nada Alavanja, Tafil Musović, Mrdjan Bajic, Slobodan Trajkovic etc., as an art critic, Despotović participated in the creation and development of New Wave in art and culture which opposed to traditional creativity in all areas – from visual arts to rock music, from theater to fashion and others. With numerous writings and art exhibitions Despotović contributed to this movement known as a New Image Painting (Nova Slika) to become very known in Serbia, former Yugoslavia and abroad.[7]
Cultural policy
Since the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth century, Despotović has been extremely interested 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, NGOs, etc. For his contributions, Despotović was named Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Culture during Zoran Đinđić's term as prime minister. He made a lasting contribution to the renewal of institutions, ministerial staffing, legislation of cultural activities and increased international cooperation. A special area of interest for him was the advancement of contemporary artistic production and the institutions engaged in it. He has made a significant contribution to the protection of Serbia's cultural heritage, especially in Kosovo following the arrival of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.
Darija Kačić, Dubravka Duba Sambolec, Aneta Svetieva (7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition of Budapest, Budapest, 1987, p.p. 138–139) ISBN978-963-7402-07-4[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)
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)
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) ISBN978-88-7329-017-9
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) ISBN978-86-7935-076-3[17]
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) ISBN978-86-7856-001-9[18]
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) ISBN978-86-907379-3-2
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) ISBN978-86-911911-0-8
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, ISBN978-0-8166-4461-2, “Clio”, Beograd, 2010, p.p. 355–375) ISBN978-86-7102-376-4
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) ISBN978-86-7996-035-1[20]
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 ((ISBN978-86-7996-245-4))
Sintetički pejsaži, Synthetic Landscapes (Sveske, no. 11–12, Društvo istoričara umetnosti Srbije, Beograd, 1981, p.p 67–70)
Otvorena umetnost, Open art (Politika Ekspres, Beograd, August 3, 1982, p. 8)
Žestoki potezi bojom, Furious paint strokes (Književne novine, Beograd, September 9, 1982 p. 28)
Beogradsko novo slikarstvo, Belgrade new painting (Pitanja, no. 1 Zagreb, January 1983, p.p 40–43)
O dva posebna aspekta Postmodernizma, On two aspects of Postmodernism (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, August 25, 1983)
Od tradicionalnog do Postmodernog, From Traditional to Postmodernism (Fotokino revija, no. 10, Beograd, October 1983, p.p. 11–12)
Aux maniere fin de siècle (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, February 16, 1984)
Umetnost osamdesetih: postmoderna u znaku osporavanja i/ili afirmacije, Art in eighties: postmodern challenges to the sign and/or affirmation (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, August 16, 1984)
Izmedju umetnosti i kiča, Between art and kitsch (Jedinstvo, Priština, May 16, 1985, p. 9)
Beograd osamdesetih – Pigmalionova maska ili Edipovo karakter, Belgrade eighties – Pygmalion mask or character of Oedipus (Moment, no. 3–4, Beograd, 1985–1986, p.p. 13–16)
Policentrične mutecije – novosti i ponavljanja, Polycentric mutations – News and repetition (Moment, no. 6–7, Beograd, 1986, p.p. 28–31)
Bez nazova: geometrija, No name: Geometry (Moment, no. 6–7, Beograd, 1986, p.p. 76–77)
Fotografija i savremena umetnost, (pogled iz osamdesetih), Photography and contemporary art, (A view from the eighties) (Braničevo, no. 5, Požarevac, 1987, p.p. 72–74)
Skulptura identiteta: Jedan primer – Mrdjan Bajić, Sculpture of identity: An example – Mrdjan Bajic (Moment, no. 13, Beograd, 1989, p.p. 23–24)
Mladi beogradski skulptori, Young Belgrade sculptors (Moment, no. 18, Beograd, 1990, p. 91)
Materialità – Geometry field (Moment, no. 21, Beograd, 1991, p. 92)
Forma occidit (Moment, no. 22, Beograd, 1991, p. 89)
Istočna paradigma u Beogradu, Eastern paradigm in Belgrade (Kulture istoka, no. 28, Beograd, April–July 1991, p. 75)
Nacionalna tema u savremenom srpskom slikarstvu – Uvod, National issue in contemporary Serbian painting – Introduction (Projeka(r), no. 3, Novi Sad, July 1994, p.p. 46–49)
Na iskustvima memorije, Experiences of Memory (Politika, Beograd, June 10, 1995, p. 15)
Pametni mediji, Smart Media (Politika, Beograd, November 25, 1995, p. 15)
Od mekog pisam do stroge misli, From soft letters to rigid thinking (Treći program, no. 107–108, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 1996, p.p. 47–60)
Postmoderni dijalog, Postmodern dialogue (Treći program, Radio Beograd, August 9, Beograd, 1996)
Pozni modernizam, Late modernism (Košava, no. 34–35, Vršac, December 1997 p.p. 63–64)
Marina Abramović, „Fin de siecle“ – Balkan variant (Naša borba, Beograd, December 6 to 7, 1997, p. 17)
Quadrifolium criticus (Danas, Beograd, December 5 to 6, 1998, p. 10)
Prostorni narativi, Spatial Narratives (Jedinstvo, Priština, December 14, 1998)
Jezik novo stvaralaštva, Language of New Creativity (Jedinstvo, Priština, December 24 to 25, 1998, p. 11)
Art Advertising (Danas, Beograd, January 19, 1999, p. 11)
Virtual crossover, (Republika, no. 226, Beograd, December 1 to 15, 1999, p. 16)
Glasovi novog veka, Voices of the New Century (Književne novine, no. 7, war issue, Beograd, June 4, 1999, p. 11)[23]
Sedam teza o novoj srpskoj skulpturi, Seven theses of recent Serbian sculpture (Treći program, Radio Beograd, March 17, Beograd, 2000)
Neomodernističke utopije, Neo-modernist utopia (Politika, Beograd, April 9, 2005, p. 13)
O normalnosti – umetnost u Srbiji 1989–2001, On Normality – Art in Serbia 1989–2001 (Treći program, Radio Beograd, January 24, Beograd, 2006)
Bernar Deloš: ’Virtuelni muzej’, Bernard Deloche, Le musée virtuel (Treći program, Radio Beograd, July 25, Beograd, 2006)
Vreme imaginarnih muzeja, Time of Imaginary Museum (Politika, Beograd, November 23, 2006, p. 11)
Rasap umetnosti, rasap kritike: Kritika umetnosti devedesetih, Teze za tekst,, Dissolution of Art, Dissolution of Criticism: Art Criticism in the Nineties, Guidelines for a text (Anomalia, no. 2, Novi Sad, 2007, p.p. 137–142)
Umetnost dezorijentacije, Arts of disorientation (Politika, Beograd, May 5, 2007, p. 07)
Slikarstvo surovosti, Painting of brutality (Politika, Beograd, April 30, 2007, p.p. 1–2)
Ideja projekta i posmoderna paradigma, The idea of the project and Postmodern paradigm (Treći program, Radio Beograd, no. 133–134, Beograd, 2007, p.p. 415–421)
Dimenzioni radovi, Dimensional Works (Treći program, Radio Beograd, June 13, Beograd, 2008)
De Stil Marković i Novo slikarstvo osamdesetih I-III, De Stil Marković and New Image Painting of Eighties I-III (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, July 16 to 18, 2008)
Tumačenje enformela, Branko Protić, dela 1956–1966, Interpretation of informel, Branko Protić, works 1956–1966 (Treći program, no. 137–138, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2008, p.p. 440–444)
Andre Gob and Noemi Druge, Museology (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, April 15, 2009)
Originalno kao neostvareni cilj umetnosti, Originally as an unfulfilled goal of art (Treći program, no. 139–140, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2009, pp. 191–199)
Muzejska institucija, Museum institution (Treći program, no. 141–142, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2010, p.p. 517–522)
Četiri muzejska predmeta, Four museum objects (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, December 13, 2010)
Cultural policy
Umetnost – politika – ideologija, Art – politics – ideology (Moment, no. 18, Beograd, 1990, p. 55–57)
Evropski govoriti, European speaking (Vreme umetnosti, no. 1, September Beograd, 1994, p. 1)
Muzej Savremene umetnosti u raljam levog i desnog totalitarizma, Kultura vlasti, Index smena i zabranaI, Museum of Contemporary Art in the arms of left and right totalitarianism, The culture of government, and prohibition of dismissal, IndexI (Radio B92, Beograd, 1994, p.p. 43–47)
Ratna muzeologija, War museology (Vreme umetnosti, no. 6, Beograd, February 1995, p. 1)
Kultura jeste pobuna, Culture is a rebellion (Demokratija, Beograd, January 5, 1997, p. 9)
Beograd: barikade za bodočnost (Razgledi, Ljubljana, February 5, 1997 p.p. 10–11)
Rasulo u Muzeju savremene umetnosti, Chaos at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Demokratija, Beograd, February 5, 1997, p. 8)
Opozorila novi mestni oblasti (Delo, Ljubljana, March 28, 1997)
Umetnost i angažovanost, Art and commitment (Republika, no. 181, Beograd, February 1–15, 1997, p. 13)
Arti i rezistenës (Zeri, Priština, June 14, 1997, p. 26)
Umetnost Druge Srbije, Art of the Second Serbia (Razgledi-Delo, Ljubljana, March 3, 1998, p. 21)
Kelneri i sobarice Njihovog režima, Waiters and chambermaids of Their regime (Naša borba, August 12, Beograde, 1998, p. 7)
Kulturno strančarenje, Cultural factions (Republika, no. 197, September 16–30, Beograd, 1998, p.p. 24–25)
Off-artistic scene (Danas, Beograd, September 18, 1999, p. 13)
Individualna kultura protesta, Individual culture of protest (Prava čoveka, Leskovac, November 9, 1999, p. 15)
Proti državi kiča (Delo, Ljubljana, December 1, 1999, p. 9)
Sistematski organizovana nebriga, Systematically organized neglect (Danas, Beograd, April 7, 2000, p. 6)
Sudjenje umetničkim slobodama, The trial of artistic freedom (Republika, no. 236-237, Beograd, May 1–31, 2000, p. 18)
Umetnost u raljama dnevne politike, Art in the jaws of daily politics (Republika, no. 245, Beograd, September 16–30, 2000, p. 24)
Kulturna Yu alternativa – represija i izazovi, Cultural YU alternative – Repression and Challenges (Identitet, no.45, Zagreb, October 2000, p. 39)
Dosije Srbija, Dossie Serbia (Treći program, Radio Beograd, November 28, Beograd, 2000)
Kulturna politika i kulturna strategija, Cultural Policy and Cultural Strategy (Republika, no. 250, December 1–15, Beograd, 2000, p.p. 9–10)
Merenje realnosti devedesetih, Measuring the reality of the nineties (Politika, January 13, Beograd, 2001, p. 5)
Baština kao obaveza nacionalne politike, Heritage as a national policy commitments (Politika, April 21, Beograd, 2001, p. 5)
Neka pitanja (nove) kulturne politike, Some questions of (new) cultural policy (Moment, new series, no. 1, Pančevo, January 2003, p.p. 2–3)
Odbrana napadnute umetnosti, The defense of attacked Arts (Treći program, no. 121-122, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2004, p.p. 31–35)
Predvodnik revolucionarnih obrata, Leader of the revolutionary reversal (Treći program, no. 123-124, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2004, p.p. 225–230)
Zaštita kulturne baštine na Kosovu i Metohiji, Protection of cultural heritage on Kosovo and Metoh (Treći program, no. 125-126, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2005, p.p. 427–441)
Kulturna politika i tranzicija I-VIII, Cultural policy and the transition I-VIII (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, 2005–2006)
Očuvanje kulturne baštine, Preservation of cultural heritage (Leskovački zbornik, XLVII, Leskovac, May 2007, p.p. 19–28)
Slika politike – kulturno-politička hronika devedesetih, Image of politics – a cultural-political chronicle of the nineties (Treći Program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, September 12, 2009)
International art
Tatljinov spomenik Trećoj internacionali, Tatlin's The Monument to the Third International (Tatlin's Tower) (3+4, Beograd, 1978, p.p. 26–31)
Ideja i praksa ruskog konstruktivizma, The idea and practice of Russian Constructivism (Abstract Art (Delo, Beograd, June to July 1979, pp. 114–132)
Giulio Carlo Argan: Studije o modernoj umetnosti, Studies on modern art (Treći program), Radio Beograd, Beograd, April 19, 1983)
Bill Brandt, Fotografije, Photos (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, Jule 6, 1983)
Majstori svetskog slikarstva iz kolekcije dr Armana Hamera, Masters of world painting from the collection of Dr. Armand Hammer (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, October 27, 1983)
Dezorijetacija – mladi britanski umetnici I-III, Disorientation – Young British Artists I-III (Treći program, Radio Beograd, Beograd, September 29 to October 31, 2009)
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)
Živojin Turinski – Works 1958–1967, (as co-author, Likovna galerija Kulturnog centra Beograda, Beograd, September 2009) ISBN978-86-7996-033-7
Awards
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]
^Ko je ko u Srbiji, Who is Who in Serbia (Bibliofon, Beograd, 1991, p. 93, 1995, p. 104)
^Arhiva Vlade republike Srbije, Archive of the Republic of Serbia, Beograd
^ abArhiva Radio televizije Srbije, Archive of Radio Television Serbia, Beograd
^Darija Kačić, Dubravka Duba Sambolec, Aneta Svetieva (7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition of Budapest, Budapest, 1987, p.p. 138-139) ISBN978-963-7402-07-4
^Zdravko Joksimovic (22nd Biennale of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 1994, p.p. 291-292)
^ abcdJeša Denegri, Osamdesete – Teme srpske umetnosti, Jesa Denegri, Eighties – Issues of Serbian art (Svetovi, Novi Sad, 1997, p.p. 61–88, 108–113, 114–120, 121–125, 126–130, 131–133, 149–152, 153–157, 176–179, 180–190, 196–201, 210–222, 223 – 231)
^ abcdJeša Denegri, Devedesete – Teme srpske umetnosti, Jesa Denegri, Nineties – Issues of Serbian art (Svetovi, Novi Sad, 1999, p.p. 5–21, 22–81, 82–87, 244–250)
^ abcDokumentacija Muzeja savremene umetnosti, Documentation of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Beograd
^ abElektronski katalog Narodne biblioteke Srbije, Electronic Catalogue of the National Library of Serbia, Beograd
^Srdjan Marković, Svetomir Arsić Basara, Srdjan Markovic, Svetomir Arsic, Basara, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, Narodna i univerzitetska biblioteka 'Ivo Andrić', Priština, 2003, p.p. 047, 066–067, 074, 096, 104, 111, 124, 127, 230, 249, 250 ISBN978-86-7935-076-3
^Za bolji put Srbije, For a better way of Serbia (as co-author, Demokratska stranka, Centar resornih odbora, Beograd, 2006, p. 690) ISBN978-86-7856-001-9
^Radonja Leposavić, Pažnja kritika, 50 godina Oktobarskog salona, Radonja Leposavic, Attention to criticism, 50 years of October Salon (as editor, Kulturni centar Beograda, Beograd, 2009, p.p. 322, 327, 331, 419) ISBN978-86-7996-035-1
^Vesna Kruljac, Lazar Trifunović – protagonist i antagonist jedne epohe, Vesna Kruljac, Lazar Trifunovic – protagonist and antagonist of an era, Narodni muzej, Beograd, 2009, pp. 7, 11–12, 14, 149, 193 ISBN978-86-7269-098-9