About exhibition
For the third year in a row, at the beginning of winter, the DOTS Gallery in Lower Dorćol is organizing an exhibition titled *Winter Stories*, which brings together contemporary artists who have distinguished themselves on the local art scene in the previous period.
This year’s edition of *Winter Stories* offers a female perspective — an insight into the works of three local artists, Irena Kuzmanović, Vanja Subotić, and Irena Simić — and, with the participation of Dutch artist Astrid Oudheusden, the exhibition gains an international character for the first time.
The watercolors of Irena Kuzmanović depict human figures whose identities are hidden in shadow, with the intention of evoking in the viewer an awareness of a shared memory that we all possess, yet which gradually fades beneath layers of experiences, emotions, and impressions. This initial invitation to reconsider the lived experience culminates in a series of mirrors featuring poetic statements, where the former duality of one’s relationship with the Other is reduced to confronting the same paradoxes within ourselves.
The oil paintings of Vanja Subotić are marked by a dreamlike atmosphere expressed through an abundance of subtle illogicalities and wondrous situations. Balancing on the boundary between wakefulness and dream, the artist maintains just enough reference to the real world to avoid crossing into the realm of the fantastical or the banal. *Serenity Bucket*, one of the exhibition’s central works, featuring a reclining woman in an unusual perspective, simultaneously plays with the reliability of our perception and with the emotional confusion arising from dream logic.
The works of Irena Simić emerge as the result of her effort to materialize the essence of her thoughts into pure, clear, and simple forms. Although triggered by an apparently ordinary moment, the thought process represents the fundamental driver of form for the artist, enabling her to transform inner experiences into captivating spatial constructions.
The artistic approach of Dutch artist Astrid Oudheusden is shaped through complete surrender to intuition as the primary impulse of creation. Instead of complex ideas and grand themes, Astrid places her trust in childlike curiosity, which transforms the artistic process into a play of materials, colors, and techniques. Out of this freedom of creation arise scenes from everyday life that ask the viewer for attention, opening space for contemplation and for recognizing meaning in what often goes unnoticed.
