If you’re in Belgrade, join me for Danube Dialogues at the Salon of the Belgrade City Museum; the exhibition opens on August 22 at 7. pm.

I am honored to have been invited to participate in the special exhibition “Between the Shores,” honoring the long-time work of visionary curator Sava Stepanov, who inspired and championed so many artists across media, countries, and generations. His vision was timeless, as was his dedication to the Danube Dialogues,  where he served as artistic director from its inception in 2013 until his passing.

I had the joy and privilege of working with Sava on two editions of Danube Dialogues. From both I gained valuable insights into contemporary art and renewed my belief in art’s capacity to change minds, shape visions, and chart paths toward a better future and deeper understanding among people who may think differently.

Today, more than ever, it feels essential to revisit Sava Stepanov’s perspectives—first articulated at the inaugural 2013 exhibition—and to share them as widely as possible.

I’m happy to share that I’ll be presenting my updated three-channel video installation On the Day of My Birth, first shown as a single-channel video alongside my performance in Dubai at the World Expo in 2022, on World Water Day. For this occasion, I’ve updated the work with current statistical data and translated the choreography into a dialogue between the three screens—statistics and water currents—that together form my contribution to this exhibition.

On the Day of My Birth — my three-channel video installation at the group exhibition Between the Shores, curated by Ksenija Marinković, opening on August 22 and on view through September 14 at the City Museum of Belgrade, in honor of the late curator and artistic director of Danube Dialogues, Sava Stepanov. 

In the words of the curator, Ksenija Marinković:

“The exhibition Between the Shores brings together a selection of works by artists who have shaped the identity of Danube Dialogues. Reflecting on questions posed by the thematic frameworks of the past eleven editions—such as the (lack of) emotionality in contemporary humans, global insecurity, the position of the artist, the exploitation of the body, modern geopolitical trauma, and crises of identity—Between the Shores not only reconstructs the wealth of festival themes but also documents the transitions, crises, and forms of resistance expressed by artists through works created within this cultural current.”

In my words: 

On the Day of My Birth is dedicated to the planet’s most essential element—water—the force that sustains life for 8 billion 223 million people. When the video was first created in 2022, about one in ten people lacked access to safe drinking water—a reality that still persists in many communities today.

My thanks to Vesna Latinovic, Initiator and organizer of Danube Dialogs, and to Ksneija Marinkovic , curator of Exhibit and Sava Stepanov.

Copyright © Eva Petrič, 2025, Bildrecht Vienna, All rights reserved.