If I were to describe Mića Popović's work to a passionate rock music fan, I would tell them that he was driven by a creative restlessness and a desire to push boundaries like David Bowie, had a clear and recognizable style like The Rolling Stones, carried rebellion and protest like The Clash, and was banned and contested like Zabranjeno Pušenje (Forbidden Smoking). With all due respect to the aforementioned colleagues, Popović also shared a fascination with Marshall, as well as an interest in marginalized heroes, similar to Zabranjeno Pušenje. The issue of gastarbeiters, or as they were officially known at the time, "our citizens temporarily working abroad," was a concern not only for state security but also for some artists. Among them were Mića Popović and Zabranjeno Pušenje. In this exhibition, you will have the chance to see the figure of the gastarbeiter Gvozden, who, in the brilliant portrayal of Danilo Bata Stojković, appears both silent and motionless, yet alive and loud, emerging from the song "Dok jezdiš ka Alemanji," my favorite rock attraction. At the risk of revealing my own immodesty by placing myself in the same sentence with Mića Popović, I deliberately draw this secret connection, deeply feeling the whirlwinds, tempests, and storms through which Mića had to pass to leave behind such a significant body of work that cannot be measured by ordinary standards. Only great life experience and immeasurable talent can create such significant things. Every work of Mića Popović that I had the opportunity to see, and I have seen many, thanks to the unusual fortune of meeting the Popović family, fulfilled the first and fundamental article of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Art, which states that anyone who writes, paints, or plays has the task of awakening noble feelings in those who listen, read, or look. Thus, Mića Popović, as the greatest rebel, was simultaneously the greatest constitutional defender. If we return to the world of rock music, where I feel most comfortable, I would say that you are presented with rare and little-known singles left behind by this bard. For those who enjoy delving into others' souls, this exhibition will be a true treat. However, as always with great masters, and anyone who knows them well understands this, these singles will reveal the seeds of great and unforgettable albums. Here, before you are drawings, masterpieces in their own right, as well as templates upon which epochal works were later created. This is how the beginning of what was Ziggy Stardust for Bowie, Exile on Main Street for The Stones, London Calling for The Clash, and "Dok čekaš sabah sa šejtanom" for Zabranjeno Pušenje looks. If I had to present the quality and significance of these four albums to a passionate art lover, I would simply say, "That's Mića Popović, my friend!"

Nenad Janković (dr Nele Karajlić).

Photographer: Nolens Volens