Kasiopeia 2009

Editor: This is "Kasiopeia," an oil painting from 2009 by Dragan Ilić Di Vogo. The surreal imagery makes me feel uneasy and a bit melancholy. Those wings look painful! How would you interpret this work? Curator: Considering the artist's Serbian background and the recent history of conflict in the Balkans when this was created, it's interesting to think about Kasiopeia, not just as a figure from mythology but as a symbol caught in a traumatic event. Do the wings remind you of anything else, considering the colors and textures? Editor: They do look like open wounds or some kind of grotesque growth. Is the constellation Kasiopeia known for misfortune? Curator: Not necessarily misfortune, but her vanity led to trouble, so there’s a moral lesson often associated with the myth. The choice to depict Kasiopeia with what appear to be decaying wings could reflect on contemporary attitudes towards women, beauty standards and pressures. Editor: So, her struggle is kind of a commentary on modern-day issues that continue these patterns? Curator: It could be. This artwork raises the question: how are women's bodies depicted, perceived, and even controlled by wider social and political landscapes? Does this perspective change your initial view? Editor: Definitely. I still see the melancholy, but also now this message about social and cultural constraints, like expectations that might wound. It's heavier now. Curator: Art does this – invites conversations about history, politics, and society using visual language, changing over time as perspectives shift. I find these interpretations really important, especially how the public role of art allows viewers to be so reflective and vocal.