nikola božović transforms car parts into phantasms at belgrade design week

nikola bozovic transforms car parts into phantasms at belgrade design week
image © designboom

the exhibition ‘phantasm on wheels’ by nikola kolja božović presents the results of the serbian artist’s own research into various aspects of the car as both a physical vessel, and a carrier of cultural and social significance. on the occasion of belgrade design week 2014, božović has displayed a series of manipulated machinery sourced from automobile segments, acting as a metaphor for fetish, fantasy, obsession and status. 

in addition to sculptural objects created through the transformation of disused vehicular parts, božović’s spatial installation for the gallery space of the BDW dizajnpark exhibitions within the old staklopan factory suspends the viewer in a fictional world of personal phantasm, seemingly with phallic undertones. designboom spoke with the artist about the metaphorical context latent within automobiles, in what ways he sources these unconventionally artistic, yet ubiquitous materials, and his own notions regarding the bridge between art and design.

for božović, a car is not just a machine — it represents capitalism, consumerism, creativity and cultural obsession. the gallery space becomes a field for reinterpreted shapes, reconstructed from the built creations that make up our environment. with these irregular-formed geometries and ‘exploded’ segments of cars, the artist consciously changes the established direction and connotations of the physical world around us.

the artist begins his work with the disassembly and reconstruction of distinguished vehicle parts from various manufacturers, which than are physically transformed by replacing their social role with an aesthetic one. božović’s intention is to personify the parts, giving them human features: headlights look like eyes, a cooler resembles a mouth, a carburetor could be internal organs, fuel is blood and the body is like a skeleton. the emerging transfiguration of objects symbolize the present situation and rituals derived from societal relationships; in turn, he implies that fetishes, fashion trends and collections of art — for example — can of often become a replacement for the physical and emotional relationships sustained between people.

sculptural forms are suspended from the gallery, while free standing objects are placed within the context of the space
image © designboom

božović’s distinct union of pop art and automotive fetish is reflected in the materials used: the surface of the sculptures is made of sheet metal, putty and plastics, is painted using colored car lacquer, and finally mirror-polished. after the physical transformation of structure and shape, each object becomes a composition in itself. the artist uses fiats and other various four-wheelers as the starting point for generating a surreal interpretation of an object used in everyday life. the installation was curated by mišela blanuša.

a glistening blue, wheel-shaped sculpture can be seen as a sort of phallic reinterpretation of the original car part
image © designboom

hanging sculptures are fit within a built container, recontextualizing the car light in a new configuration
image © designboom

light parts otherwise overlooked on cars are highlighted for their intricate attention to detail
image © designboom

božović’s distinct union of pop art and automotive fetish is reflected in the materials used
image © designboom

objects are physically transformed by replacing their social role with an aesthetic one
image © designboom

the gallery space becomes a field for reinterpreted shapes
image © designboom

after a physical intervention to the original part, each object becomes a composition in itself
image © designboom

installation view within the old staklopan factory exhibition space
image © designboom

a hood of a car is reinterpreted into a sculptural form
image © designboom

božović speaks about his work during a belgrade design week conference
image © designboom

portrait of nikola božović
image © designboom

about belgrade design week:

2014 marks the ninth edition of belgrade design week, an annual, internationally-renowned festival for creative industries and modern business in serbia and throughout the south east european area. since 2005, founder jovan jelovac has successfully forged multicultural connections between artists, designers and entrepreneurs from the region with the greater global design scene. the initiative serves as a platform for creatives to engage in the exchange of ideas across a range of disciplines — advertising, architecture, arts management, communications, design, fashion, marketing, new media and publishing — delivering approximately 30 international speakers who share their perspectives and personal developments in their respective fields.

this year’s conference program ‘brand new world’ sets opens up discussion regarding the creation of new values in today’s fast changing world. on the occasion of this edition, president of the republic of serbia, tomislav nikolic opened the initiative, stressing the importance of the creative industries for the continued development of the country’s economy. local designers stand side by side with some the world’s greatest talents in a rare opportunity to bring the world to belgrade and to present belgrade to the world. find out more about the program, selection of keynote speakers and exhibition sites on designboom, here.

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