Davor Džalto ( sr-Cyrl, Давор Џалто; born 17 May 1980) is an

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

of Bosnian-Herzegovinian origin.Travnik International University https://iu-travnik.com/about-travnik/

Biography

Džalto was born in

Travnik Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 201 ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

. He graduated from the School of Art in

Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

. As an 18-year-old student he published his first book – ''On Writing as an Artistic, Historical, Social and Cultural Phenomenon''. His academic career started in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

where he received an MA in

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

from the

University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy The University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy ( sr, Филозофски факултет Универзитета у Београду), established in 1838 within the Belgrade Higher School, is the oldest Faculty at the University of Belgrade ...

. He graduated with a thesis in art history, as the best student of the Faculty. Since 2007, he has been a

university professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of history and theory of art and of Orthodox Christian theology and religious studies. He has taught at various universities in Europe and the United States, including University of Prague,

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

in New York, and the University of Stockholm.

Work

His academic work focuses on the exploration of human freedom and creativity, as metaphysical, political, and aesthetic concepts. He has been publishing in the fields of political philosophy, cultural studies, history and theory of art and theology, in English,

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and ...

and German. He was a founding member and the art director of the Flexible Art Network, which explored relations between artworks, artists and the public; the president of the Institute for the Study of Culture and Christianity; and the vice president of the

Christian Cultural Center The Christian Cultural Center (CCC) is a non-denominational Christian megachurch located in the Starrett City section of Brooklyn, New York City, with a satellite campus in Smithtown on Long Island. It is the largest Evangelical Evangeli ...

, coordinating activities with Fr. Radovan Bigovic to promote inter-religious and ecumenical dialogue. He has been a commentator and contributor to regional and international liberal and left-wing media on politics and religion as well as civic and academic freedoms and culture. He works in the media of painting, printmaking, installations and interventions in space and performances. His artworks have been presented at numerous exhibitions.

Impact

In the media and in the academic community he has been described as “the most important Orthodox thinker today”, "one of the most important thinkers today in the Orthodox world," and "one of the most important Orthodox thinkers in the world today." He contributed to the theory of creativity by exploring human creative capacities (most notably on the example of art) as an expression of the

personal identity Personal identity is the unique numerical identity of a person over time. Discussions regarding personal identity typically aim to determine the necessary and sufficient conditions under which a person at one time and a person at another time can ...

of the human being, having an

existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

importance. He was the first one to formulate a theological argument (from an

Orthodox Christian Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...

perspective) based on his analysis of modern and contemporary art (in particular the work of

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, , ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso ...

, Richard Long,

Joseph Kosuth Joseph Kosuth (; born January 31, 1945), an American conceptual artist, lives in New York and London,

and

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

). That way he contributed to the revision of the

postmodernism Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

, actualizing the question of the possibility and meaning of (human) ontological freedom and creation. This approach was especially developed in his book ''Beyond Capitalist Dystopia'', where he claimed that a new freedom-affirming metaphysics is needed, as a basis for a new conceptualization of non-oppressive political ideologies. He continued to further develop theological concepts of

John Zizioulas John Zizioulas ( el, Ιωάννης Ζηζιούλας; born 10 January 1931) is a Greek Orthodox prelate and the current titular Metropolitan bishop of Pergamon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is one of the most influential ...

and philosophical statements given by

Nikolai Berdyaev Nikolai Alexandrovich Berdyaev (; russian: Никола́й Алекса́ндрович Бердя́ев; – 24 March 1948) was a Russian Empire, Russian philosopher, theologian, and Christian existentialism, Christian existentialist who e ...

, implementing them in the analysis of contemporary society. He also examines the concept of "

simulacrum A simulacrum (plural: simulacra or simulacrums, from Latin '' simulacrum'', which means "likeness, semblance") is a representation or imitation of a person or thing. The word was first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, u ...

" in relation to the human person and its ability to create. Based on the ''Aesthetik der Absenz'', formulated in German-speaking art circles, he recognized and explained the phenomenon of "absence of body" in twentieth-century art. He contributed to

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and, specifically, Orthodox Christian

political theology Political theology is a term which has been used in discussion of the ways in which theological concepts or ways of thinking relate to politics. The term ''political theology'' is often used to denote religious thought about political principled qu ...

with his understanding of

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

as a political philosophy which focuses on the affirmation of human

freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

against any institution or exercise of power. This shapes his approach to "Orthodox Christian anarchism," which he proposes as the only

political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...

which is consistent with Orthodox Christian

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

and

ontology In metaphysics, ontology is the philosophical study of being, as well as related concepts such as existence, becoming, and reality. Ontology addresses questions like how entities are grouped into categories and which of these entities exis ...

. His approach to political theology is best exemplified in his book ''Anarchy and the Kingdom of God: From Eschatology to Orthodox Political Theology and Back'', which has been described as "perhaps the best book on Christian anarchism since Jacques Ellul" and "a rich contribution to the burgeoning literature on political theology, and a particularly welcome perspective in the field of Orthodox political theology." He was involved in ecumenical and peace-building initiatives during his affiliation with the

Pax Christi Pax Christi International is an international Catholic peace movement. The Pax Christi International website declares its mission is "to transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity." History ...

office in Belgrade and as part of the Christian Cultural Center. He has participated in a number of regional and international conferences and peace building initiatives that contributed to the promotion of peace, reconciliation, and ecumenical dialogue. In 2007, his name appeared on a list of 100 most influential people of Serbian origin in the world, compiled by the daily ''

Blic ''Blic'' (Cyrillic: Блиц, ) is a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper in Serbia. Founded in 1996, ''Blic'' is owned by Ringier Axel Springer Media AG, a joint venture between Ringier media corporation from Switzerland and Axel Springer AG ...

''.

Criticism

Džalto’s positions on contemporary and recent political questions in the Balkans have been criticized in the media and in popular literature. Jasmin Agic writing for

Al-Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, characterized him as providing “ideological guidance” to Noam Chomsky, for Chomsky’s position on a variety of political questions related to the Balkans, criticizing him for minimizing the negative role of the Serbs in the war conflicts of the 1990s. He has also been under attack by some conservative intellectuals and the media for his work on contributing to gender equality in the Balkans, dismissed as the attempt to "change the consciousness of the entire population of Serbia."Hronograf https://hronograf.net/2018/05/11/vlada-i-strane-nvo-zajedno-promovisu-tv-recnik-rodne-ravnopravnosti/

Artwork

*''Verbal and Visual Marking of Space'' – Performance-installation (2000) *''Funeral of an Author'' – Video-performance (2002) *''Creating...'' – Video (2003) *''The

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

'' – Video (2003) *''Icons in

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

'' – Action (2004) *''Meditation with Icons and

n Coffee in Japanese Garden (in

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

)'' – Performance (2005) *''Absent Body of the Artist'' – Actions (2006) *''The Body of the Artist'' – Photographs (2006) *''One and Three Pyramids'' – Installation, Belgrade (2007) *''10/30'' – Retrospective art exhibition, Belgrade (2010) *''Facing New Faces of Icons'' – One-man exhibition, Greifswald (2011)

Selected articles

*''Who is an Author (Artist)?'' (2003) *''Totalitarianism and Totalitarianisms on

n Way to

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

'' (2004) *''Significance and Meaning of the Process of Global Integrations'' (2004) *''On the Meaning of Church Art'' (2004) *''Human Face between Mask and Person'' (2005) *''On the Horrible Sin of Nationalism'' (2006) *''A Comparative Research of the

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

Issue on the Examples of the "

Lamentation A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

Composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

from Nerezi and

Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance period. Giot ...

's "

" from the

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

Chapel'' (2006) *''Techne vs. Creatio: The Inner Conflict of Art'' (2010) *''The (In)Stability of Memory'' (2012) *''Beauty Will Destroy the World'' (2012) *''Religion, Politics, and Beyond: The Pussy Riot Case'' (2013) *''Ikonen neu:gefasst oder über das Menschsein in unserer heutigen Medienkultur'' (2014) *''Art: A Brief History of Absence (From the Conception and Birth, Life and Death, to the Living Deadness of Art)'' (2015) *''Otherness, Symbolism, and Modernism in Serbia: Leon Koen'' (2015) *''The Quest for Reality That Has Not Happened (Yet)'' (2016) *''Monism, Dualism, Pluralism? From Orthodox Cosmology to Political Theology'' (2016) *''Icons – Between Images and Words. Between Images and Words. Modes of Representation or Modes of Being?'' (2016) *''The Challenge of ‘Posteriority’ and Pluralism'' (2016) *''Orthodox Christian Political Theology: An Anarchist Perspective” in Political Theologies in Orthodox Christianity'' (2017) *''Christianity and Contemporary Art: An (Un)Natural Alliance?'' (2017) *''Icons: the Orthodox Understanding of Images and the Influence on Western Art'' (2019) *''The Aesthetic Face of the Sacred'' (2019) *''Orthodoxes Christentum und zeitgenössische Kunst'' (2019) *''Freedom and Nothingness, between Theodicy and Anthropodicy: Lacan and (Un)Orthodox Perspectives'' (2019)

Books

*''On Writings as an Artistic, Historic, Cultural and Social Phenomenon'', Niš: Đorđe Krstić School of Art (1998) *''The Role of the Artist in Self-Referent Art'', Berlin: Dissertation.de (2007) * ''The Testimony of Icons'' (''Svedočanstvo ikona'' /in Serbian/, ''Ikonen legen Zeugnis ab'' /in German/), Belgrade – Tainach: Christian Cultural Center, Sodalitas (2008) * ''Decem concepti et termini'', Belgrade: Faculty of Culture and Media (2009) * ''Plus Ultra: Essays in Culture, Communication and Faith'', Belgrade: Otacnik (2011) * ''Res Publica'', Belgrade-Požarevac: Diocese of Braničevo-Department of Education and Culture (2013) * ''The Human Work of Art: A Theological Appraisal of Creativity and the Death of the Artist'', New York: SVS Press (2014) * ''Religion and Realism'', New Castle u. Tyne: Cambridge Scholars (2016) * ''Art as Tautology'', Belgrade: Clio (2016) * ''In Medias Res'', Belgrade: Admiral Books (2017) * ''Yugoslavia: Peace, War, and Dissolution'' (with

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

), New York: PMP (2018)

References

External links

Museum "Presence"

The Role of the Artist in Self-Referent Art

The Testimony of Icons

Christian Cultural Center

A Short Biography and Critical Exposition of Arworks
(in German)

"Techne vs. Creation" Article

Res Publica

Religion, Politics, and Beyond: The Pussy Riot Case

Davor Džalto-Art and Theory

Yugoslavia: Peace, War, and Dissolution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dzalto, Davor 1980 births Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriates in Germany Anti-globalization writers Bosnia and Herzegovina art historians Christian anarchists Eastern Orthodox theologians Living people Media critics People from Travnik Philosophers of art Postmodernists Bosnia and Herzegovina artists Bosnia and Herzegovina philosophers Bosnia and Herzegovina theologians University of Freiburg alumni University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy alumni