Cashing In On Patriotism

Painter Milos Sobajic ended his month in Serbia with a glamorous celebration in Novi Sad where he presented the Vojvodina museum with his painting.

The Novi Sad city government bought Sobajic's painting for 15,000 Dinars but not with its own money. The cost of the gift was divided among 15 public services companies. Their spokesmen did not attend the celebration in honor of the Parisbased Sobajic. The companies may not even have heard of him but they'll pay for the patriotic gesture that Novi Sad city PM Obrad Milosevic claimed for himself. He told reporters of the Belgrade daily ``Borba'': ``We are patriots and we buy gifts on state holidays.''

The museum staff were also surprised by the expensive gift, not being used to gifts. They redecorated the Culture Center gallery where Sobajic had an exhibition and produced a beautiful catalogue for the sponsors.

Sobajic's arrival in Yugoslavia drew great coverage from the Serbian Radio and TV. Sobajic spoke on one program and said he was embittered and hurt by the satanization of the Serbs by the soulless and corrupt West. His missionary work was rewarded almost immediately and he was chosen to exhibit at the 150th anniversary of the National Museum in Belgrade.

National Museum Custodian Nikola Kusovac even had to apologize to Sobajic for criticizing his work in the 1980s. Kusovac didn't say whether his motives now are patriotic or not.

The rumor in Belgrade is that Sobajic's paintings never end up in private collections although he sells a lot.

``I'd be happy to sell them all,'' Sobajic told VREME over the phone from Paris. ``I left some paintings in storage at the Modern Art Museum and I hear there's lots of interest. I hope many of my paintings will stay in Belgrade now.''

He also commented on the Novi Sad sale. ``That city loves culture and painting. Novi Sad is a great city because it buys paintings, including mine. That's praiseworthy. I see nothing bad in the fact that the sponsors decided to give my painting to the Vojvodina museum and not to some politician as was the case years ago.''

Sobajic says he never forced them to buy his pictures. ``I just asked if Novi Sad would like to buy my painting. They were pleased to accept my offer. There are some wonderful sponsors of culture there. I hear they collected money and put it in the Vojvodina bank. That bank was blocked for a while. I still haven't gotten the money since the collection is still underway.''

He denied that he was cashing in on his patriotism. ``I have no reason to prove my patriotism in Novi Sad. I'm fighting as a Serb in a much harder environment, in Paris, for the truth about the Serbs and to contribute to Serb unity.''

But patriotism sometimes does not pay or at least doesn't draw the wanted understanding as painter Slobodan Jevtic Pulike knows. Jevtic is a Serb living in France. He recently gave an interview to Radio Valjevo in which he spoke of his patriotic experiences.

``My last public appearance was a proposal to the Belgrade city authorities for a heritage trust for Serb art and culture in the world. It could have contributed to getting out the truth about us. When I made the proposal in 1989 Religions Minister Dragan Dragojlovic said it wasn't the right moment. He said nationalism shouldn't be stirred. He saw this through nationalism not patriotism. Had we made the trust it could have changed the historic chaos that we're in now. I just can't believe there were no intelligent people in the communist madness.''

Jevtic is angry with academic circles as well because they failed to understand the monumental importance of the heritage trust. ``The only thing that was laid was the foundation stone and an exhibition of overall Serb art and culture in the National Museum in Belgrade in 1991. Every painter donated a piece for the trust. You can imagine my embarrassment when the trust in the emigree organizations asked me if they could sell them at auction to cover expenses. Ever since this madness began painters have been competing who's going to donate more pieces for, war victims, refugees. Auctions became fashionable. Everything was done in public except the money.''

Painter Olja Ivanjicki has donated 50 pictures over the past four years.

``I wanted to help. I never was told where the money went. I don't think it went where it was meant to. Now nobody asks me any more and I'm not offering any paintings. What else can you expect...''

Vlada Velickovic, another Paris based Serb painter, gave his painting to Commissariat for Refugees, hoping that the money would go where it should. The only thing left is an expensive catalogue made by the Commissariat. What happened to the money remains a secret.

Expensive celebrations are often organized in humanitarian causes with TV cameras present. That's the public extent of patriotic festivities but not always. Early this year, veterans of this war erupted, demanding to know where the money was. That story began in the Beograd hotel in Leskovac. The whole thing was organized by Zitokomerc with lots of paintings for sale and plenty of buyers. The food and drink was to have been paid for out of tickets sold for the auction. No one paid. Zitokomerc lost 8,000 DEM.

That festivity was attended by then Information Minister Milivoje Pavlovic and writer and professional patriot Momo Kapor. The paintings were sold for both Marks and Dinars which in those days of inflation didn't amount to much and the money was paid through bank accounts. Public companies, local councils and Serbia's government bought most of the painting paying just a few Marks for each. It did better than the Novi Sad government. At least the few nouveau riches who bought painting paid out of their own pockets.

The 26 paintings on sale were to have sold for 8,000 DEM. The veterans got less than 1,000 DEM and they still don't know what happened to the money they were promised. They were just extras in the patriotism drama. The whole thing was presented as care for the wounded.

Guernica

Interpretations of celebrated themes offer opportunities for affirmation or earning money. Valjevo painter Miloje Mitrovic saw this on time and painted a ten meter large Serbian Guernica with destroyed churches, women in mourning, guns...

The painting scored well and Mitrovic's exhibition in Valjevo was opened by Culture Minister Miodrag Djukic who also bought one of the paintings for a substantial amount of state funds. Mitrovic promised to create a 100 meter Guernica.