Last night, the exhibition “Quintessence of Bone” by painter Naod Zorić was opened at Petrović Castle.

The opening featured speeches by PhD Vladislav Šćepanović, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, and Natalija Đuranović, the exhibition curator.

In his address, Šćepanović emphasized that Naod Zorić is an authentic figure and a genuine artist of our region, whose art is reflected in his courage and choice to live through his art.

“His expression balances between the avant-garde and tradition—neither too alternative for the avant-garde nor too traditional for conservative perceptions of art. Through the paintings presented in this exhibition, we can read the fate of our people and ancestors, and it often feels as if he is not doing this out of mere artistic intent, but rather because he has been chosen to tell this story,” said Šćepanović.

Natalija Đuranović, the exhibition curator, highlighted that Naod Zorić’s works animate the multiplicity of space and time in memory and remembrance, while memory itself is revealed through the creative process and the artistic interpretation of transferring the past into the present.

“For Naod, art is not just an aesthetic experience but also a spiritual force that enables him to reshape everyday life and uncover a deeper meaning of reality. The beauty of his work lies in the creative act, through pulsating color codes and compositions that open worlds akin to archaeological findings of ancient Montenegrin civilizations. He presents his heroes and their stories in an authentic way, creating timeless experiences in which past and present become one,” said Đuranović.

She added that Zorić, through his visual expression, shapes the perception of the present, allowing the decoding of universal messages as part of collective memory.

“By creating a fluid artistic form, Naod offers the observer the opportunity to become part of his expression and find their own experience in the aesthetic and symbolic contemplation,” concluded the curator.

The exhibition is open to the public until March 28, 2025.