The promotion of the catalogue accompanying the exhibition Beyond the Looking Glass by renowned French architect and artist Odile Decq was held at the House of the King’s Guard. The speakers at the event included the exhibition’s curator Blanka Marković, art historian and theorist Dr. Svetlana Racanović, artist Odile Decq, and the catalogue designer Denis Ćupić. The discussion was moderated by curator Anja Marković.

Curator Blanka Marković emphasized that the exhibition is structured through three interwoven segments—art, design, and architecture—which reflect the unique creative synergy of form, material, and ideas in Odile Decq’s work. Special emphasis was placed on her architectural projects for museums, including MACRO in Rome and FRAC in Brittany, as well as on her participation as a jury member for the conceptual design of the new building of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro.

The exhibition features two specially conceived spatial installations located in and around the Petrović Castle: Flying Squares, made of black aluminum rods, and Seating in the Air, a brutalist-style concrete installation. These in-situ interventions engage in a dialogue with their surroundings and represent an authentic expression of Decq’s architectural language.

Speaking about Odile Decq’s artistic and pedagogical practice, Marković highlighted her commitment to knowledge exchange, the affirmation of authentic creators, and the creation of space for progressive social change. “Odile Decq moves from the macro to the micro level—reducing entire universes to their basic elements. Her clear vision is not perceived as an imposition of authority, but rather as a subtle and processual shaping of space and people,” she concluded.

Art historian and theorist Dr. Svetlana Racanović discussed the formal and conceptual parallels between Odile Decq’s work and that of major contemporary artists such as Anish Kapoor, pointing to reflective surfaces and curved forms that do not disorient the viewer but instead offer a way of seeing the world from both sides of the mirror. “Decq does not construct an alternative reality; rather, she builds precisely along the horizon line, making it flexible and fertile—a place where space, material, and light converge,” said Racanović.

Odile Decq thanked those present and expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, stressing the importance of integrating space, ideas, and movement into every segment of her work. Catalogue designer Denis Ćupić spoke about the process of visually shaping the publication to reflect the character and complexity of the exhibition.

The exhibition Beyond the Looking Glass remains open at the Petrović Castle until June 2.