Mića Popović

Miodrag "Mića" Popović (23 June 1923 – 22 December 1996) was a Serbian painter, experimental filmmaker and one of the major figures of the Yugoslav Black Wave.

Popović's Life

Mića Popović was born on 12 June 1923 in Loznica. He finished grammar school in Belgrade. After the Second World War, most of which he spent in Belgrade working at odd jobs, he enrolled the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade in 1946, in the class taught by Ivan Tabaković. Together with Bata Mihajlović, Petar Omčikus, Mileta Andrejević, Ljubinka Jovanović, Kosara Bokšan, and Vera Božicković, he went to Zadar in 1947 and formed the famous "Zadar group". After returning to Belgrade, they were forbidden to return to their university studies, as the authorities viewed the work of the Zadar group as subversive, but sometime later, they were all allowed to return except for Popović, who continued to study on his own, with the help of Tabaković.

As a painter, Popović is best known for his informel period (1958–1968) and his "Scenes Painting" (slikarstvo prizora) (from 1968). Among the Scenes Paintings, the most famous may be "May 1, 1985," which memorialized events surrounding an alleged attack on a farmer in Kosovo named Đorđe Martinović.

He also made several films in the 1960s, two of which ("Čovek iz hrastove šume" and "Delije") were banned by the government for their unacceptable content.

Mića Popović was elected a regular member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1986.

Award Mića Popović

Award 'Mića Popović' Fund for the affirmation of creation in Belgrade, Serbia. Biographical and creative data of Mića Popović were the impetus to establish a prize that will bear his name and will identify individuals who followed his critical activity and as well an artist engaged intellectual. Founders – Živorad Stojković, Borka Božović and Jovan Despotović, soon joined HE Vida Ognjenović, ambassador, writer and theater director, Dušan Kovačević, academic and playwright, Emir Kusturica, film director, Djordje Milojević, film producer, and other, as members of the Steering Group, and then all the winners of this award. The first president of the Steering Group was elected Emir Kusturica at the inaugural session of 17 December 1997. The award is presented every two years, on 12 June, on the birthday of Mića Popović.

Painting: major exhibitions

• 1950: First One-Man Exhibition, Belgrade
• 1963: Informel Exhibition, Belgrade
• 1971: Scenes Painting Exhibition, Belgrade
• 1974: Scenes Painting Exhibition, Belgrade (cancelled before opening)
• 1979: Scenes Painting Exhibition, Belgrade
• 1983: One-Man Retrospective, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade

Written works

• Sudari i harmonije, (1954)
• U ateljeu pred noć, (1962)
• Ishodište slike, (1983)
• Velika ljubav Anice Huber, (1999)
• Putopisni dnevnici (2006)

Films

• "Čovek iz hrastove šume", Avala film, 1963
• "Roj", Avala film, 1966
• "Kameni despot", Filmska radna zajednica, 1967
• "Delije", Kino klub, Beograd, 1969
• "Burduš", Avala film, 1970