Jelena Janković: We Came Here to Dance - exhibition 25.4.

As part of the MPC Open Doors programme, photographer and visual artist Jelena Janković presents the pop-up exhibition We Came Here to Dance, exploring traces of dance performance and its life beyond the stage through photography and experimental techniques.

April 25 at 19:00
Mediterranean Dance Center, Svetvinčenat

ABOUT THE WORK
We Came Here to Dance emerges from an experimental approach and a focus on process, asking what remains when a performance ends and silence takes over the space.
Through a combination of photography and risography, moments from dancer Kalin Morrow’s performance are repeated in different colour variations, creating a visual rhythm that reflects traces of energy and the intensity of the process. Each iteration evokes the presence of “ghosts” of the performance, recalling the freedom of movement and creative expression we often hold within ourselves.
Repetition and chromatic transformation open space for participation, inviting the audience to recognise their own stage in moments of silence or fatigue, and to release body and mind through movement, play, and ritual.
The work explores the boundaries between documentation, visual experimentation, and performative presence, questioning how dance and the creative process continue to exist beyond the formal stage — in space, awareness, and collective experience.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jelena Janković is a photographer and visual artist from Belgrade, currently based in Zagreb, active across the Balkan region. Her work focuses on human nature, psychological aspects of relationships, and the nuances of movement and emotion captured through different photographic practices.
She has photographed more than 300 theatre productions across Europe and is one of the artists who, for over 14 years, has continuously documented the performing arts scene with a distinctive visual language.
In 2023, she became the programme director of the Sarajevo Photography Festival, a platform bringing together contemporary photographers from around the world. Through this role, she fosters dialogue and presents diverse perspectives in photography, creating opportunities for artists, curators, and audiences.
Her work has been published and exhibited internationally, and she has received numerous awards.


^{*Photographed by Franjo Matković}