Dragan Kurucic Art Photography Atelier Petrovaradin Fortress

Being an artist and living freely within the impressive space of the Petrovaradin Fortress, which is par excellence architectural achievement, has particular dimension and sense. To apprehend life challenges, temptations and benefits, while anchored between the huge stronghold, entirely charged with history, traditions, human destinies – is always fruitful. Such elusive bonds of traditions, history, legends, warmth and artistic levitation is possible to encounter and understand in Novi Sad at the Atelier of artistic photograph Dragan Kurucic. His fine artistic photography and refined skills and sophisticated knowledge, that are richly applied in industrial design, enhance observers with special, simultaneously  moving and calm energy and leave distinctive messages. Works of Dragan Kurucić were exposed at the exhibitions throughout the world, and nowadays make essence of the extraordinary reputed monographs, magazines, and lectures of the photo design. Audience in London, Paris, Stockholm, Prague, Budapest, Timisoara… also enjoyed in the independent exhibitions of Dragan Kurucic, which make only a part of the artist’s successful life and artistic story… However, another part, which is possible to directly meet and grow in love, is connected with the Petrovaradin Fortress and the Artistic atelier, set amids the strong walls of this mighty Austrian fortification. The Atelier at the Petrovaradin Fortress, as every dark underground space, collects and radiates in several corridors and levels, loaded stories of soldiers on horses, who lived safely for month or longer in its vast interior, testify on secret tunnels and entrances,  mined ambushes for conquerors, and connection roads which lead four level and layers beneath the surface …. But, those are only facts that await visitors of the Petrovaradin Fortress and the Kurucic Atelier, constructors of the fortress, soldiers who fought here and war waged around the fortress. What follow are the untold stories and unrepeatable traces of the every day life and strange fate of inhabitants of Novi Sad area, within the course of several centuries, whose parts are exposed along the atelier walls, floors, ceilings, and by its every detail fulfill observers and visitors with unique beauty and pleasant feeling of gaining new knowledge and concepts, thanks to answers given to the questions for good reasons : Armour from the time of the French Bourgeois Revolution, weapons before, during and after the First WW, photos of military garrisons of that time, soldiers’ accessories for hygiene for curing louse, various watches and mechanism, parts of the equipment and accessories of some wine maker or cook who supplied some bishop or dignitary. Curiosity greatly positively influences our social and love life, so that emotions we share by bringing new experiences into our relationship, make our lives fulfilled.

Visitors of the Dragan Kurucic Art Atelier have the privilege to discover a number of details, memories and gifts from distant destinations and encounters, while listening to the artist and sitting in the uniquely appointed space of the atelier, which is full of old cabinets, cupboards and furniture of the various historical epochs, surrounded with kitchen dishes, cookware and every day items  dating more than two centuries. Up to where the eye captures images, and a brain detects and forward to a memory, an entire uniquely and tastefully appointed space of the Kurucic Atelier is filled with materialized history, with a bit of tradition of the Austrian, Hungarian, Serbian, Turkish…. heritage. However, not a single story about life in, around and about the Petrovaradin Fortress could be told, and the story about the achievements and virtues of this humble artist lives without pleasures that food provides and wine attests. Finest food prepared along the old recipes of some past times confirms that the enjoyment in preparation and tasting of food took important role in the everyday life of former inhabitants of the fortress and those who lived around it. During the visit to the Kurucic Atelier visitors have variety of experiences to remember, as here, by special booking and announcement, different cultural events are organized, as film projections, music concerts and folklore performances, workshop of wood-processing and basic course on photography /conducted by the artist himself/, special weddings with artistic touch and other events to remember that separately or combined provide inspiring pleasures and particular experiences, thanks to the ambiance and the distinctive spirit of the atelier. Visit to the Kurucic Atelier is more than receiving historical facts on the Petrovaradin Fortress. It is an experience enhanced with life stories and vivid kaleidoscope of tiniest parts of lives of Petrovaradin population, of some past times.