Nebojša Babić: V Ljubljani

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Portraits that Remain

Nebojša Babić

The exhibition In Ljubljana by photographer Nebojša Babić presents portraits of Ljubljana residents created in a city that is not merely a recognisable backdrop, but an active space of encounters, conversations and exchanged glances.

Presented as part of the Indigo Festival, the works of one of the most prominent portrait photographers from the former Yugoslavia establish a dialogue between the artist and his sitters, between public image and intimate presence.

Babić’s portraits are not merely images of recognisable personalities. Even when those who step in front of his camera are people whose faces have already become part of collective memory – artists, musicians, writers, thinkers and others who shape the cultural landscape – the photographer does not seek to reproduce their public image or further construct it.

His attention is focused on a brief, elusive moment in which the person being portrayed stops performing and simply becomes present.

There are no superfluous gestures in these photographs. A gaze, the position of the body, a barely perceptible smile, a shadow across the face or the sitter’s relationship to the surrounding space are enough to reveal character, mood and an individual inner rhythm. Babić’s distinctive approach is rooted in trust – between photographer and sitter, between closeness and distance, between the documentary nature of the moment and a carefully constructed image. His portraits therefore feel immediate, although they are visually precise; spontaneous, although they bear a clear authorial signature.

The context of the exhibition also plays an important role. Ljubljana emerges as a network of faces, stories and creative connections, as a space of exchange and cultural vitality, and above all as a city that can be understood through the people who help shape it. Babić’s portraits do not merely represent individuals; together, they form a visual portrait of contemporary Ljubljana – its cultural pulse, diversity, openness and vitality.

At a time of rapidly circulating images, fleeting attention and the constant production of visibility, the exhibition restores the value of a gaze that lingers. It reminds us that a portrait is not simply a photograph of a well-known person, but an encounter with the person behind the recognisable face. It is precisely in Babić’s ability to recognise a moment of truth without interpreting or embellishing it that the enduring power of his photographic language lies.

The exhibition was produced in collaboration with BAZA, Centre for Youth Ljubljana (Mladi zmaji Public Institute).

Nebojša Babić was born in Belgrade in 1968. Since 1997, he has been a member of ULUPUDS (the Association of Applied Arts Artists and Designers of Serbia), where he served two terms as president of one of its sections.

In 1998, he founded Orange Studio, a studio specialising in applied photography, visual communications and marketing. Over more than 25 years of activity, Orange Studio has made an important contribution to the development and strengthening of the visual identity of numerous Serbian brands.

In 2004, he founded O3ONE, an art project dedicated to contemporary and applied art. O3ONE was established with the aim of presenting current artistic practices that move beyond the boundaries of art and culture and connect with science, technology and sustainable development. Over the past twenty years, the O3ONE Gallery has hosted more than 1,000 exhibitions, workshops, lectures and promotional events.