With the nine paintings I created during my stay in Novi Sad (Serbia), I wanted to recreate some of the memories and remind the elderly not to forget their stories, and the young to know about them. Through my work, I tried to achieve this by presenting my sense of these stories and events. I made an illustration of the omnibus of tragedy and horror that people are capable of inflicting amongst each other through hatred and war. I was surprised that such a theme was so inspiring, but pictures were coming to my mind in rapid succession. For one of them, I drew direct inspiration from the Family monument. As for the picture of the three elderly women, it was the first image I made in my mind and the last one to end up on canvas. Its title is Personal and represents a vividly portrayed story of personal grief one experiences in such events.
Martina participated in the Art Residency that took place in Novi Sad (Serbia) from 22 October 2018 to 22 November 2018, and focused on the local events of the Second World War (Novi Sad Raid) and their impact in the local community.
During my one-month stay in Novi Sad, I saw many sights and interesting places in the city. We had many encounters with various people in various places, from whom, despite my difficulties with the language, I was able to learn interesting things about the history of the city, as well as to feel its spirit. I also heard a few different personal stories from which I was able to clarify a lot about the event, and draw inspiration for my work.
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