Denis Butorac

Epistle, 2019

Derived from the Latin word epistol or epistula (message, letter), the word epistle is associated first and foremost with religious texts. However, its definition also encompasses a public, open letter...

Derived from the Latin word epistol or epistula (message, letter), the word epistle is associated first and foremost with religious texts. However, its definition also encompasses a public, open letter addressed to one person. Besides using photography as a medium of artistic expression, I have employed it to document performative processes with which I reconstruct lived experiences – while simultaneously creating new ones. I use fragments from my past such as family archives, memories and situations that have significantly influenced the formation of my identity, yet which often left me feeling like a stranger. With these, I have built a visual narrative addressed to my father, like a letter never written.

Mother, 2018

During one of my visits to my family, my mom asked me if I could dye her hair. Over time, this unusual experience became an activity that we fondly share.

Homesick, 2018

I grew up in Slavonia, in an environment where breeding and slaughter of animals for food is a centuries-old tradition. Not only is it acceptable, but it is also expected...

I grew up in Slavonia, in an environment where breeding and slaughter of animals for food is a centuries-old tradition. Not only is it acceptable, but it is also expected of children to get involved in the process from an early age in order to pass down the acquired skills to new generations. Since I was a child, I have refused to participate in these events, so I was often met with misunderstanding and outrage. Revolted by the pervasive and deep-rooted belief that the ability to kill an animal might also be interpreted as a confirmation of manhood, I tried to overcome my fear and disgust and I attended an act of slaughter as a passive observer. I witness this imposed duty, which is at the same time a social event where the host and his helpers seek mutual validation based on emotional denial. Like an initiation of sorts, I arrange the consequences of this ritual of masculinity in order to conserve the unpleasant memories and create new ones, thus establishing a new model of connecting with my family and the setting in which I grew up.

Three Brothers of Mine, 2015 –

As the oldest child in the family, I have albums full of personal photos. Almost every important moment of my growing up was recorded: my first steps, first day of...

As the oldest child in the family, I have albums full of personal photos. Almost every important moment of my growing up was recorded: my first steps, first day of school, every birthday... By the time my first younger brother was born, our parents’ passion for recording was already starting to wane. Their photo taking was becoming increasingly rare, fading completely with the birth of my youngest brother. Knowing the importance of a family album, I decided to start a long-lasting series of photographs with which I not only want to “save” my family’s archives, but also wish to document the lives of my three younger brothers and their growing up trapped in the rural region of eastern Croatia. Apart from the differences in our ages, interests, and attitudes, our lack of mutual understanding is further heightened by the fact that very early on in life I left our hometown to go to college in another city. I also developed an awareness of my own identity that has always set me apart from them.

About author

DENIS BUTORAC was born in 1992, Croatia. He obtained a Master’s degree in Photography

from the Academy of Dramatic Art. In addition to two Rector’s and Dean’s Awards, he also received the Marina Viculin Award, a cash prize given to Croatian artists in recognition of their outstanding achievement in the field of photography. In September 2018, he presented his first solo exhibition Homesick, as part of the 10th edition of the Organ Vida International Photography Festival. His photographs have been exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad.

In his art, photography is used as a medium for exploration of topics such as identity, family and tradition, thus constructing his own narrative series in which he combines documentary and conceptual.

Denis lives and works in Zagreb, Croatia.

W: denisbutorac.com

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022 At Night It’s Colder than Outside, Museum of Fine Arts, Split

2021 15 till 19, Gallery Galženica, Velika Gorica

2021 Epistle, Salon Galic, Split

2020 Epistle, Gallery Makina, Pula

2019 Epistle, Gallery f8, Zagreb

2018 Homesick, Mala galerija, Poreč

2018 Homesick, Gallery SC, Zagreb

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 Slavonian Biennale, Museum of Fine Arts, Osijek