The Wooden Building Will Be Left for the Angel’s Revenge (2026)
The Wooden Building Will Be Left for the Angel’s Revenge (2026) is the second film from the series Conversations: Architecture, a new segment of the long-term Conversations project, based on audio-recorded interviews with children from around the world. In this work, the voices of children from San Francisco enter into dialogue with the historical site of the Angel Island Immigration Station.
Filmed inside a former immigration detention barrack, the work places contemporary children’s voices in resonance with poetic inscriptions engraved by Chinese detainees at the turn of the twentieth century. Architecture functions as a layered temporal archive in which intimate testimony unsettles institutional memory, transforming the building into a site where competing temporalities coexist without reconciliation.
Through the acousmatic presence of children’s voices—detached from the body yet anchored in space—the film reactivates the silent narratives embedded within the structure. The work reflects on displacement, memory, and the persistence of voices across time, allowing past and present to intersect without closure.
*The work was commissioned by Independent Curators International (ICI)
**excerpt from the video
Dreams Station (2024)
Dreams Station (2024) is the latest iteration of Dejan Kaludjerović’s long-term project Conversations, based on audio-recorded interviews with children from around the world. This immersive film presents the voices of children from Dnipro, recorded just one month before the outbreak of the 2022 Russian-Ukrainian war. Their answers to the question “What are you dreaming about?” echo through the deserted Dnipro-Lotsmanska Station, once crowned by the monumental mosaic The Metallurgists—a symbol of a glorified industrial future now frozen in decay. As the camera slowly reverses its movement, distancing itself from the heroic figures on the wall, the children’s dreams—fragile and intimate—seem to move in the opposite direction of progress, dissolving into the metallic hum of the abandoned space.
Concealing their bodies, Kaludjerović transforms their voices into spectral presences, suspended between departure and arrival, hope and despair. Dreams Station becomes both elegy and resistance: a meditation on unrealized futures and the resilience of imagination in the face of destruction. Through the acousmatic soundscape, the work transforms the derelict station into a site of haunting beauty, where children’s dreams, though silenced by war, continue to resonate—ephemeral yet enduring.
**excerpt from the video
All Is Joyful Every Single Day (2024)
is part of the long-term Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sandseries and marks a new development within the project through the introduction of animation and music as central narrative elements. Created for the exhibition at Dom Museum Wien, the work revisits material collected over more than a decade of conversations with children aged 7–10 from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in Vladikavkaz, Belgrade, Baku, Tehran, Vienna, Jerusalem, Ljubljana, Dnipro, and Rijeka.
Combining animated imagery, original interview recordings, and a newly commissioned composition by Marija Balubdžić with vocals by Zoja Borovčanin, the installation focuses on friendship as a lens through which children articulate social norms, fears, desires, and forms of belonging. The work draws particular attention to the ways ideological and cultural values are internalized through everyday language, play, gender roles, and popular culture.
The title references the theme song of a popular children’s television program from the artist’s childhood in former Yugoslavia, introducing a layer of nostalgia that contrasts with the complexity and emotional precision of the children’s testimonies. Rather than presenting childhood as an idealized space of innocence, the work reveals children as acute observers of the societies they inhabit.
**excerpt from the video
Je Suis Malade feat. Nibras/ Indonesian Version feat. Nibras (2017)
By performing the song Je Suis Malade, the protagonist/child immerses itself in the lyrics, but has no direct relationship to it since it is not able to conceive the concepts of the story that it engages in. The language is foreign to the performer(s) and they do not understand the meaning of the words. The sense of artificiality/alienation is omnipresent since the feeling of naturalness or spontaneity is not accommodated. The figure of the child does not gaze at the onlooker, so there is no sense of communication being exchanged.
It is through these mechanisms that Kaludjerović is able to connect this video and make a direct relationship to the large opus of his previous work that engage in similar concerns. The performance of the child is ritualized, making parallels with the stimulation of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. There is a conceptual link between the girl’s singing about being ill and the state of malady in our globalized society, which is deeply immersed in consuming to the point that effects start to bear resemblance.
The video installation, projected on a transparent fabric, (1m 70cm high and 50cm wide) acts as a freestanding sculpture, suspended from the ceiling on fine nylon. Due to the total darkness of the space the child appears almost real and one could imagine that in fact it exists in space. The viewer has a natural tendency to walk around the piece, only to find out that the front of the girl is replicated on the back as well. Kaludjerovic subtly comments on the surface culture of our society, which shows only a front, rarely exposing what exists behind the exterior.
The ghost like quality is omnipresent due to the transparency of the material that the video is projected on so the image gets reflected on the floor creating a flow of color that generates a very painterly sensation.
extract from the text WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHILDREN GONE? by B.Bošković
Shelters (2016)
The site specific, six channel sound installation Shelters conceived for the exhibition Conversations: Jerusalem at Art Cube Artists’ Studios, Jerusalem is one of the site-specific installations from the series Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sand, produced in different parts of the world.
Each installation is made in relation to the local site and accompanied with a sound piece emitted from 6 – 7 speakers (each speaker for the voice of one child); the children are narrating/answering questions about political issues such as social exclusion and inclusion, about foreigners, language, war, money, poverty.
This installation is made out of wooden sculptures that make up the installation look like small models of local bomb shelters. They can be played with, moved around and used to sit upon. The artist was interested in the way in which the outer features of a shleter function as a place for playing, while its inside provides a safe space during times of war. Listening to the sound of the installation the spectator has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these seven children.
Mikado Spiel (2016)
The site specific, six channel sound installation Mikado Spiel conceived for the exhibition Crisis as Ideology? at Kunstraum Niederoesterreich, Vienna is one of the site-specific installations from the series Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sand, produced in different parts of the world.
Each installation is made in relation to the local site and accompanied with a sound piece emitted from 6 – 7 speakers (each speaker for the voice of one child); the children are narrating/answering questions about political issues such as social exclusion and inclusion, about foreigners, language, war, money, poverty.
This installation is made out of wooden box painted with acrylic and filled with 41 wooden painted Mikado sticks. Listening to the sound of the installation the spectator has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these six children.
Sand Box (2015)
The site specific, six channel sound installation Sand Box conceived for the exhibition Conversations – Iran at Sazmanab, Tehran is one of the site-specific installations from the series Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sand, produced in different parts of the world.
Each installation is made in relation to the local site and accompanied with a sound piece emitted from 6 – 7 speakers (each speaker for the voice of one child); the children are narrating/answering questions about political issues such as social exclusion and inclusion, about foreigners, language, war, money, poverty.
Installation is made out of wooden sand box painetd with acrylic and filled with local Iranian sand. Listening to the sound of the installation the spectator has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these six children.
Je Suis Malade/ Azerbaijani Version feat. Fidan (A cappella), 2014
By performing the song Je Suis Malade, the protagonist/child immerses itself in the lyrics, but has no direct relationship to it since it is not able to conceive the concepts of the story that it engages in. The language is foreign to the performer(s) and they do not understand the meaning of the words. The sense of artificiality/alienation is omnipresent since the feeling of naturalness or spontaneity is not accommodated. The figure of the child does not gaze at the onlooker, so there is no sense of communication being exchanged.
It is through these mechanisms that Kaludjerović is able to connect this video and make a direct relationship to the large opus of his previous work that engage in similar concerns. The performance of the child is ritualized, making parallels with the stimulation of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. There is a conceptual link between the girl’s singing about being ill and the state of malady in our globalized society, which is deeply immersed in consuming to the point that effects start to bear resemblance.
The video installation, projected on a transparent fabric, (1m 70cm high and 50cm wide) acts as a freestanding sculpture, suspended from the ceiling on fine nylon. Due to the total darkness of the space the child appears almost real and one could imagine that in fact it exists in space. The viewer has a natural tendency to walk around the piece, only to find out that the front of the girl is replicated on the back as well. Kaludjerovic subtly comments on the surface culture of our society, which shows only a front, rarely exposing what exists behind the exterior.
The ghost like quality is omnipresent due to the transparency of the material that the video is projected on so the image gets reflected on the floor creating a flow of color that generates a very painterly sensation.
extract from the text WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHILDREN GONE? by B.Bošković
Alphabet Cubes (2014)
Here you can hear/ see the excerpt from the sound installation in Azeri, Russian and Lezgi with English subtitles.
The installation Alphabet Cubes conceived for the exhibition Conversations – Azerbaijan at YAY Gallery, Baku is one of the site-specific installations from a series Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sand, produced in different parts of the world.
This installation is made out of 45 wooden cubes painetd with different alphabets that are being used in Azerbaijan ( Azeri, Russian, Lezgi). Listening to the sound of the installation the spectator has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these seven children.
Each installation is made in relation to the local site and accompanied with a sound piece emitted from 6 – 7 speakers (each speaker for the voice of one child); the children are narrating/answering questions about political issues such as social exclusion and inclusion, about foreigners, language, war, money, poverty.
These are 7 to 9 year olds, school children with different ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds. In the post- production of the recorded material, the questions asked are omitted and only the children’s answers are edited to create a narrative. Listening to the sound of the installation the specta- tor has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these seven children.
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Marbles (2014)
Here you can hear/ see the sound installation in Serbian with English subtitles.
The installation Marbles conceived for the exhibition Invisible Violence at Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade is one of the site-specific installations from a series Conversations: Hula Hoops, Elastics, Marbles and Sand, produced in different parts of the world.
Each installation is made in relation to the local site and accompa- nied with a sound piece emitted from 6 – 7 speakers (each speaker for the voice of one child); the children are narrating/answering questions about political issues such as social exclu- sion and inclusion, about foreigners, language, war, money, poverty.
This installation is produced with 30777 glass marbles, which are equal to the number of boys and girls born in the same years and the same towns as the seven interviewed children. These are 7 to 9 year olds, school children with different ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds. In the post- production of the recorded material, the questions asked are omitted and only the children’s answers are edited to create a narrative. Listening to the sound of the installation the specta- tor has the impression that he/she is listening to a conversation between these seven children.
Je Suis Malade feat. Tanja/ Ukrainian Version (2011)
By performing the song Je Suis Malade, the protagonist/child immerses itself in the lyrics, but has no direct relationship to it since it is not able to conceive the concepts of the story that it engages in. The language is most likely foreign to the performer(s) and they do not understand the meaning of the words. The sense of artificiality/alienation is omnipresent since the feeling of naturalness or spontaneity is not accommodated. The figure of the child does not gaze at the onlooker, so there is no sense of communication being exchanged.
It is through these mechanisms that Kaludjerović is able to connect this video and make a direct relationship to the large opus of his previous work that engage in similar concerns. The performance of the child is ritualized, making parallels with the stimulation of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. There is a conceptual link between the girl’s singing about being ill and the state of malady in our globalized society, which is deeply immersed in consuming to the point that effects start to bear resemblance.
Je Suis Malade feat. Maggie/ Australian Version (2011)
By performing the song Je Suis Malade, the protagonist/child immerses itself in the lyrics, but has no direct relationship to it since it is not able to conceive the concepts of the story that it engages in. The language is most likely foreign to the performer(s) and they do not understand the meaning of the words. The sense of artificiality/alienation is omnipresent since the feeling of naturalness or spontaneity is not accommodated. The figure of the child does not gaze at the onlooker, so there is no sense of communication being exchanged.
It is through these mechanisms that Kaludjerović is able to connect this video and make a direct relationship to the large opus of his previous work that engage in similar concerns. The performance of the child is ritualized, making parallels with the stimulation of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. There is a conceptual link between the girl’s singing about being ill and the state of malady in our globalized society, which is deeply immersed in consuming to the point that effects start to bear resemblance..
Je Suis Malade feat. Kip/ Australian Version (2011)
By performing the song Je Suis Malade, the protagonist/child immerses itself in the lyrics, but has no direct relationship to it since it is not able to conceive the concepts of the story that it engages in. The language is most likely foreign to the performer(s) and they do not understand the meaning of the words. The sense of artificiality/alienation is omnipresent since the feeling of naturalness or spontaneity is not accommodated. The figure of the child does not gaze at the onlooker, so there is no sense of communication being exchanged.
It is through these mechanisms that Kaludjerović is able to connect this video and make a direct relationship to the large opus of his previous work that engage in similar concerns. The performance of the child is ritualized, making parallels with the stimulation of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. There is a conceptual link between the boy’s singing about being ill and the state of malady in our globalized society, which is deeply immersed in consuming to the point that effects start to bear resemblance.
Je Suis Malade feat. Neja/ Slovenian Version, 2008
In the video Je Suis Malade (2008) a 10 year-old long-haired blond girl is reinterpreting the French chanson Je Suis Malade, originally sung by the Egyptian-born French singer Dalida. The video is filmed in such a way, that the performer is standing peacefully in an unidentifiable dark space so that only she is visible. The content of the song the girl is singing has a theme that is inappropriate for her age. In fact, the text is speaking about a woman in great pain due to her unrequited love. Formally the video is made in one single shot and loop-projected. The song’s lyrics, which highlight love sickness and paralysis it ensues, contrast with the child’s performance, which amounts to an instrumentalisation of the quintessence of youthful innocence for purposes of visual consumption. Indeed, this blonde girl becomes herself the generic child attempting to convey to us a product in a language and experiences foreign to her. This is in and by itself a subtle illustration of the pathology (malady) of our globalize consumerist society.
Are You Ready for a Ride? -Beckett version (2006)
In my latest series of works „Can I change my career for a little fun?” from the cycle „The Future Belongs To Us” , 2006/2007 (which is consisted of paintings and video works) I combine the images / visual samples taken, on one hand, from contemporary fashion magazines (e.g. Vogue Bambini), and on the other hand, images from the very violent cartoon „Happy Tree Friends” (taken from the internet).
In this series of works my intention is to confront two unreal entities:
The first one, which represents the desired picture of the expectations of the adults / the society, and through which the child’s right to be what he or she is (impulsive, unpredictable, free), is taken away from him / her. This first entity is than inserted into the scenography of the second / other entity – the one of the cartoon.
My intention is to make one think through the process of increased awareness of the existence of the devious development of the collective consciousness and the patterns of behaviour, which in the present time, more than ever, intensified through violence, confrontation, war.
The phenomenon of violence and fear also interests me as well as the relation of the society towards these categories … what is particularly interesting and horrific at the same time is that violence and fear became a need and a form of entertainment.
Are you ready for a ride? (2006)
In my latest series of works „Can I change my career for a little fun?” from the cycle „The Future Belongs To Us” , 2006/2007 (which is consisted of paintings and video works) I combine the images / visual samples taken, on one hand, from contemporary fashion magazines (e.g. Vogue Bambini), and on the other hand, images from the very violent cartoon „Happy Tree Friends” (taken from the internet).
In this series of works my intention is to confront two unreal entities:
The first one, which represents the desired picture of the expectations of the adults / the society, and through which the child’s right to be what he or she is (impulsive, unpredictable, free), is taken away from him / her. This first entity is than inserted into the scenography of the second / other entity – the one of the cartoon.
My intention is to make one think through the process of increased awareness of the existence of the devious development of the collective consciousness and the patterns of behaviour, which in the present time, more than ever, intensified through violence, confrontation, war.
The phenomenon of violence and fear also interests me as well as the relation of the society towards these categories … what is particularly interesting and horrific at the same time is that violence and fear became a need and a form of entertainment.
Keine Angst vor kleinen Tieren (2004)
The most striking motif is taken from the German magazine Burda in the early Eighties and is an advertisement for children’s wear beneath the caption “No fear of small animals”. It is truly bizarre because we see three children wearing little dresses and dungarees covered with cat and rabbit appliqués. A small boy stands between the two little girls pushing a carrot into the mouth of the girl who is seated. We could say that this motif is quintessential in the sphere of Kaludjerović’s interest. First of all, we see here a parallel between this scene and the usual iconography of pornography. Then, we establish a relationship between the advertising code of the Seventies or Eighties and the present day where this motif would never appear innocently or spontaneously (which was not the case even up to 20 or 30 years ago). And finally, the relationships say us absolutely nothing about the children or their small animal toys but are focused on the world of adults which, at one moment, overlooks, and at the next moment, recognises the utterly bizarre quality of the scene.
So we have instability of meaning in a scene which is composed by adults to reflect innocence, blamelessness, an idyllic state of being, but which those same adults can condemn as an expression of perversion, a sick imagination, and a social danger.
from the text by Branislav Dimitrijević