In Grand Narratives and Small Anecdotes, Oliver charted the trajectory of his artistic practice across several photographic explorations—derived from images imbued with stories from his personal history.
Informed by his experiences growing up amidst the turbulence of the socialist Yugoslavia’s dissolution, Oliver’s early works draw heavily from the lived experiences of the working class in Skopje, present-day North Macedonia. His practice has since evolved into notations on the everyday, public spaces and urban commons.
Grand Narratives and Small Anecdotes offer insights into Oliver’s current research on the natural environment as a social construct shaped by man. Particularly, he is interested in “ruderal ecologies,” plants characterized by their tenacity in disturbed or abandoned residual spaces in urban environments, and how this research has taken shape in the manicured landscapes of Singapore.
This talk was presented as part of SAMRes' ongoing series Residencies Thursdays.