Lana Mesic

artistiek onderzoek - conceptueel - fotografie - installatie - objecten

The main departure point of Mesic's work is the minds constant struggle in dealing with things that do not have an image. She is curious how our mind (subjectively or collectively) fills in these visual gaps.

The trickster archetype, as described by Carl Jung, is the symbolic figure who reveals truth through mischief. He employs and enjoys jokes and pranks, which are his weapons to penetrate the stale-mate of the daily existence. He brings meaning to the meaningless, reveals the truth behind collective symbols while simultaneously demystifying collective conventions.

Lana's outmost pleasure in making art is being mischievous. By doing so, she feels she can create space for herself to demonstrate the changeability of the conventions that often define our everyday experience. Transforming everyday objects and conventional settings through trickery provokes engagement, which is both confronting and delighting.


When you point a finger, three are pointing back 2024 - Boek uitgegeven door Eriskay Connection The complex history and contested borders that shaped the countries of former Yugoslavia provide the stage on which Croatian-born Lana Mesic´ (NL) weaves new, personal narratives, examining the role and meaning of the enemy image in her fragmented childhood and how this history echoes upon this day. In light of recent political developments in Europe, the book encourages us to reflect on our own experiences. By bringing these to light, it helps to counter the nationalist narratives that dominate today’s political landscape. When you point a finger, three are pointing back is composed of photographs, newspaper clippings, television clips, rumours, whispered conversations, written stories, and meticulously crafted relics made from matches and matchboxes.
‘When you point a finger, three are pointing back’ 2024 - ‘When you point a finger, three are pointing back’ - publication spreads Published by The Eriskay Connection @eriskayconnection Design: Jeremy Jansen @jeremyjansen.studio Photography: Sanne van den Elzen @sannevandenelzen Coordination: Frank van der Stok @frankvdstok Production: @josmorreefinebooks Printer & binding: Wilco Art Books @wilco_artbooks Lithography: Marc Gijzen @marcgijzen Supported by: @mondriaanfonds 
Tijl Fonds Jaap Harten Fonds
When you point a finger, three are pointing back 2024 - Try day at V2_ Unstable Installation and performance
Lego Kalasnjikov 2020
Souls, Ties and a Pile of Carrots 2019 - One of the largest global failures in the recent years was the 2008 economic crash. This event was so devastating that the ripples of doubt in regards to the financial industry are still felt today and has changed the face of banking forever. I was curious to find out more about these Wizards of Oz. I wanted to know more about them, how they work, what they feel and how they think about theri enviroment. What ensued was a series of interviews in which I asked small and big questions. However photography as such has fallen short and to portray the purely photographically wouldn’t give justice to the subject. Cross-stich technique was used instead. In this form of embroidery x-shaped stitches are used in a raster like pattern in order to form a picture. The relation of time vs value being clearly demonstrated, as the more time the practitioner puts into the work the clearer it becomes. In the case of "Souls, Ties and a Piles of Carrots", the time given by each individual is transformed into the time I have put in the cross-stitch. Each pixel corresponds to one coloured stitch. The time that each individual “gave” during the interview was used as abase value which I then extrapolated to the timeI was allowed to work on their portrait. This resulted in 12 hand-made portraits of individuals that work in the Financial Industry of London and reflects ideas expressed during the time we have spent together.
City Player 07 - Uit de 'Souls, ties and a pile of carrots'
Towers 2017 - There is no space to fail in this day and age. The unproductive human is an undesirable human. “Towers” is no more than that. It is claiming the right to spend time on a useless obsession. It will not cure cancer and it will not feed the world. It will not even stand the test of time. The towers will collapse and all that I have left to show for them is a record that once for a brief period they stood tall like totem poles to a time spent refusing to chase the proverbial hamster wheel.
‘Fainah and Camille’ - From ‘Anatomy of Forgiveness’ series 2014
Anatomy of Forgiveness 2014 - Justice has been served. 20 years after the genocide in Rwanda, perpetrators and their victims once again live side by side. I wanted to give them a podium, to tell their story and not impose any of my preconceived ideas onto them. As a documentary maker I surrendered my subjectivity to the subject. I wanted them to have their moment. I asked the couples how did the moment of forgiveness look like, and if they were comfortable with recreating it for me. I tried to be as careful and gentle as possible and sometimes I had to wince when asking. But in no way shape or form did I direct their behavior. The survivor and the perpetrator side by side, embracing, shaking hands, touching cheek with cheek, drinking banana beer. Falling to their knees. After each captured moment I shook their hands and looked in their eyes. I never shook hands with murderers before. On makeshift scales I ask the survivors to show me how much they forgave and the perpetrators how much did they forgive themselves. I photograph the proximity of their houses. I can’t believe that in some cases death was separated by only 68 steps. But forgiveness in this context is not always a fluffy, pink positive thing as it initially sounds like. We are used to the Hollywood image of forgiveness, decorated with pan-am smiles and a happy endings. In Rwanda forgiveness is a necessity that allows people to move on with their lives. It is exactly the lack of the smiles that teaches us the many faces of forgiveness.