Radenko Milak. Post-Millennium Tension

When we first see one of Radenko Milak’ s (*1980, Travnik near Banja Luka) watercolors, we feel we » recognize« it, as there is always a before and after, like in a film loop – a unique quality of his work, writes Udo Kittelmann in his essay. Standing before a Milak painting, we believe we are seeing a fragment of something larger, a glimpse of the world or the universe, much like a photograph is always a snapshot of a theoretically endless image. Moreover, almost every motif he chooses draws from images we already know, stored in our memory. His work explores multiple themes: the shift from photography to watercolor, the interplay between original and reproduction, the choice of subjects, and how his images resonate with our subconscious and collective unconscious – since memory is shaped not only by language but primarily by images. His mastery of the medium creates the illusion of viewing photographs, while simultaneously making us witnesses to a media transformation: the original photo becomes a watercolor, which the human eye first perceives as a photograph and then as a painting. This duality compels us to step closer, eager to participate in the artwork – to observe the brushstrokes, gestures, and craftsmanship. Over the years, Milak has developed diverse series: cityscapes and architecture, futuristic technologies, feminism, pivotal moments in music history, surveillance and big data, loneliness, isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and film stills – all rendered in asymmetrically evolving watercolor series over two decades. His consistent use of black ink on white paper lends his works a timeless quality.