“Sing Mare, Sing my Precious…” is an intermedia installation focusing on gender and other stereotypes that define the role of women in our society. The installation maps gender as a socially constructed pattern.
The central piece, the painting-installation Sing Maro, Sing My Precious, is inspired by the work of famous French Romantic artist Théodore Géricault – The Raft of the Medusa. Instead of the original painting’s characters, contemporary figures are depicted celebrating one of Montenegro’s most venerated customs – the birth of a son/heir/bloodline extender. The painting levitates in space, like a warning hovering above us or an obstacle in the way.
On the back of the painting are “Recipes for obtaining a male offspring,” and visitors can write down their own recipes. The wall behind the painting is filled with such recipes, mathematical formulas, folk remedies, and teas. The painting is set in a golden frame, with a ceremonial red carpet leading to it, creating an ironic reference to the display of important paintings in museums
During the exhibition, a provocative gift was given to visitors – Tea for male offspring – while throughout the installation, the verses of the Montenegrin folk wedding song Sing Mare, My Little Lamb are repeated, sometimes to the point of being unbearable.

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photo credit Duško MIjanić