Darko Maver

The rumours about Maver began in 1998 within the circles of underground artists in Europe. Originating in Yugoslavia where he was accused of anti-patriotism, where his work was reputedly censored and he was persecuted. This story was spread around the art world rapidly.

On May the 15th, press agencies receive and released a shocking announcement: "The Serbian artist Darko Maver has died in the Podgorica prison".
Together with the announcement of Maver's death came the image that went down in history: the only evidence of Darko Maver's tragic death in the Podgorica prison. The photo was taken in a garret in the centre of Bologna, and was believable enough to be seen as true.



The image spread rapidly and the articles written about the event illustrate how Darko Maver, his works and history, can be read as a critique to the reality of media and the exploitation of images of victims of war.