In his collages, films, and architectural stagings, David Maljković engages critically with the legacy of modernism. Central to his practice are sculptural and

architectural symbols that once embodied ideas of progress and transformation within the context of Yugoslav socialism. Maljković repositions these forms on historical, cultural, and theoretical levels, relating them to contemporary conditions and speculative futures.

In his exhibition at the Secession, however, Maljković pursued a different approach. Rather than presenting a conventional survey of works, he subjected selected pieces to a radical re-staging. Presentation structures originally developed for previous exhibitions were shown emptied and stripped of their original function. These display elements were arranged spatially and subtly activated through minimal interventions—markings, atmospheric effects such as fog, and the audible amplification of the objects’ inherent sounds.

By doing so, Maljković deliberately resisted the traditional retrospective model, which assembles and sequences representative works. Instead, he foregrounded his own artistic strategies and accumulated experience. The exhibition addressed, in a tension-filled and often unexpected manner, the distinction between fine and applied art, the site-specificity of the exhibition space, narrative spatial structures, and the historical references embedded within display objects.