ARTIST BIO

Duška Malešević, based in Valletta, Malta is an interdisciplinary visual artist. She holds an MA in Psychology of Art from Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

She has exhibited in Berlin Germany – Mahala Berlin Art Week, Novi Sad Serbia – Cultural Centre and Academy of Art Gallery Novi Sad, Rome Italy – Librerria del Viaggiatore and Malta – R Gallery, Valletta Contemporary, Gabriel Caruana Foundation, Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale, Lily Agius Gallery and many others. Duška’s work was presented in the Maltese Pavilion Catalogue at the Venice Biennale (2017).

In 2016 Duška published ‘Postcards from Paradise’, a photography book that was launched in Rome and received an Honorable Mention from International Photography Awards (IPA). The 2nd extended edition of the book was launched in 2019 at Valletta Contemporary, Malta.

Duška is a founder and a creative director of s e l e k t e d m a l t a, an independent publisher specialising in photography books and publications. MORE INFO HERE

My artistic practice is rooted in the philosophy of Bonjour Tristesse—the pursuit of aesthetic beauty within ugliness. This concept, central to my work, explores the friction between the visually and intellectually repelling and the allure of beauty.

My residency at MOMENTUM, is centered on rediscovery and a deep connection with the Bonjour Tristesse building in Berlin. Named after the graffiti that appeared on its façade in the late 1980s, this social housing complex, also known as Wohnhaus Schlesisches Tor, has become a symbol of subtle resistance—an interplay of contrasts, where physical structures merge with the landscapes of the mind.

My work has long revolved around capturing what others deem ugly, extracting an unexpected beauty from it—such as plastic waste drifting through the sea. The shimmering surface of a polluted ocean embodies this paradox: a breathtaking landscape marred by human negligence. This tension, the clash between beauty and decay, fuels my artistic energy.