Three years ago, on a June morning, while sitting in the editorial office and browsing through websites and daily newspapers from the region with my first coffee, looking for interesting topics, reading the daily news, I came across an intriguing story. It said: "The 'Vagon' Gallery opened in Banja Luka with the performance 'Sometimes They Call Me a Chick' by artist Isidora Branković."
Yes, it said: the performance "Sometimes They Call Me a Chick" at Branka Ćopića Street 13, Lamela I. Ah, that’s Borik, I thought, near Vespa. I started to research what it was about, and that’s how I got in touch. Along with the performance, her exhibition "Cry of the Day-Players" was also open. It didn’t take long, and with my colleague Velja, a photographer, I arrived at "Vagon", where the young artist Isidora greeted us, telling us about her dreams, the creation of the gallery, the idea, and the performance itself. She exuded a vibrant energy. It all sounded very interesting to me, as something completely new in our city, something that would open doors for young artists, something that would spark a conversation about the alternative scene, and the idea that artists can live off their art. Isidora left a strong impression on both me and my colleague. We commented that it was a good story, I wrote the article, and it was published on June 24, 2022, in the oldest daily newspaper in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That’s how the story with "Vagon" began. Following the events, I saw the announcement for the next exhibition that took place at the beginning of July that year, and it was "Long Live the Booze" by artist Danija Mihić. Veljo and I, once again, found ourselves in the "Vagon" space, and over a pleasant conversation with Danijela and Isidora, we talked about this exhibition while having coffee.
At that time, I couldn’t have imagined that I would be writing this text that would appear on the gallery's page. I couldn’t have envisioned anything like that at that moment, nor could I have thought that soon Isidora and I would be traveling for her exhibitions across Serbia to Slovenia. I hadn’t thought about it, but since that June of 2022, I, with my notebook and recorder, and Veljo with his camera, became regular guests at the gallery.
In July 2022, the "Performance Days" followed at the gallery, bringing together four performances. These were the performances "I'm Just Getting Ready" by Galina Mitrović, "A Little Bit of Green" by Nikola Tomić, "Card Is Missing 05/24 Mov", and "Can You See Yourself Between the Lips" by Isidora Branković. All of this was something entirely new in our cultural scene, something quite interesting, intriguing, and provocative. A single vagon (wagon) flashed, shaking the city like an earthquake. But it was just one vagon, occupying a place on a track that was pretty long. At that time, I couldn’t have imagined that I would enter that vagon myself. Listening to Isidora and the artists talk about the performances, I couldn’t have imagined that, three years later, I would find myself in one. I didn’t know that I would sit in the vagon. I really couldn’t have imagined that. However, the gallery somehow quietly became part of all of us who moved around it. It became an exciting anticipation for each upcoming event in the "Vagon", a new inspiring conversation with some of these young people hungry for opportunities. Different ones, eager to create. Every encounter with Isidora sparked that driving energy, the kind that can move mountains. And so, the gallery became part of all of us, part of the track. Nestled in Branka Ćopića Street, in Lamela I, beside the Russian temple under construction, it became a gathering place for all of us. Even though Isidora had concerns about the neighbor who wanted to open a café called "Russian Train" next to the Vagon, that Russian train didn’t disrupt our track. 
Waiting for the next event, I also followed the exhibition "F603, maybe, kanske, maybe" by Irma Beširević, and then "Mamasitu" by Tajana Dedić Starović. We published all of it in the traditional "Glas" newspaper. It was strange to many, but there weren’t many comments. Just astonishment. Of course, we knew how to replace photos that were too revealing with ones that were more acceptable. But it worked out. Writing about it was truly a pleasure. Finally, something was happening. Then followed the exhibition "Simulation of Ease" by Ognjen Milošević, and then the performance "Everybody out there all free" by Isidora Branković. Meanwhile, at the gallery, there were ongoing conversations between artist Isidora Branković and curator Jovana Trifuljesko, discussing the interesting relationship between curators and artists. The first year of work ended with the exhibition "On the Target" by Nikola Tomić.
In the following year, 2023, the gallery opened its doors in March with ARTIST TALK discussions, where Professor Borjana Mrđa, artists Irma Beširević, Ognjen Milošević, Tajana Dedić Starović, Aleksandra Kuzmanović, Nikola Tomić, Milena Ivić, and curator Isidora Banjac spoke. The topics ranged from the position of young artists, the challenges they face, contemporary painting, the importance of photography as a medium, the status of artists in Sweden, the importance of promoting art pieces, to collectors' awareness and the challenges curators encounter.
Opening step by step the story about important topics, it was time for the story about stepping out of the comfort zone. I read the announcement for the exhibition, and it said: On May 12th at 7 PM, the true story of the discovery of Sonja Savić begins at "Vagon." Of course, I couldn't wait to go there and talk to Sonja. It was the exhibition "The True Story of the Discovery," through which the artist spoke about psychotherapy in a unique way.
June started, and the topic for writing in the daily newspaper was running out. I was flipping through social media, looking for events when I came across a post that read: "Exclusive surprise coming directly from one of the most famous artistic families, the Željko Mitrović family." Of course, this surprise is happening in "Vagon." I was thrilled and called Isidora to arrange an interview with the artist Galina Mitrović so we could write a piece about the "Exhibition of Željko Mitrović's daughter." Isidora was excited and quickly connected me with her, and the lines started to be written. The editors of "Glas" were reading it, commenting that it was interesting, Željko Mitrović's daughter. A good twist, and so on...
After that, in 2023, the exhibitions "Ringe ringe raja" by Dajana Ćuk and "Make Bosnia Sexy Again" by Maja Simišić marked the year. Well, Miss Diaspora came to Banja Luka from the Netherlands, but before that, she passed through Drvar. Maja is amazing, full of ideas, bursting with energy. Now, the colleagues in the editorial office can't stop commenting. They say, "What’s that page with the woman in boots and a dress, holding a rake near a haystack?" Some ask how such a thing makes it into the daily newspaper, while others mumble, "What’s that again in culture, always these topics, God help us." I see the articles are being read, the comments don't stop, the story is being told... Nothing strange, it’s "Vagon," the culture section in the newspaper, nothing special, nothing serious...
Then, in September 2023, Isidora opened her exhibition "Lizard's Tail," questioning what a lizard might think about all the important identity issues we carry and which ones we are willing to discard by accepting another.
By the end of 2023, exhibitions "Aljeks II" by Aleksa Jovanović, "Woman with Coffee-Colored Hair" by Aleksandar Rakezić, both from Belgrade, were also opened. The year closed with the exhibition "Face" by Denis Haračić from Sarajevo.
It's the end of December, and the gallery continues to operate despite everything. We’re closing out 2023. Isidora and I are sitting in "Vespa," and she emphasizes the importance of collector awareness, the awareness that artists should live off their art, that this is the direction we need to move towards, to wake up to. She says the key sentence: "Artists are as necessary as lawyers." She continues to explain, and I think, "Bravo, Isidora, here’s the headline." And that’s how it was; it became the headline, and it even appeared on the front page of "Glas" on December 4, 2023.
The new season in the gallery began in March 2024 with the exhibition "Feasibility Studies" by Nikola Kekrović. It was a great exhibition, perfect for the start. Then, artist Katarina Aćimović presented "Fish", and May was marked by the exhibition "Abuse of Office" by Aleksandar Milošević. This was a sensation. Next to the gallery, there was no "Russian Train" café, and we hope it won’t be, but when I arrived at the opening of this exhibition, symbolically on May 9th, Lamela I was bursting with Krajina music, while the exhibition tackled serious questions of survival and labor.
In June, the exhibition "Vrela" by Marijana Đaković opened, along with "Sex and Politics" in collaboration with DKC Incel, and "Land of Mine" by Irena Pejčić. In October, artist Mathieu Hendrickx performed his work. The end of the year was marked by the exhibitions "Neugenika" by Andreja Kargačin, the guest exhibition "Family Photography" by the artists of "Vagon" at the "Štab" gallery in Belgrade, and the exhibition "Almost Every Night" by Sofia Pavković from Belgrade.
However, the end of 2024 was particularly special for me. Together with Isidora, Vanja Gajić, Una Filipović, and Anđela Rakočević, I performed "Summoning the Light" at "Vagon". It was truly a summoning of light, an incredibly unusual, different, and special experience. A real cleansing, even though many called us a cult. Kružo was shocked, but we were purified. It was beautiful. The official closure of the year at the gallery was marked by the exhibition "Blue Harmony" by artist Edina Kožljak.
"Vagon" summons light, shocks, tells stories, connects people, connects the unconnectable. And it's just one wagon.
