28 August 2024
As the world's attention turned toward Paris in anticipation of the Paralympic Games, a different kind of celebration was quietly taking shape within the city — one that brought together two seemingly distinct worlds in a powerful and moving tribute to human potential. On 24 August 2024 at 7 p.m., the grand opening of the multimedia exhibition "Art and Sport" took place at the Serbian Cultural Center in Paris, marking the beginning of a project designed to celebrate creativity, resilience, and achievement in equal measure.
A Project Built Around Creative Potential
At its core, "Art and Sport" was conceived with a clear and meaningful purpose: to promote the creative potential and creativity of people with disabilities. Rather than treating art and sport as separate, unrelated fields of achievement, the exhibition wove them together into a single, unified narrative — one that celebrated the skills, talent, and artistic work of its contributors through paintings and photographs depicting sports and athletes who participated in the Paralympic Games, complemented by additional media content that deepened the exhibition's storytelling.
This dual focus on art and athletics offered visitors a rich, multi-dimensional experience, inviting them to consider disability not through the lens of limitation, but through the lens of extraordinary capability — expressed equally powerfully on a canvas as on a competition field.
A Champion at the Heart of the Exhibition
Central to the exhibition's opening was Dejana Bačko, VDMFK Scholarship Holder and reigning Para-Ekwondo World Champion, who served as both the main sponsor and a key participant in the evening's events. Dejana's dual identity — as both an accomplished mouth and foot painting artist and a world champion athlete — embodied, in a single person, the very theme that "Art and Sport" set out to explore: the profound and interconnected ways in which creativity and athletic excellence can flourish together, each reinforcing the other.
A Living Demonstration
In a particularly striking and symbolic moment during the opening, Dejana Bačko painted the universal sign language symbol for "I love you," alongside the recognisable symbol of the Paralympics, directly onto a large canvas — all while wearing her own competition kimono. This remarkable image, blending the visual language of art with the unmistakable attire of elite para-sport competition, offered a vivid and unforgettable representation of the exhibition's central message. It was a moment that transcended traditional boundaries between disciplines, showing quite literally how the same individual can excel as both artist and athlete, and how these two forms of expression can meet, quite beautifully, in a single gesture.
For those fortunate enough to witness this live painting demonstration, the moment surely left a lasting impression — a powerful, visual embodiment of the exhibition's title made real before their eyes.
A Gathering of Distinguished Guests
The significance of this opening evening was further underscored by the calibre of guests in attendance. Many visitors and numerous influential figures came together to mark the occasion, including representatives from the Paralympic Committee, accomplished athletes, and the Serbian ambassador. Their presence reflected the broad recognition this project had earned even before its doors officially opened — a testament to the meaningful collaboration between the artistic and athletic communities that "Art and Sport" was designed to celebrate.
Having such distinguished representation present at the opening lent the evening a genuine sense of occasion, elevating it beyond a standard exhibition launch into a moment of real diplomatic and cultural significance — one that brought together art, sport, and international goodwill in a single shared celebration.
An Invitation to Experience "Art and Sport"
Following its memorable opening, the exhibition remains open to the public until 20 September 2024, offering visitors an extended opportunity to explore its collection of paintings, photographs, and media content at the Serbian Cultural Center in Paris. For those interested in witnessing Dejana Bačko's remarkable live painting moment for themselves, footage from the opening can also be viewed via this Instagram reel, offering a glimpse into the powerful atmosphere of the evening for those unable to attend in person.
A Fitting Prelude to the Paralympic Games
Arriving just ahead of the Paralympic Games in Paris, "Art and Sport" offered a fitting and meaningful prelude to the athletic competitions soon to captivate audiences around the world. By celebrating the creative achievements of people with disabilities alongside their athletic ones, the exhibition reinforced a message that resonates deeply within the broader Paralympic movement: that talent, discipline, and excellence take many forms, and that individuals like Dejana Bačko — who has achieved world championship status in Para-Ekwondo while also building a respected artistic career as a VDMFK Scholarship Holder — stand as living proof of just how far human potential can extend when allowed to flourish.
As Paris prepared to welcome the world's Paralympic athletes, "Art and Sport" offered its own quiet but powerful contribution to the celebration: a reminder that the spirit of the Paralympic Games — courage, determination, and the relentless pursuit of excellence — finds expression not only in athletic competition, but in art as well.
Source: VDMFK News