»Svedocanstva«, a pioneer magazine of Yugoslave Surrealism, 1924

SVEDOCANSTVA [Testimonies]. Knjizevni casopis izlazi desetodnevno [Literary magazine published every 10 days]. Edited by Djordje Djordjević. No. 3. Beograd: (Rodlojub [Patriot]) 11th December 1924.

Gr. 8° (22,5–24,5:17,5 cm). 16 p. Original publisher’s pictorial wrapper saddle-stiched with grey cover printing, decoration and illustration on light-grey stock.

3rd issue of this first collective publishing adventure of the later Belgrade surrealists.

Contents: As the title of the review suggests »Svedocanstva« should deliver testimonies to the contemporary developments in Serbian arts and society but also abroad, containing poetry, essays, short prose, letters as well as documents. Printed in 1.000 copies each (nevertheless hard to find today in complete sets) the issues of this magazine document early established and close ties to the French surrealist movement, whose periodical »La Révolution surréaliste« is promoted in issue no. 1. Matić, a professor of philosophy and major theoretical proponent of the Belgrade movement, and the poet Moni de Buli later signed the French surrealist's declaration „La révolution d'abord et toujours“ in 1925.

Altogether »Svedocanstva« shows a unity in message and artistical, literary as well as philosophical activity of the Belgrade surrealist group around Marko Ristić, Dušan Matić, Milan Dedinac, Mladen Dimitrijević and Aleksandar Vučo, as well as some affiliated progressive poets like Moni de Buli (Monny de Boully), Rastko Petrović and others and their relations the international avant-gardes.

Each issue of »Svedocanstva« is devoted to a single subject related to the "conditio humana", presented no. 3 is focusing on surrealist poetry.

Condition: Staples slightly rusty, margins of cover and paper slightly time-stained, otherwise very fine uncut copy.

Reference: Centre Pompidou, ed.: Le Fonds Destribats, 2011, no. 222; Antiquariaat Vloemans, Catalogue 129, no. 224; Kapidzic-Osmanagić, Hanifa: Le surréalisme serbe 1968, p. 76-98; Tijardović-Popović: Photography in Serbian Surrealism 2002, S. 46f.; Todić, Nemoguče 2002, S. 164f.