»Svedocanstva«, Serbian Surrealist magazine, with illustration by Picasso, 1925

Pablo Picasso (Contr.): Svedocanstva [Testimonies]. Knjizevni casopis izlazi desetodnevno [Literary magazine published every 10 days]. Edited by Djordje Djordjević. No. 8. Beograd: (Rodlojub [Patriot]) 1st March 1925. Gr. 8° (22,5–24,5:17,5 cm). 16 p. Original publisher’s pictorial wrapper saddle-stiched with brown cover printing, decoration and illustration on light-blue stock.

8th and in the same time closing issue of this first collective publishing adventure of the later Belgrade surrealists 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. 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 group and their relations the international avant-gardes.

Each issue of the magazine is devoted to a single subject related to the »conditio humana«, presented no. 8 is consistently treating the matter of „Paradise“. The rear cover of this issue incorporates a reproduction of a design by Picasso depicting a paradise scene with 3 nymphs, drawn by the artist on a post-card especially for and dedicated to the editor's board of »Svedocanstva« and sent to Belgrade for free disposal.

Staples rusty, rear cover in parts sun-stained, paper time-stained, otherwise very fine uncut copy.

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.