The display includes 90 carefully selected caricatures from the famous satirical magazine Jež, which from 1935 to 1990 was one of the most influential humor and satire publications in the Yugoslav cultural space. Through these witty and sharp graphics, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the long-standing protagonist of Jež’s pages—the peasant, a figure who for over half a century served as both interpreter and witness of social change.
The peasant in Jež caricature is not just a typical representative of the rural environment, but also a mirror of historical and political circumstances: from the hardships of pre-war life and the anxieties of a turbulent era, through post-war reconstruction and the enthusiasm of socialist development, to the modernization of society, the emergence of new urban trends, and finally the crisis that marked the late 1980s. Through humor, irony, and satire, these works illuminate the complex relationship society has held toward the peasant as a symbol of tradition, identity, and ideology.
The exhibition is the result of many years of research by Tatjana Mikulić, during which more than 2,600 issues of Jež and a total of 1,075 caricatures were reviewed. The selected examples represent the most significant works that illustrate the evolution of the peasant figure and its transformation through the decades.
The display is accompanied by a catalogue in Serbian, and the exhibition offers a unique opportunity for visitors to revisit an important segment of cultural and social history through humor and satire.
We invite all lovers of caricature, history, and good satire to attend the opening of the exhibition at the Bečej City Museum on December 2 at 6 p.m.
