CHASING A DREAM
This work reflects on displacement, belonging, and the spaces that shape us. Born from a recurring dream, it traces the link between memory and architecture—between Sterlitamak and Belgrade, past and present.
The search for a lost cat becomes a quiet journey through what is forgotten and what remains.
The search for a lost cat becomes a quiet journey through what is forgotten and what remains.
Part One: The City of Echoes
This part captures the soul of Sterlitamak — the warmth hidden within its grey panelki (prefab panel blocks). The sunlight filters through the summer leaves, filling the streets with gentle brightness. Children’s voices echo in the distance, blending with the hum of a quiet afternoon. A cat’s silhouette slips through narrow courtyards, leading the way through streets of memory. Each corner holds a tender echo of the past — familiar, simple, and deeply rooted in my memory.
This part captures the soul of Sterlitamak — the warmth hidden within its grey panelki (prefab panel blocks). The sunlight filters through the summer leaves, filling the streets with gentle brightness. Children’s voices echo in the distance, blending with the hum of a quiet afternoon. A cat’s silhouette slips through narrow courtyards, leading the way through streets of memory. Each corner holds a tender echo of the past — familiar, simple, and deeply rooted in my memory.
Part Two: The City of Shadows
This part unfolds in Belgrade — a city of contrasts, where stillness and movement coexist. The warmth of memory fades into muted tones, reflected in the city’s brutalist architecture. Though the forms differ from the block-like panelki of Sterlitamak, certain lines, textures, and colors awaken the same echoes of childhood. The cat now sits still, its movement replaced by silence, as if time has slowed. Buildings rise and dissolve into one another — concrete, glass, and shadow merging into a dreamscape between reality and reflection. Here, the chase quiets, and what was once pursuit becomes contemplation — a fragile pause between running and belonging.
This part unfolds in Belgrade — a city of contrasts, where stillness and movement coexist. The warmth of memory fades into muted tones, reflected in the city’s brutalist architecture. Though the forms differ from the block-like panelki of Sterlitamak, certain lines, textures, and colors awaken the same echoes of childhood. The cat now sits still, its movement replaced by silence, as if time has slowed. Buildings rise and dissolve into one another — concrete, glass, and shadow merging into a dreamscape between reality and reflection. Here, the chase quiets, and what was once pursuit becomes contemplation — a fragile pause between running and belonging.
Process: The Making of the Cats
The cats in Chasing Dreams are more than objects — they are emotional symbols, physical embodiments of movement and stillness, loss and return.
The process began with a series of sketches exploring outlines and forms — searching for a shape that could hold both fragility and spirit. These early drawings became studies in posture: one cat caught mid-motion, the other resting in quiet balance.
From these drafts, I sculpted two clay figures. One — in motion — represents the act of running away: the constant search, the restlessness of memory. The other — sitting — reflects stillness and settlement, the moment when the chase stops and presence begins.
Architecture is a form of narrative and visual storytelling. The film act as a tool to express the story of people’s emotions and spaces.
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