Jacques Tardi exhibition inspired by Great War opens

BELGRADE - An exhibition by French comic book artist Jacques Tardi, titled Putain de Guerre, has opened at the French Cultural Centre in Belgrade as an unconventional commemoration of the outbreak of World War I.

In addition to Tardi's works, the exhibition, which opened late Wednesday, features Front Lines, comic strips from a French-Serbian edition of works by French and Serbian artists.

France's Ambassador to Serbia Christine Moro said that she is pleased that the Belgrade audience will have an opportunity to see Tardi's compelling images of everyday life in World War I.

She said that the accuracy of Tardi's works has earned the celebrated comic book artist unanimous support from historians.

Tardi (68) is not unknown to the Serbian audience because Serbia and France share a love of comic books, the ambassador said.

The comic strip album Putain de Guerre, published by Casterman in 2009, was a great success in France and Europe.

It is a collaborative effort by Tardi and script writer Jean Pierre Vernant, a historian and a World War I expert.

Tardi's ambition is not to present the war as a magnificent moment in history - on the contrary, his work portrays the war as an absurd slaughter as seen through the eyes of an ordinary young man who is participating in it.

The masterpiece's portrayal of the global conflict sparked a series of debates in France and Europe.

The exhibition will be open in Belgrade until December 6 and then move to Novi Sad and Nis.

Photo Tanjug/O. Toskic