In 1998, artists Eva & Franco Mattes created the pseudonym Darko Maver, a fictional reclusive artist whose life was set in the former Yugoslavia and influenced by the ongoing war. Maver’s purported early works were life-size sculptures made from wax, rubber, and fabric. He allegedly roamed ex-Yugoslavia, depositing disturbingly realistic puppets of murder victims in abandoned buildings and hotel rooms. The shock caused by these “artworks” was amplified by their hyper-realism. Darko Maver’s death in April 1999, during the NATO bombing in Podgorica, was widely publicized, with a photo of his body circulating in the media. Posthumous exhibitions culminated in his work being showcased at the 48th Venice Biennale.
However, after the show, Eva & Franco Mattes revealed that Darko Maver’s entire life and art were fabrications. No sculptures had ever existed; the images documenting Maver’s works were simply photos of real-life atrocities found on the internet.
Darko Maver, as a persona, served as a vehicle for Eva & Franco Mattes to explore themes of violence, alienation, and the relationship between digital media and art. Through Maver, they critiqued internet culture, anonymity, and the role of the artist in a digital age. The project blurred the lines between art, reality, and the virtual world, questioning identity, authorship, and the public’s interaction with art. It also raised questions about the ethics of using real-world suffering and violence for artistic purposes. Ultimately, Darko Maver was a provocative commentary on how contemporary artists can manipulate digital platforms to challenge societal norms and provoke critical thinking about the intersection of art, technology, and reality.
The Darko Maver project is a striking example of how Eva & Franco Mattes used deception and subversion to critique the blurred boundaries between art, digital media, and reality. By creating a fictional artist who allegedly documented atrocities through life-like sculptures, the Mattes challenged the authenticity of both art and the media. The project forces viewers to reconsider the nature of artistic authorship in an age where information is constantly manipulated and digital platforms enable anyone to present alternate realities. While the Mattes’ manipulation of real-world suffering raises ethical concerns, the project’s impact lies in its ability to provoke intense questions about the role of the internet and the power dynamics involved in how we consume images of violence, tragedy, and art.
