In response to the fashion event entitled "Serbian Fashion Day" authored by Vesna Jugovic, held in Paris in mid-November of this year, where fashion creations inspired by the life and work of Nikola Tesla were presented by four authors: Bata Spasojevic, Mladen Milivojevic Baron, Dejan Milosavljevic, and Jelena Mandic,

The Board of the "Petar Mandic" Endowment, an institution dedicated to preserving the memory of Tesla's predecessors, issues the following

Public Statement

We express our deep disagreement with the highly inappropriate manner in which Nikola Tesla was presented in one of the dozens of fashion creations during the event. The allusion in that particular performance, where Tesla was portrayed in a manner unfitting for the greatest Serbian genius and inventor, implicitly conveys an extremely distasteful message, creating an unpleasant feeling for every sincere admirer of Tesla's work.

While acknowledging certain freedoms in the world of art by nature, we also emphasize that true and authentic freedom is only valid if it respects the dignity and spiritual integrity of every individual – in this case, someone who is particularly significant for the Serbian people and should be presented to the world in the right manner. Mental exhibitionisms, in which Tesla's character is used in an extremely inappropriate manner, do not befit the Serbian people, nor the venue where the event took place (the Residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Paris).

In conclusion, we pose an entirely open question to the fashion creator of the controversial performance (since we do not know who among the four mentioned authors created that "creation"): Do you believe that Nikola Tesla would have wanted to be presented to the world in this way today? Let us also wonder how Tesla, as a man who, throughout his entire inventive period, cultivated an extremely elegant approach to dressing and appearance in American public life, would react to this kind of postmodernistic exhibitionism if he happened to be in the audience?

Deeply believing in the sincere and good intentions of the author of this specific creation (we do not know who he is, and it is not our goal to point fingers at anyone), we hereby request that, on this occasion, an awareness of the long-term consequences be woven into the freedom of fashion creations, despite the current or short-term value of artistic provocations. We hope, in addition, that this entire regrettable event is only a result of thoughtlessness, and in that sense, we call on the creator of the controversial creation to use his artistic talent in the future in line with the critical but ultimately well-intentioned observations stated above.

On behalf of the Board of the Endowment,

Vladimir Obucina, Director

Belgrade, November 18, 2023.