MY STUDENT MOBILITY IN PARIS: Aleksandra Veljović

Aleksandra Veljović
University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Fine Arts

Erasmus+ Mobility for Studies at:

Academy of Fine Arts in Paris

During my Master’s studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade, I had the opportunity to spend one semester in Paris as part of the Erasmus+ programme. My decision to apply for the programme was also shaped by my previous connection with the city. Through various circumstances, Paris had become a place I had returned to frequently over the past few years, so the desire to experience it from the perspective of both a student and an artist felt like a natural continuation of that relationship.

The greatest value of the programme for me lay in the opportunity to experience how a new environment could influence the way I think about my own artistic practice. Beaux-Arts organised guest lectures by artists, curators, and theorists, introducing us to a wide range of approaches to contemporary art. As part of this programme, we attended weekly lectures by the guest professor and artist Wolfgang Tillmans, who, through different themes, opened up space for reflection from the perspective of his own artistic process. Particularly valuable to me were the conversations I had with professors such as Tim Eitel, Dominique Figarella, and Emmanuel Van der Meulen. Their different perspectives and observations helped me become more aware of aspects of my own work that will remain an important point of reference for my future research and practice. Thanks to the initiative of our teacher, the French language course extended beyond the classroom, introducing us to French culture and history. One of my fondest memories remains our visit together to a performance of En attendant Godot.

During my stay, from January to July 2026, Paris offered an exceptionally rich cultural programme. The opportunity to shape my thoughts, views, and artistic interests in an environment that continually offered new things to discover and reflect upon was something I truly enjoyed. I had the chance to visit the major retrospective exhibitions of Gerhard Richter and Alexander Calder at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, as well as the exhibition dedicated to Minimalism at the Bourse de Commerce. At the Musée d’Orsay, I saw the exhibition devoted to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, while the Grand Palais hosted a changing programme of exhibitions devoted to both contemporary and historical art, including the exhibition of drawings from the Centre Pompidou collection and the exhibition dedicated to Hilma af Klint and Henri Matisse. It was equally rewarding to encounter more unexpected exhibitions, such as Roger Caillois’s collection of minerals, which brings together art, science, and writing in an inspiring way. Alongside these major institutions, I came to know Paris through its many galleries, residency spaces, and open studios, which offered more immediate encounters with the working processes of younger generations of artists.

The experience of art rarely remains confined to these spaces. It continues through walking, encounters with architecture, bookshops, hidden passages, and the banks of the Seine. I also found it interesting to observe the different ways people inhabit the city in moments of rest: in flower gardens, during picnics on the grass, or while playing table tennis in public parks, where everyday life unfolded naturally.

For me, the student exchange in Paris meant much more than spending a semester abroad. It was an opportunity for artistic development, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of my own practice through encounters with new people, ideas, and experiences. It is precisely in this dialogue between what we carry with us and what we are yet to discover that I see the greatest value of the Erasmus+ programme.