Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade

Museum of Contemporary Art (Serbian: Музеј савремене уметности / Muzej savremene umetnosti) is an art museum located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It was founded in 1958 as the Modern Gallery. It was moved into the current building in the Ušće neighborhood of New Belgrade in 1965. The building is a masterpiece of architects Ivan Antić and Ivanka Raspopović, a short-lived but highly successful partnership, which also produced the 21 October Museum in Šumarice Memorial Park in Kragujevac. The collection contains more than 35,000 works of art.

Museum of Contemporary Art
Музеј савремене уметности
Muzej savremene umetnosti
Established1958 (1958)
LocationBelgrade
Coordinates44°49′10″N 20°26′32″E
TypeContemporary art gallery
Visitors98,826
(October 2017 – July 2018)
DirectorSlobodan Nakarada (Acting)
CuratorZoran Erić
Websitewww.msub.org.rs

The museum collects and displays art works produced since 1900 in Serbia and Yugoslavia. It also organizes international exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.

The museum was closed for renovation between 2007 and 2017. After several deadlines were pushed back, the museum was finally reopened for visitors on 20 October 2017.[1]

Serbian art
List of Serbian painters
List of Serbian sculptors
National Museum of Serbia
Gallery of Matica Srpska
Museum of Contemporary Art

History

Construction

The museum building is located near the confluence of the rivers Sava and Danube, in Ušće park in the Novi Beograd municipality. It was designed by Ivan Antić and Ivanka Raspopović in 1960, with construction beginning that year and continuing until 1965. The architects received the October Prize from the City of Belgrade on 20 October 1965, the same day the museum was opened to the public.[1][2][3]

Due to its shape, architecture and location, it has been described as the "crystal at the confluence"[2] or an "(architectural) jewel".[4]

2007–17 renovation

When renovation talks first began in the early 2000s, both original architects were still alive. However, Antić died in 2005 and Raspopović in 2015.[2] Reconstruction began in 2007, but dragged on for a decade, due to numerous reasons. After 10 years of renovation work, the museum was finally re-opened to the public on 20 October 2017, on the anniversary of the first museum opening 52 years earlier.[1] The entire building was renovated and upgraded to meet current museum standards. The park surrounding the museum building was also reconstructed. The first exhibition to be held in the newly renovated museum was "Sequences" by Dejan Sretenović.[1][2]

Raspopović contributed to the reconstruction project by suggesting that the glass, belonging to the building’s domes, be replaced with a darker shade. The newly added blue panels change their tone, depending on the weather and time of day. The domes have therefore become interactive and dynamic, complementing the surrounding park and the nearby modernistic glass-and-steel Ušće Tower. The main criticism, regarding the renovations, revolves around the use of too much concrete in the access paths leading to the museum. Despite new lighting, as well as the addition of pebbles and tartan, critics believe that the concrete makes the area appear less "humane" and could hamper the future growth of avenue-like trees along the paths.[2]

The parceling and concrete work done in the surrounding park area was also criticized,[5] as was the apparent haste in the latter stages to finish the reconstruction quickly. The first company chosen to do the construction work was "Montera". It was paid fully for the job, but went bankrupt leaving the renovation unfinished for years. During the next public bidding in 2014, aimed specifically at redoing the roof, the company "Jedinstvo" from Užice was chosen. The following bidding, which covered the remaining work, failed. "Jedinstvo" applied again and was selected by the museum, even though it had the highest offer. The Ministry of Culture, headed by Ivan Tasovac at the time, insisted that the lowest bidder should be picked instead, which was "Modulor", a company from Zemun. As a result, the museum director, Jovan Despotović, was let go and the "Termoinženjering" company was chosen at the next bidding. They finished the entire reconstruction, renovating the roof a second time. Yet, already in July 2018 the reconstructed roof began to leak when it rained.[6]

Departments

The collection began to form in 1958. As of 2018, 8,000 paintings and sculptures are exhibited.[4]

The museum has several departments and collections:

Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, facade.

Departments:

  • Department of General Affairs
  • Department of Finance
  • Studio for Conservation and Restoration

The museum also operates the Salon of the MoCAB (opened in 1961), located in old town Belgrade.

According to the curators, the most popular exhibits after the 2017 reopening include painting "On the black field" by Bora Iljovski, big balls sculpture "L-50" by Ivan Kožarić, sculpture "Light shapes" by Vojin Bakić and installation "Comrade Tito, (our) white violet" by Dušan Otašević.[4]

gollark: What did you DO?
gollark: ++remind 2.2d-1h .
gollark: Huh. When did I make 2.1d work right?
gollark: `yes` *is* very efficient.
gollark: ++remind 2d Have GTech™ Courageousness Analytic Continuation® produce better AutoDare machines

See also

References
  1. "Otvoren Muzej savremene umetnosti". N1.
  2. Goran V. Anđelković (20 October 2017), "Kristal na ušću ponovo sija" [Crystal at the confluence shines again], Politika (in Serbian), p. 25
  3. "Među 100 najboljih žena arhitekata Evrope i DVE SRPKINJE". Blic.
  4. Daliborka Mučibabić (30 July 2018). "Arhitektonski dragulj koji iznova mami" [Architectural jewel is temping again]. Politika (in Serbian). p. 14.
  5. Radoslav Ćebić (31 May 2018). "Tiranija Beograda na vodi" [Tyranny of the Belgrade Waterfront]. Vreme, No. 1430 (in Serbian).
  6. M.A.K. & D.B.M. (7 July 2018). "Kante kupile kišnicu: Voda ušla u zgradu Muzeja savremene umetnosti" [Buckets collected rain water: water entered the building of the Museum of Contemporary Arts] (in Serbian). Večernje Novosti.
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