10.03.2017
Exhibition “ARTISTS – ACADEMICIANS from the Collection of Pavle Belјanski”
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“This exhibition is a proof of our dedication to the cooperation with the public in this seven decades long continuity of the Great Gallery of the Central Military Club of the Serbian Armed Forces” said Lieutenant Colonel Bilјana Pašić greeting the present. Expressing her satisfaction with another successfully organised cultural event, she stressed that the exhibition has already aligned the Central Military Club at the top of cultural programmes this year. “Many of these artists held their exhibitions in these last seven decades in this Gallery” reminded Lieutenant Colonel Pašić.
Jasna Jovanov, Director of Commemorative Collection of Pavle Beljanski emphasised that on that day, the collection was completely rounded up, but in spite of that, there is a recurring thought that imposes itself about a new angle of presenting the works it encompasses. This time, the choice fell on the artists, the members of SANU. “This is the year when we mark six decades of the collection setup, and we also celebrate a half of century of the establishment of the Artistic Council of the SANU Gallery”, said Jovanov opening the exhibition. Namely, the establishment of the Artistic Council of the SANU Gallery was initiated by Nedelјko Gvozdenović, and apart from him, Peđa Milosavlјević, Ljubica Cuca Sokić also dealt with this issue. All of them were the authors whose important works had much earlier become part of “Beljanski” collection. Since, as Jasna Jovanov said, Pavle Beljanski was not solely a distinguished diplomat but he was also a person of highly refined artistic sense, who knew to choose a painting and who believed that young authors should be assisted. “All of these authors were still young at the moment in which their works were being bought for the collection, and they were insufficiently acclaimed, still forced to fight for their existence”, Jovanov said.
Dušan Otašević, Director of the SANU Gallery was clear about the significance of the new exhibition in the Great Gallery: “In times when superficiality and mercantilism supress spirituality, every such event is a holiday. Without art, the identities of nations are disrupted.