08.09.2017
Exhibition "Picture of the Civil Society" by Anastas Jovanović opens
On the occasion of marking 200 years since the birth of Anastas Jovanović, the first Serbian photographer and lithographer, who left a unique and indisputable testimony of life, art and culture in the 19th century in Serbia, an exhibition "Picture of Civil Society - Portraits of Anastas Jovanović, from the National Museum Collection in Belgrade", by the author of Evgenija Blanuša has been opened at the Great Gallery of the Central Military Club, today.Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Čedomir Vasić, before he declared the exhibition open, emphasized that Anastas Jovanović occupies a very prominent place in Serbian art.
- He is not the greatest painter, but he made the greatest contribution to what is called the visual medium in art of the 19th
century, and today's exhibition is a significant contribution to the study of this artist who initiated serious changes, primarily in the field of graphic design, lithography and, eventually, photographs, and thus marked the current epoch, Vasić said, adding that it is a promoter of contemporary values and the locomotives of the development of visual expression in Serbia. The professor added that Jovanović's historical and artistic value was "established" in the 20th century, when, apart from Veljko Petrović, various important authors wrote about him, including Pavle Vasić, while in the century in which we live today we are talking about the interpretation of the work of this author and we understand the extent to which his contribution to photography, lithography, cross-media and transmedia association - a visionary approach to what will happen.
Bojana Borić Brešković, Director of the National Museum in Belgrade, confirmed that Anastas Jovanovic left behind pieces of permanent value, which are still recognized today as contemporary ones.
- As one of the first artistic photographers in our country, he showed that he not only successfully mastered this new medium, but he
also proved that he can be creative in it, and created a gallery of lithograph portraits of prominent personalities of the social, political and cultural life of Serbia in the 19th century, the director of the National Museum said. Deputy Head of the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Mihailo Zogović, pointed out that in 85 years, since when the building was built, this house became the true centre of culture, successfully bringing together people of title and knowledge.
- The Great Gallery is the pearl of the Central Military Club, and, at a time when many institutions of culture are closed, or the capacities that are presented are insignificant, more than 60 thousand visitors come annually to visit the Gallery. Since 2011, we have implemented a new concept in a renovated space and opened our doors to similar institutions throughout Serbia, enabling them to present their programmes, and I can rightly claim that the Gallery of the Central Military Club of the Serbian Armed Forces is on the bumper of art - Colonel Zogović said and added that they "are not lonely" in the mission of affirmation of culture and civil society, and in that context he mentioned the successful cooperation with the National Museum, which started in 2015, whose crowns were joint exhibitions that recorded only success. He reminded that the exhibition of paintings by Nadežda Petrović, two years ago, was seen by 23 thousand visitors, and that last year's exhibition entitled "When Women Become Citizens", was declared by the Association of Artists of Serbia as the best in the season, and that the display entitled "Sculpture in the Service of History" belongs to the most visited exhibitions in the first half of this year.
The exhibition "Picture of the civil society - Portraits of Anastas Jovanović, from the National Museum of Serbia collections in Belgrade", will last until 21st October.
PHOTOGALLERY
