Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade facts for kids
| Музеј савремене уметности Muzej savremene umetnosti |
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| Established | 1958 |
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| Location | Belgrade |
| Type | Art museum |
| Visitors | 98,826 (October 2017 – July 2018) |
The Museum of Contemporary Art (Serbian: Музеј савремене уметности, romanized: Muzej savremene umetnosti) is an exciting art museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It first opened in 1958 as the Modern Gallery. This made it one of the very first museums of its kind in the world.
The museum moved to its current building in the Ušće area of New Belgrade in 1965. The building itself is a famous design by architects Ivan Antić and Ivanka Raspopović. Their partnership was short but very successful. The museum has a huge collection with over 35,000 artworks!
This museum collects and shows art made since 1900 in Serbia and Yugoslavia. It also hosts international shows of modern and contemporary art. The museum was closed for a long time, from 2007 to 2017, for important renovations. It finally reopened on October 20, 2017.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
Building the Museum's Home
The museum building is in Ušće park. This spot is special, near where the Sava and Danube rivers meet. Architects Ivan Antić and Ivanka Raspopović designed it in 1960. Construction began that same year and finished in 1965.
The architects won a special award, the October Prize, on October 20, 1965. This was the very same day the museum first opened its doors to the public! People often call the building a "crystal at the confluence" or an "architectural jewel." This is because of its unique shape and location.
Renovating the Museum (2007–2017)
The museum closed for a big renovation project in 2007. This work took a long time, about ten years! Both original architects were alive when talks about renovation started. Sadly, Ivan Antić passed away in 2005, and Ivanka Raspopović in 2015.
After many delays, the museum finally reopened on October 20, 2017. This was exactly 52 years after its first opening day! The entire building was updated to meet modern museum standards. The park around the museum was also improved. The first new art show was called "Sequences" by Dejan Sretenović.
Ivanka Raspopović helped with the renovation plans. She suggested using darker glass for the building's domes. These new blue panels now change color depending on the weather and time of day. This makes the domes look interactive and lively. They fit well with the park and the modern Ušće Tower nearby.
Some people thought too much concrete was used for the paths leading to the museum. Even with new lights and other additions, they felt the concrete made the area less natural. They worried it might stop trees from growing well along the paths.
Inside the Museum: Departments and Collections
The museum started collecting art in 1958. By 2018, it had about 8,000 paintings and sculptures on display.
The museum has several important departments and art collections:
- Collection of Paintings before 1945: This part holds older paintings.
- Collection of Paintings after 1945: Here you can see more recent paintings.
- Collection of Graphics, Prints, and Foreign Paintings: This collection includes drawings, prints, and art from other countries.
- Famous Serbian and Yugoslav painters in the collection include Sava Šumanović and Milena Pavlović-Barili.
- The foreign art collection has 323 works. Most are graphic prints and drawings.
- Graphic works are by artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Joan Miró.
- Drawings include works by Fritz Wotruba.
- Paintings include pieces by Max Ernst and André Masson.
- Collection of Sculptures: This section has 752 sculptures. You can see works by artists like Ivan Meštrović and Olga Jevrić.
- Collection of New Art Media: This collection features modern art forms. It includes works by Marina Abramović and Ken Friedman.
The museum also has a large library with over 4,800 books. There are also 23,000 art catalogues. Its archives, called the Hemeroteque, hold more than 350,000 newspaper clippings. There is also a photo library.
Other departments help the museum run smoothly:
- Department of General Affairs
- Department of Finance
- Studio for Conservation and Restoration (where artworks are cared for)
The museum also runs the Salon of the MoCAB. This gallery opened in 1961 and is located in old town Belgrade.
After the museum reopened in 2017, some of the most popular artworks were:
- The painting "On the black field" by Bora Iljovski.
- The large "L-50" sculpture made of balls by Ivan Kožarić.
- The "Light shapes" sculpture by Vojin Bakić.
- The "Comrade Tito, (our) white violet" art installation by Dušan Otašević.
See also
In Spanish: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Belgrado para niños
- List of museums in Belgrade
