REAR AND ANTIQUE BOOKS RESARCH PROJECT
Vukan’s Gospel – Research, publication and promotion
Project titulars:
Center for history, theory and management of art ARTIS, Belgrade, and Public library “Dositej Obradović”, Novi Pazar
Project leaders:
Tamara Ognjević, general menager, Center for history, theory and management of art ARTIS, Belgrade, Serbia
Kostantin Jovanović, menager, Public Library „Dositej Obradović“,Novi Pazar, Serbia
Author an coordinator of the project
Tamara Ognjević, Art historian
Scientific and technical support
Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Belgrade
National Library of Serbia, Department of Arceography, Belgrade
Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade, Art History Department
Faculty of Philology, Belgrade, Old Serbian Literature Department
Faculty of Technology, Belgrade
National Museum, Belgrade
Museum „Ras“, Novi Pazar
Schoolo of Art crafts, Šabac
Synopsis
Written at the end of the XIIth century in the region of Old Ras,Vukan’s Gospel is the second oldest illuminated manuscript of the Serbian medieval literary tradition. From the mid XIXth century it is beeing kept in the Public Library in St. Petersburg, Russia. To the scientific public it is known only through black and white facsimiles that were published by famous philologist Josip Vrana at mid of XXth century. All the research work concerning this significant manuscript done until now, almost exclusively dealing with paleographic and language analysis and ignoring the outstandingly interesting painted ornaments, was based on this black and white publication. Undobtfully significant in the absence of the original, it is far from offering the answers important for research of this exceptional monument of Serbian art, especially in respect of painted ornaments of Vukan’s Gospel.
Besides critical systematization of known material and comparative research of remaining visual material from the same epoch from the region of Old Ras and Early Nemanjić’s state, as well as with its influential Middle Ages neighbours (primarily referring to artistic influences shown in research work of related contents in Thessaloniki region and Mt. Athos, as well as in South Italia centers, Rome and Venice), thorough and fundamental research of the original itself, located in St. Petersbourg, is being planned. In cooperation with Russian colleagues we intend to carry out chemical, technological and other necessary analyses as well as to take full color photographs of the present state of the book, using state-of-the-art technical means. Based on all collected and processed elements, we intend to publish a critical edition of Vukan’s Gospel and to present it to wide public.
Aim of the project
The main goal of this project is the profound research of illuminated decoration of Vukan’s Gospel regarding characteristics and origin of its painted decoration. If possible, it would undergo suitable chemical-technological and other analysis, with the aim of completing knowledge on the ways and period of its creation, primarily its interesting and unique painted decoration (two full-page illuminations and 328 initials). Thus Vukan’s Gospel, as an authentic product of a style (School of Ras) that presented the basis of Nemanjic dynasty period art, would expertly be described and positioned within a wider historical and artistic context of its creation, and also compared with already known artistic heritage of Western and Eastern origin.
Critically systematized existing material, as well as newly discovered facts, observations and comments, would be published in full color in a suitable, representative, multilingual (Serbian, English, French, Russian) publication of Vukan’s Gospel. Thus this material would become accessible to experts as well as to the wide public interested in culture, both locally and abroad.
The intentions of the authors are to research, and widely promote and present artistic heritage of a very significant historic and creative period of this area.
Duration and means of carrying out the project
Realization of the project is practically on the way, regarding collection and systematization of already available material on Vukan’s Gospel. Five phases of the project have been foreseen, starting January 2010 until middle 2011.
The first phase is systematization of available material, communication with Russian colleagues and preparations for research in St. Petersburg. It started January 15th 2010 and will last until March 15th 2010.
The second phase will consist of field research on locations in St. Petersburg, and on wider territory of Nemanja’s state in the Middle Ages (Montenegro, Serbia, Albania), as well as of getting insight into art of Mt. Athos, Thessalonica and Southern Italy of those times. This phase is the most complex one, and will last from March 15th 2010 until September 15th 2010. The author of the project will personally visit locations in Albania, Italy, Montenegro and Greece, while filming and research in Russia will be completed by a three-member-team (author, assistant-researcher and photographer).
The third phase will consist of the analysis and synthesis of researched material, and writing about it. It will last until January 15th 2011, and will include necessary period for reviewing the manuscript, consultations, editing, corrections and proof-reading.
The fourth phase will consist of translations of approved texts, book design and preparation for printing, and printing of representative publication. Provided all necessary previous work is done in time, this phase might be concluded by the end of April 2011.
In this phase we planned also:
Special, multi-medial program that will be realized in Serbia Fair Ehxibition in Mosow in 2011. but also in the work-shop for the conservation of manuscripts - the program that will be realized in cooperation withe the Central conservation Institute in Belgrade and the Department of Archeography of the National Library of Serbia in the first three months of 2011.
This program will be presented to the students of the School of Art crafts from Šabac (calligraphy, goldsmith and wood carving departments) in order to introduce them to the medieval techniques of making and illuminating manuscripts. On that occasion we plan to organize a seminar with various specialist:art historians, philologists, conservators, illuminators and calligraphers. We plan also two exhibitions: Reproductions of the XII century Serbian illuminations and the exhibition of the golden embroidery by Ljiljana Kokotović based on the motifs from Serbian medieval manuscripts.
The fifth phase will be the period of promotion and presentation of the findings and of the printed material, using multi-medial lectures, gatherings of experts, fairs etc. There is no time limit for the fifth phase. Nemanjic dynasty members are founders of independent Serbian state in Meddle Ages. They had been ruled from 1066 to 1271.
PROJECT IN THE FIELD OF VISUAL CREATIVITY, ARTISTIC INDUSTRY AND MULTIMEDIA
Title of the project
Multimedial Salon of visual arts – BIJOU D’ART
Project titular
Center for history, theory and management of art ARTIS, Belgrade
Project partner
Historical Museum of Serbia, Belgrade
Author and project leader
Tamara Ognjević, art historian
Expert advisors
Prof. Jeremy Howard, Phd, art historian
Prof. Stevan K. Pavlović, Phd, historian
Ana Stolić, Phd, historian
Nenad Makuljević, Phd, art historian
Project secretary
Katarina Dimitrijević, art historian
Project Participants
Painters, sculptors and applied artists, designers, animators, historians and art theoreticians, expert craftsmen. The project provides space to young and partially or totally unknown artists and researchers, but also to well known artists – when justified by the concept of Salon and proposed artistic item.
Synopsis of the project
„BIJOU D’ART“ Salon (the term „artistic jewel“, as we have decided to call our Salon, was actually a nickname given to Prince Božidar or Bojidar by his Parisian friends-artists, using an interesting play on words where „Boji-dar“ resembles „Bijou d’ar“) is, on one hand, homage to the late Prince Božidar Karadjordjević (1862-1908), painter and jeweller, costume designer, sculpturer, jounalist and travel-writer, and on the other hand it initiates a new wave of ideas in the field of fine and applied arts, with young and partially known or totally unknown artists as protagonists.
The idea of having a multimedial artist, of whom even the local public knows so little, as a metaphysical patron of an original Salon concept, aims at having some twenty chosen artists, craftsmen and researchers working together for one year within a given topic, and producing a final exhibition of interactive character which will last a forthnight and will include a whole range of programs. Globally, this is a very actual genre that involves syncretism of old and new. In its first year the Salon will present a part of Prince Božidar Karadjordjević’s work (exhibition of his aquarels and illustrations, as well as publishing reviews and critiques written by him), together with newest artistic works and those creative forms that Prince Božidar dealt with (painting, book illustration + photography, scenography, costume design, jewelry, embroidery, leather art work, tapestry, sculpture, ceramics, art reviews).
The artist whose work will be chosen as the most successful, will be given a chance of improving his expertise in one of the reputable artistic centers abroad.
During the first year of the Salon, the artists will deal with phenomenon of travelling through space, time, aestetics, utilitary and innovative. Reminiscencing over the period in which Prince Božidar worked (Art Nouveau, Secession, Impressionism, McIntosh, Industrial revolution, Wright brothers etc.), at one-century-distance, Salon participants will attempt to produce a „time machine“ with limitless capacity of movement.
Part of the exhibition will consist of special selection of photographs, posters, post-cards and other interesting items out of Historical Museum of Serbia legacy, which will authentically present an important segment of our country’s cultural history at the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century, with „Travelling“ as its topic. It is that historical and cultural moment at which the globe-trotter Božidar Karadjordjević arrived to his homeland in 1903, for the first time using his full name, for the event of his relative’s King Peter the 1st crowning, and also for the First Yugoslav Art Exhibition in 1904, at which he also took part.
Final exhibition in the Historical Museum of Serbia is conceived as a unique presentation within which each of the pieces of art functiones as an independant work, but also as a part of an original joint concept.
A comprehensive and luxurious catalogue in Serbian, English and French will present all the ideas of the Salon participants. That also goes for a documentary omnibus film that will be presented to public as an integral part of all the Salon programs. All the works of the participants will be shown at the final exhibition arranged in a special scenographic way. That also goes for a range of thematic meetings, lectures, music programs, mini-auctions, promotion of the book containing Božidar’s reviews and critiques written for British and French art magazines (some 20 original texts will be for the first time translated into Serbian and expertly commented on). Final exhibition program also foresees a visual link with artists and experts abroad. Reputable artists and experts from France, Britain and USA will thus communicate directly with the public in the Salon via video-beam.
Aim of the project
Although the Salon has its own historical and artistic segment within which multi-medial and multi-disciplinary works and the epoche of Prince Božidar Karadjordjević will be introduced, the aim of this project is primarily to gain insight into a new creative potential and attempts to enrich it, inform it on its own real capabilities, as well as open a new multi-level space for its activities and improvement. Simultaneously, Salon-workshop of this kind provides a unique opportunity to art history as a science to research the past and to „eavesdrop“ the puls of forthcoming generations of artists that will introduce completely new poetry, new iconography, even new genres dictated by new technology and new esthetics.The project, in its essence, is multi-dimensional, and by its contents outstandingly useful for all that take part in it and for the wider cultural community.
It is our intention to make the Salon an important artistic manifestation, at anual or bienal level, with the aim of some sort of screening of local production and its continual motivation to communicate multicoloured, provocative, inexhaustible world of old and new ideas, keeping focus on the dynamics and contents of movements at the international artistic scene. At the same time we wish to show what can be „moved“ within the local scene of fine arts at its creative and exhibiting level, through more dynamic communication with as wide as possible cultural public.
Duration and modes of the project
Realization of the project is practically on the way in the sense that invitations to a certain number of artists were given away to start cogitating on a number of ideas that represent the basic topic of the first Salon, under a simple and multi-complex title „Travelling“. The project will be realized, in its technical sense, as from March 1st 2010 until December 15th 2010, within five phases.
The first phase is gathering together the participants of the project, several lectures at given topics and several exchanges of opinions and discussions – all with the aim of defining ideas.
During the second phase, to be practically finalized by April 1st 2010, the participants will submit outlines of works they intend to realize at given topic (not more than three works per participant), as well as written summary of their idea with technical details referring to necessary material needed to relize the idea.
Phase three is realization of conceived works, with continual expert supervision of the project author and follow-up of all the phases of production via photography and video-technique. This phase must be completed by October 15th 2010.
The fourth phase is finalization of realized ideas (technical finishing, editing, framing and other necessary processes rendering works ready for exhibition) and public exhibition as from December 1st 2010 until mid-December 2010.
The fifth phase is to take place within the very Salon, that is within exhibition in the Historical Museum of Serbia. The book of artistic reviews and critiques written by Prince Božidar Karadjordjević will be promoted at the exhibition, as well as the catalogue of the exhibition. Several lectures and round-table discussions are foreseen during the exhibition, as well as humanitarian ball and final auction of exhibited works, income of which will partially cover organization expenses of the Salon.
Foreigners unfamiliar with Serbian letter ž oftten pronounced Božidar as Bojidar
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Title of the project
Artistic Euro-workshop for children „Artić“ (Little Art)
Project titular
Center for history, theory and management of art ARTIS, Belgrade
Author of the project
Katarina Dimitrijević, art historian
Participants in the project
Lecturers:
Katarina Dimitrijević, art historian
Tamara Ognjević, art historian
Petar Vujošević, academic painter
Rajko Blažič, academic sculpturer
Expert consultants:
Ljubomir Tošković, psychologist
Aleksandra Trajković, pedagogist
Workshop participants:
Children of the age 5 to 11, as well as children without parents and children with special needs, of the same age
Synopsis of the project
Artistic Euro-workshop for children „Artić“ is based on the idea of introducing some of the most significant products of European art to children. The program is adapted to the age and needs of pre-school and school children. Concept of the workshop is presenting European cultural heritage in combination with practical work, i.e. painting and sculpturing according to models taught during preceeding lectures. Greek, Austrian, Italian, French, Spanish, Norwegian and German art will be presented to children this year.
The program consists of work and play, as well as multimedial presentation of contents, purpose of which is to teach and motivate creation. Joint leadership by art historians, painters and sculpturers.
No difference will be made among children, except for age groups – pre-school and school children. It is our wish to create positive environment with no differences among children, where all will make use of newly acquired knowledge, of working together and exchanging opinions.
The workshop will be terminated by the great New-Year-Sales-Exhibition of children’s creative products. Money collected in such a way will be donated to Children’s Oncology Ward of Serbian Clinical center.
Aim of the project
It has been proven that education in the field of arts and culture is exceptionally important with mentioned age groups. Well directed and properly presented knowledge in these fields has manyfold positive influence on subsequent development of children, rendering easier complex problems solving in their later life and understanding complex contents in various educative fields. Furthermore, art as contents based on creative and beautiful, promotes positive mental development of a child, besides the fact that it influences, in the best possible way, the formation of good taste and innitiates all forms of creativity. Getting acquainted with European art means getting to know one’s own environment, developing feeling of understanding and tolerance, and enjoying both national and collective cultural environment.
For children without parents and for those with special needs, this is an outstanding opportunity to learn and discover art in a positive social environment that has for its aim cancelling differences, for the good of communal feelings, beauty and creativity. We are of the opinion that art can contribute, in a special way, to the development of these children, regretfully deprived in many ways.
Duration and location of the project
Children „Artić“ workshop consists of eight chapters, presenting eight European countries, one per month. The workshop takes place once a week and lasts for 3 hours (3 school lessons and 2 breaks), i.e. 4 times a month during eight months, starting March 1st 2010 and ending December 1st 2010. There will be a break during month of August, due to summer holidays.
„Artić“ will take place in a comfortable, illuminated and fully equipped space of Children Cultural Center in Belgrade (Takovska street). This Center is our strategic partner in this project.