Babkov dom (Jan Bačur) Babka house (Jan Bachur)
The year 1952 is considered the year when Kovačica naïve art made its first public appearance, and the Art and Painting Section was also founded that same year, and pro- vided with a special stamp of legit- imacy by aforementioned great na- ive art masters Jonaš and Knjazovic. Everything progressed much faster from then on, and people started to talk about Kovačica all around the world, prompting the need to estab- lish a Gallery of the painter-farmers of Kovačica. Founded on 15 th May 1955, it was the first gallery of its kind anywhere in the then Yugoslavia. Entering the world of naïve art in the 1960s were Ondrej Venjarski, Jan Garaj, Pavel Lacko, Katarina Karleček – all of whom hailed from Kovači- ca, as well as Jan Bačur from Padina, and they were soon also joined by the most famous naïve painter, Zuzana Chalupová, who was accompanied by Eva Husarikova, Katarina Kožikova and Padina natives Jan Husarik and Mihal Povolni. The 1960s proved to be the most fruitful years in the na-
THE CASE OF THE VILLAGE OF KOVAČICA The heart and soul of Slovak naïve painting
Serbia added Slovak naive painting to its national register of intangible cultural heritage in 2012, while it is this year expected to be a candidate for inclusion on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
KOVAČICA, A SMALL VIL LAGE IN THE DISTRICT OF South Banat, occupies the most prominent place in international cultural circles when it comes to the world of naïve art, with naïve painters of Slovak or- igin having spent centuries nurtur- ing their own culture, language, cus- toms and art. Among the first to try their hand at creating naïve paintings were Jan Sokol and Martin Paluška, more than 90 years ago, and they were soon joined by Mihal Bireš and, sometime later, Vladimir Boboš. A fine art sec-
tion was founded after WWII, with the likes of Martin Jonaš and Jan Knjazovic – with their specific, ex- otic style – becoming members. And then came 1952, when the first exhi- bition of naïve painters was organised to commemorate the 150 th anniver- sary of the arrival of Slovaks in these lands. There were 12 of them exhib- iting their paintings, while the event was given a special charm with the inclusion of the Women of Kovači- ca Association, with their handicraft works that faithfully depicted Slovak customs and traditions.
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