MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART Discovering Africa at the heart of Belgrade The Serbian capital’s Museum of African Art provides visitors with insight into fascinating and diverse aspects of African culture, making it a must-see attraction on the city’s cultural map
I f you’re planning to visit Belgrade, be sure to tour Senjak, one of the city’s most beautiful neigh- bourhoods, which is home to the Museum of African Art, the region’s first and only museum dedicated exclusively to the African continent’s various cultures and arts. Through a unique setting, but also temporary exhibitions, you will travel to the faraway regions of Africa and get acquainted with their traditions, as well as the latest trends of contempo- rary African art. Founded in 1977, its initial artefacts came thanks to the private collection donated to the City of Bel- grade by former Yugoslav diplomat Zdravko Pečar and his wife Veda Zagorac. Over the course of two decades living in West Africa – firstly as a journalist and lat- er as an ambassador in seven African countries – Dr Pečar became an excellent connoisseur of African his- tory, but also the continent’s culture and art. The cou- ple’s friendly relations with many African statesmen and the “ordinary” world, but also their great deter- mination, enabled these benefactors to collect valua-
Muzej je za posetioce otvoren svakog dana, sedam dana u nedelji, od 10 do 18 časova The museum is open to visitors daily, seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm
ble pieces, the lion’s share of which is today on display as part of the Museum’s permanent exhibition. The museum is this year commemorating the 30 th anni- versary of the death of its founder, and alongside the permanent exhibition you can also see the current ex- hibition, “Zdravko Pečar - (Self) Portraits”, which runs until the end of September. Interestingly, the impressive permanent exhibi- tion encompasses sculptures, masks, figurines, fab- rics and many other items that illustrate the rich tra- ditions and art of various African peoples. The West African collections are particularly interesting and in- clude works by the Bamana, Dogon, Baule and Senu- fo peoples. Each exhibited item has its own story and cultural context, providing a deeper understanding of African art and customs. The main collection has been enriched continuously through procurements and do- nations – not only of individual objects, but also of en- tire collections, such that it now includes several thou- sand authentic examples of traditional art from the countries of West, Central and East Africa.
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