The Continuous Art Class, The Novi Sad Neo-Avantgarde of the 1960’s and 1970’s

  • kuda.
  • kuda.
  • kuda.
  • kuda.

Novi Sad Neo Avantgarde of 1960’s and 1970’s

The Exhibition was presented in:
- Stuttgart, at the international exhibition "On Difference", Württembergischer Kunstverein, May - July 2005.
Photo documentation from the exhibition in Stuttgart: http://www.kuda.org/?q=sr/node/657

- Novi Sad, Museum of Contemporary Art, 18.11 - 3.12.2005.
Photo documentation from the exhibition in Novi Sad: http://www.kuda.org/?q=sr/node/660

- Zagreb, Gallery Nova of the collective WHW, 17 - 27.01.2006.
Photo documentation from the exhibition in Zagreb: http://www.kuda.org/?q=en/node/669

- Vienna, Gallery “Art Point”, Kultur Kontakt Austria, May 2006. (as a part of "Media Ontology" exhibition)

- Graz, Gallery and Center “Medien KunstLabor”, September 2006. (as a part of "Media Ontology" exhibition)

- Minneapolis, US, Midway Contemporary Art, April - May 2008. (as a part of "Media Ontology" exhibition): http://kuda.org/en/photo-documentation-exhibition-minneapolis-us-midway-...

- Budapest, Gallery Labor, May - June 2009. (as a part of "Parallel Chronologies – Invisible History of Exhibitions" exhibition): http://www.kuda.org/en/continuous-art-class-budapest

Editor and the producer of the exhibition: New Media Center_kuda.org Novi Sad

Coproducers:
Museum of Contemporary Art Novi Sad
Student Cultural Center Novi Sad

The opening of the exhibition is in Friday, 18. November 2005. in 20:00, and the same day in 17:00, also in the Museum, public debate "Omitted History" will take place as a starting point for the discussion about art, social and political aspects of this period in the history of Novi Sad, as well as about ideological-political inhibitions that influenced this production.

The Continuous Art Class
The Novi Sad Neo-Avantgarde of the 1960’s and 1970’s
Friday, 18. November 2005

17:00, Public discussion "Omitted History"

Moderator of the discussion: Želimir Žilnik, movie director, Novi Sad
Participants in the discussion:
Phd. Zvonko Maković, art historian, chief of the Art History Department at the Philisophy Faculty in Zagreb
Phd. Latinka Perović, historian, Belgrade
Phd. Nebojša Popov, sociologist, editor of the "Republika" magazine, Belgrade
Lazar Stojanović, movie director, Belgrade
Phdr. Miško Šuvaković, art theorist, University of Art Belgrade
Balint Szombathy, artist, Novi Sad/Budapest

The Continuous Art Class
The Novi Sad Neo-Avantgarde of the 1960’s and 1970’s

History is not given. It needs to be constructed.
Irwin

Within the project EastArt Map, the Irwin group from Slovenia started a project of mapping; creating a history for Eastern Europe's post-war artistic legacy. As a result of specific political circumstances and the lack of a developed artistic market, this history has not been included in the corpus of the 20th Century art history.

Although characterised by local specificities, the Novi Sad neo avant-garde of the 1960's and 1970's has been treated like other Eastern European arts. Other than a few exceptions, it has not been the focus of scholarly research. This is closely related to the social framework in which this artistic practice was carried out, as well as to the obstacles this social context engendered. Together these help to illustrate the impact of youth movements during that time, the geopolitical position and internal affairs of Yugoslavia, particularly within the local context of Vojvodina and Novi Sad.

The protagonists of the Novi Sad conceptual artistic scene created through their work a universal non-territorial discourse, observed in their unrestrained communication and freedom of expression. At the same time, their engagement was based on the local context, precisely referring to specificities of the times and the locality which they were working in.

The exhibition "The Continuous Arts Class" at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Novi Sad is part of a long-term project entitled "The Continuous Arts Class"; a symbolic follow up of the "The Public Arts Class" project, which was carried out in 1970 on the Danube Pier in Novi Sad by the protagonists of the current conceptual artistic scene.

"The Continuous Arts Class" aims at presenting a fruitful and creative production through documentation, action, exhibitions and performances of great significance for Europe and the region. The realisation of this project indicates a common belief that it is possible to interpret the importance that this artistic scene had for art history of that time. An interdisciplinary approach is needed in order to recognise the practices of that period, which would correspond to the practice itself. This means it should include visual arts, linguistics, performance, conceptual art, philosophy, sociology and literature.

So far, within "The Continuous Arts Class" project, the following has been realised: a pseudo-opera "King of the Forest" directed by Andras Urban, written by Slobodan Tisma; processing and digitalisation of the artistic legacy of Bogdanka and Dejan Poznanovic ; a colloquium entitled "Culture in the City Centre" held on 20th December, 2004 at the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad the fiftieth anniversary of the "Youth Tribune" (originally Tribina mladih) in Novi Sad; presenting the Novi Sad neo avant-garde and conceptual art scene of the 1960's and 1970's at the exhibition "Belgrade Inc." in July 2004 and in Vienna as a separate part entitled “Novi Sad Konc.”; international exhibition "On Difference" held in Stuttgart, in May 2005.

The goal of "The Continuous Art Class" project is to recognise and overcome the problem and negative selection perpetuating in our cultural environment. Introducing to a wider audience the activities of individuals and groups that were active during the 1960's and 1970's; thus enabling the establishment of continuity from this period, which constitutes a necessary basis for rejuvenation of current cultural values and cultural production.

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Slobodan Tišma, Čedomir Drča, Bogdanka Poznanović, Želimir Žilnik for their contribution in realization of the exhibition. Many thanks are owed to those who have donated material from their private archives.

New Media Center_kuda.org, Novi Sad
November 2005