COURAGE

connecting collections

The exhibition BACK: Božidar Mandić and The Family of Clear Streams (1969 – 2015) was comprised of two parts.

The first was dedicated to the life and work of Božidar Mandić in Novi Sad in the late 1960s and during the 1970s. Bottle with milk (Flaša s mlekom), an artistic action originally performed in 1969 was reconstructed. There was a screening of the movie Maniac 7001 (Manijak 7001) shot on 8mm film by the brothers Miroslav Mandić and Božidar Mandić and of Gregor Zupanac’s documentary Lestvica about Božidar Mandić. Božidar Mandić's first solo exhibition on display in the Youth Tribune venue entitled One evening called evening (Jedno veče zvano veče) was also presented. A review published in Index magazine made its reconstruction possible. Extensive photo documentation was also a part of the exhibition. 

The second part of the exhibition is a presentation of Božidar's life and work in the Family of Clear Streams commune. Exhibited items are made of natural materials: wood, straw, dung and stone. By using these materials, the artist is, in the words of the curator and author of the exhibition, “trying to evoke the energy of nature, and of pagan and mystic elements within the gallery”. Some of them are Stones without inscriptions, potatoes without pesticide (Kamenje bez citata, krompiri bez pesticida; 2013), Volition (Htenje; 2010), Identity (Identitet; 1997), Sculpture of the wind (Skulptura vetral; 1980), Iron and dung (Gvožđe i balega; 1987), and Trace (Trag; 1979). They are permanently exhibited in the commune. Fourteen issues of the Breza family magazine, which was published until 1981, were also exhibited. All issues are one of a kind and they can only be read at the Family of Clear Streams commune.

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina purchased the movies Maniac 7001 and Horses (Konji) made by the urban commune in Novi Sad, but they are still not on permanent display due to a lack of exhibition space. Some of the material, available in DVD format, was provided by The Public Broadcasting Service of Vojvodina, as because Božidar has only the VHS.

The seminar entitled "Working together. The review of Polish archives, libraries, and museums" took place in 2015 as an event reviewing the first five years of the Archives of Transition 1989-1991. Its aim was to present and discuss the content of the archives, libraries, and museums dealing with the Polish diaspora in Western Europe, especially cultural and political opposition. During the meeting, the first effects and activities realised by the Archives of Transition team were also presented.

"Resistance in Art, the Art of Resistance" was a discussion on the Bulgarian National Radio, program "Hristo Botev", broadcasted on 6 April 2016. Journalist Mitko Novkov, art expert and curator Krasimir Iliev and historian Ivan Elenkov debated the characteristics of the socialist period with a focus on art. They discussed, among other, the theme how art became transformed into a center of ideological persecution, and the resistance of artists.

Polja was founded in 1955. At the time, the magazine’s editorial staff and correspondents were young and unknown writers, critics, and artists, which distinguished Polja from other similar Yugoslav magazines. Since its establishment, the magazine has explored culture, art, and social issues. Polja’s launch was closely connected with Tribina mladih [Tribune of Youth], an organization of students from the University of Novi Sad. Tribina mladihmembers, mostly artists, were those critical both towards contemporary art and the state. Polja published literary, film, and art criticism, as well as translations of artistic and theoretical texts from both abroad and from minorities living within Yugoslavia. Prints of contemporary visual art were also included alongside the articles.
Digitization of Polja began in autumn 2016 and was completed in autumn 2017, under the sponsorship of the Cultural Center of Novi Sad, which is financed by the government of the Autonomous Province in Vojvodina. Since then, all issues of Polja have been available to the public online.