Art in Passage: Inclusive Mural and 3D Elements in the New Space of the American Resource Center in Ložionica
The American Resource Center (ARC) and the Street Art Belgrade organization realized an inclusive art project within the "Art in Passing" initiative, with the aim of bringing street art closer to blind and partially sighted people.
A mural was painted on the wall of the new space of the American Resource Center in Ložionica, along with which six 3D elements with descriptions in Braille were created. The mural was painted by the famous Serbian artist Jana Danilović.
"We wanted to create inclusion within a space designed and intended for community gathering, sharing ideas, encouraging creativity and learning," said Marija Bjelopetrović, director of the ARC.
The mural and accompanying 3D elements were created from the research of the location, history, cultural heritage and contemporary moment of Ložionica, with a special focus on making the symbols comprehensible to blind and partially sighted people.
"Approaching art is extremely important for the blind and partially sighted community. Projects like this contribute not only to inclusion, but also to raising awareness among the general public about how blind and partially sighted people experience space and art." - said Nikola Đorđević.
Through tactile models, murals, often perceived exclusively as a visual expression, gain a new dimension and become accessible to everyone.
https://youtu.be/SXl6kLCo2sU?si=JpzL3gyTSAbIrk-9
The American Resource Center (ARC) is a cultural and educational space that connects Serbia and the United States of America. Located in the historic Ložionica, ARC brings together youth, educators and innovators through educational, creative and professional programs that encourage the exchange of ideas, collaboration and development.
BSBSA exhibition presents street art from Bulgaria, Serbia & Romania
The BSBSA project exhibition is held simultaneously at Lente and CAV in Bucharest. The vernissage will take place on Friday, January 31st, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Centrul Artelor Vizuale Multimedia.
Serbian artists: Chenipe, Das Drogen, Dulait, Endo, Jana, Nikola, Quam, Sona, TKV;
Bulgarian artists: Aleksi Ivanov, Felon, Kotk, Mouse, Passinby, Sunshiners, Xpome;
Romanian artist: Aeul, Alex Baciu, Coon One, Gabor în civil, Gabriela Nicolae, Harcea Pacea, Jurjak, Krips, LBWS Cats, Lună, Lux, Macanache, Maria Bălan, Mebster, Msero, Oksen, Ortaku, Ohboy, Pisica Pătrată, Popescu, Robert Obert, Roper, Roser, Secs, Seek Lines, Soto, Viață, Whyx, Ycre;
The panels presenting the activities carried out and planned within the BSBSA project will be exhibited on the outer fence of the Lente urban living room, accessible at all times.
https://youtu.be/J5KJgPhumm8?si=lJlvlsB21-9XIicQ
Place: CAV – Centrul Artelor Vizuale Multimedia (16 Biserica Enei street)
Duration: 31 January – 2 March 2025
Schedule:
Fri 31 Jan – Sun 2 Feb, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Mon 3 – Wed 5 Feb: closed
Thu 6 – Sun 9 Feb, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Mon 10 – Wed 12 Feb: closed
Thu 13 – Sun 16 Feb, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Mon 17 – Wed 19 Feb: closed
Thu 20 Feb – Sun 23 Feb, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Mon 24 – Wed 26 Feb: closed
Thu 27 Feb – Sun 2 March, 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Place: Lente (78 Dionisie Lupu street)
Duration: 31 January – 2 March 2025
Schedule: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Follow the project activities on instagram, facebook or youtube
The Small Scale Cooperation Creative Europe project 101131802 – BSBSA is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, under the Call for proposals CREA-CULT-2023-COOP.
The project consortium partners are Udruzenje Gradjana Kruna from Republic of Serbia, Mnogo Deinosti Enterprice from Bulgaria, and project coordinator is Save or Cancel production SRL from Romania.
Partners: CAV, Lente, Biblioteca Metropolitană București, Romexpo
Media partners: Amsterdam Street Art, Empower Artists, digitizArte.ro, feeder.ro, Igloo, IQads, I Support Street Art, La pas prin Brașov, Litera 9, Modernism.ro, Munteanu Recomandă, PRwave, Street Art Belgrade, Revista Atelierul, Revista Golan, The Institute, Zeppelin, Un-hidden Romania, Ziarul Pozitiv
This text reflects the views only of the author(s), and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Foto © Save or Cancel / George Andrei Ilie
New regional project BSBSA (Belgrade Sofia Bucharest Street Art)
BSBSA was initiated in October 2023 and will last for the next four years. In that period, the organizers plan a cultural exchange consisting of artistic interventions, workshops for children and adults, talks with artists, a book, a map of street art and multidisciplinary exhibitions.
Partners in the project are organizations from Romania Save or Cancel (project coordinator), who run the platform feeder.ro and the initiative Unhidden Romania, the Association of Citizens of the Crown / Street Art Belgrade from Serbia and a representative of the organization Mnogo Deinosti from Bulgaria and a street artist from the Sunshiners team - Nikolay Nikolaev Bozhinov. This project is co-financed through the Creative Europe program of the European Union.
"Thanks to existing contacts with organizations in the region that deal with research and preservation of street art and graffiti, we were contacted by the Save or Cancel organization from Romania with a project proposal for BSBSA. Together, we prepared the application for the invitation of Creative Europe and defined the activities for the four years of the project. Our focus was on the engagement of artists, the local community and networking, and that's how activities such as painting in public spaces, workshops, lectures, maps of works and books came about," says Jelena Popović Đorđević from the Street Art Belgrade organization.
One of the first activities of the BSBSA project was a workshop with the famous street artist Ortak in Bucharest on January 27, where participants had the opportunity to learn how to make stencils. And at the end of June, the artist from Serbia, Jana Danilović, visited Romania, and thus the international cooperation within the project began - during her stay in Bucharest, she painted a mural, held a workshop and lecture. Jana created work inspired by the street scene in Bucharest, with recognizable motifs that are almost always part of her works - sparrows and bicycles," says Popović Đorđević.
https://youtu.be/sMl3z03Tvew?si=c9F_1A67rwXD8zRg
"Also, as an additional activity, we held a presentation of digitization projects that our association has been developing for five years - from a platform for archiving works to the presentation of two unique street art exhibitions in the virtual space of Loving Street art Belgrade and Traces. A special focus was on bringing the digitization process closer to the artists themselves, cultural workers and the audience. Next year we are expecting an exhibition of the works of the most active street artists from Serbia in Romania. During the duration of the project, we expect the involvement of a wide range of participants in culture and the general public, and over 40 artists and art professionals."
More information: project website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube
Photo © George-Andrei Ilie
Presentation of 3D models for the blind in Vienna
For more than 10 years, the Zero Project foundation from Vienna has been dedicated to finding and sharing innovative solutions that improve the daily life and rights of all people with disabilities.
Every year, a large conference is organized that gathers over 800 organizations from all over the world, and at the conference held in 2023, Street Art Belgrade presented its project Art in Passing, when during the three days of the conference in the atrium of the UN building, the famous Serbian artist Jana Danilović painted a mural called Inclusion. A 3D model was created for this mural, which contains a description in Braille.
About the Art in Passing project
The goal of the Art in Passing project is to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people through the installation of models made with 3D technology. The mural models are an innovative approach to the presentation of street art and graffiti, because with 3D technology, blind and partially sighted people are enabled to get to know the works of art on the streets of Belgrade through touch. Along with the works, there are Braille descriptions that can rarely be found in the public space. The first 3D models of murals for the blind and partially sighted were installed in 2021 on the occasion of October 15, which is celebrated throughout the world as the Day of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and to date a total of eleven models have been installed in Serbia at different locations in Belgrade, and one model is placed in Čačak on the wall of the Home for the Blind.
Photo © Stadt Wien / Christian Fürthner
What our street looked like in 2023
With the support of numerous individuals and partners, this year our association continued to develop 3D model projects and VR exhibitions and launched new long-term projects, all with the aim of promoting street art and graffiti.
Our desire is to show that a strong community, once naive enthusiasm and love for the field we deal with can overcome challenges and make progress that is extremely valuable.
Art in passing
As part of the Art in Passing 2023 project, we started in Vienna with the presentation of the 3D model project in Vienna. As part of the cooperation with the Zero Project Foundation, we made three models of murals that were installed in the very center of Vienna in the Karl-Farkas Park at the beginning of this year. These models were also included in Austria's first inclusive museum guide. Also, as a unique performance during the three days of the conference in the atrium of the UN building, artist Jana Danilović painted a mural called Inclusion. A 3D model was created for this mural, which contains a description in Braille. The mural and 3D model were presented at the closing ceremony of the conference, after which they went on a tour of galleries and events throughout Austria.
As a result of being a guest at the conference, we collaborated with the artist Jill Wells from America, for whose work we made a 3D model, which was presented at the end of 2023.
We installed two more models in Serbia - the tenth model in Serbia was installed on the wall of the House of Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Čačak, where the artist Maja Stojanović - Zmaja painted a mural. The mural and the model were created as part of the Capital of Culture of Serbia 2023 - Čačany, and the project was supported by the Embassy of Spain. The eleventh model of the mural was made for the work of the artist Jana Danilović, which is located on the wall in Kafe bar 16. The artist hand-painted the model (representing a bird), which became an integral part of the mural and an inclusive work of art when installed. Next to the model there is also a plaque with a description in Braille.
The goal of the Art in Passing project is to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people through the installation of models made with 3D technology. Along with the works, there are Braille descriptions that can rarely be found in the public space. The first 3D models of murals for the blind and partially sighted were installed in 2021, and the Street Art Belgrade organization has installed a total of sixteen models since then - ten in Belgrade, one in Čačak, four in Vienna (Austria) and one in Iowa (America).
VR exhibitions
In 2023, we created a new VR exhibition with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the VR-All-Art platform for presentation at the Cultural Center of Serbia in Paris. The exhibition TRACES: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995 - 2022 follows the development of street art in the relationship between Serbia and France and the influence of France and French artists on the domestic scene from 1995 to 2022. In the virtual space on the VR-All-Art platform, over seventy works created in Serbia and France are displayed, showing the relations between these two countries in the field of street art. The goal of the exhibition is to make the first comprehensive presentation of the impact of French creativity in the field of graffiti and street art on the domestic art scene, as well as the creation of Serbian artists in France, through innovative and new technologies made possible by virtual spaces. In addition to this exhibition, the virtual exhibition Loving Street art Belgrade from 2020, translated into French, was presented to the audience in Paris, where there are over forty works created by local and foreign authors on the streets of Belgrade.
During the year, the exhibition was presented at one of the largest IT conferences, Heapcon, as well as at the French Institute during the Digital November event.
Projects within the Creative Europe program
Last year we had the opportunity to participate in several Creative Europe competitions and we are very happy that we managed to get support for two very important projects - BSBSA and Collab 4 HY Sustain CCI.
BSBSA (Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade Street Art) project brings together organizations from Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, it will last four years and the main idea of this regional project is to humanize public spaces in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia through art. Together with partners from organizations from Romania Save or Cancel and a representative from the organization Mnogo Deinosti from Bulgaria and a street artist from the Sunshiners team - Nikolay Nikolaev Bozhinov, we defined artistic interventions, workshops for children and adults, talks with artists, a book, a map of street art and multidisciplinary exhibitions which will be implemented in the next four years. The project will involve a wide range of individuals, including forty artists and art professionals. The expected results are the transformation of neglected public spaces, the increase of cultural exchanges and the mobility of works of art, the transfer of knowledge and the regeneration of public spaces. This project is co-financed through the Creative Europe program of the European Union.
We are very happy to be selected to be one of 15 European organizations that will have the opportunity to develop their projects within the Collab 4 HY Sustain CCI project. Supported by Creative Europe, the Collab 4 HY Sustain project aims to support cultural and creative organizations on their way to growth, innovation and collaboration. In Serbia, Nova Iskra is responsible for the implementation and organization of the project. Selected participants will receive mentoring support from experienced experts, a comprehensive training program, a €3,000 project development grant, visibility opportunities at hybrid events and access to the SEE regional network and EU collaboration opportunities. As part of the project, our organization, through work with mentor Vera Lloyd Thomas, will work on the development of the concept of Art in Passing.
Collaboration with artists
In 2023, we collaborated with fantastic artists from Serbia and Austria, who enriched all our agreed projects, were wonderful to work with, creative and professional. We collaborated with Jan on several projects, from presentation and painting in Vienna, namely in the United Nations building, painting a mural in Šabac to making a bird for a mural in Šesnaestica. Käthe Löffelmann and Aleksandra Petković - TKV also worked on the mural in Šabac. They painted a mural of about 100 square meters on the wall of the elementary school, which presented playful motifs of learning and personal strength that is developed and gained through knowledge.
Zmaja and the DUK festival team from Čačak supported us within the Art in Passing project. Zmaja, in the middle of all her travels and paintings around the region and the world, painted the beautiful Ferdinand at the Home for the Blind in Čačak, for which we made a 3D model.
P.S. How was the year for our members: Srđan Tunić is in America for his doctoral studies, where he achieves exceptional results and continues to participate in SABG projects, Ljiljana Radošević added new tours to her list and, together with Srđan, is preparing an issue of the Kultura magazine dedicated to graffiti and street art. Aleksandar Đorđević started the preparation of a new book, on which he is working with Srki and Ljilja, and Jelena, as always, "softly" commands the whole parade and organizes new actions.
Thanks again to everyone who was with us this year on the streets!
How can you support us?
You can support us in different ways, all of them are valuable and mean that we are continuously developing our programs. Follow us on social networks, when you have the opportunity recommend your friends and colleagues to follow us or join our activities. As a more concrete action, you can support us by buying the book Street art Belgrade, participating in street art tours and workshops. There are possibilities of combining all our "products" for the needs of organizing team building, birthdays and creative get-togethers.
The BSBSA project connects artists from Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria
BSBSA (Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade Street Art) project brings together organizations from Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, it will last four years and the main idea of this regional project is to humanize public spaces in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia through art.
Together with partners from the organizations from Romania "Save or Cancel" and the representative of the organization "Mnogo Deinosti" from Bulgaria and the street artist from the Sunshiners team - Nikolay Nikolaev Bozhinov, we defined artistic interventions, workshops for children and adults, conversations with artists, a book, a street map art and multidisciplinary exhibitions that will be realized in the next four years. The project will involve a wide range of individuals, including 40 artists and arts professionals. The expected results are the transformation of neglected public spaces, the increase of cultural exchanges and the mobility of works of art, the transfer of knowledge and the regeneration of public spaces.
This project is co-financed through the Creative Europe program of the European Union. The project focuses on strengthening the capacities of European cultural and creative sectors. The aim is to achieve this by promoting international engagement through cultural exchange and exhibiting artists' works in multidisciplinary exhibitions spanning three countries.
In essence, the wish is to humanize public spaces in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia through art within the framework of the BSBSA project. Through artistic interventions, workshops, talks, guided tours, a book dedicated to urban art, a map of street art and multidisciplinary exhibitions, cooperation with local communities, artists and interested parties is achieved and the regeneration and promotion of public spaces is encouraged.
Objectives of the project
- Transformation of public spaces through six artistic interventions
- Organization of ten creative workshops for all ages
- Organization of six panels with artists to initiate interaction
- Organization of eight tours with a focus on street art in Belgrade and Sofia
- Publication of a book dedicated to urban art documenting interventions in Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia
- Creating a map that guides researchers through artistic interventions in public spaces
- Organization of three multidisciplinary exhibitions to encourage cultural exchange
More information: Project website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
We are participating in the Collab 4 HY Sustain CCI project
Supported by Creative Europe, the Collab 4 HY Sustain project aims to support cultural and creative organizations on their way to growth, innovation and collaboration. In Serbia, Nova Iskra is responsible for the implementation and organization of the project.
In addition to our organization, Polyhedra, Village Cultural Center Markovac, and Community Center Krov are also supported in Serbia.
Two topics are current within the project: Audience and hybrid approaches and Sustainability in cooperation processes. Selected participants will receive mentoring support from experienced experts, a comprehensive training program, a €3,000 project development grant, visibility opportunities at hybrid events and access to the SEE regional network and EU collaboration opportunities.
As part of the project, our organization, through work with mentor Vera Lloyd Thomas, will work on the development of the concept of Art in Passing.
Incubation activities started in December 2023, and the project lasts 16 months.
Collab 4 HY Sustain CCI project partners are Materahub (Italy), Intercultura Consult (Bulgaria), Syn+ Ergasia (Greece), The Flying Theater (Denmark) and Nova Iskra Creative Hub (Serbia). Support is provided by the Creative Europe Program (CREA) and the National Cultural Fund of Bulgaria.
Talks, EU projects and tour
As part of a series of talks on the topic of street art, we hosted representatives of street art organizations from Romania and Bulgaria, and during the weekend dedicated to street art, a free street art walk around Vračar was held in cooperation with the Božidarac cultural center.
Traditionally, for four years in a row, before the end of the year, we organize talks, workshops and panel discussions with guests from the region and Europe on the topic of street art - from organizing festivals to focusing on different practices in the field of street art. This year we organized a workshop where we discussed the development of street art in the Balkans and the management of EU projects dealing with street art and graffiti.
On Friday, a workshop was held with representatives of the organization from Romania "Save or Cancel" and a representative of the organization "Mnogo Deinosti" from Bulgaria and a street artist from the Sunshiners team - Nikolay Nikolaev Bozhinov. The workshop discussed the organization of a project in the region that aims to humanize public spaces in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia through art. Together, the participants defined artistic interventions, workshops for children and adults, conversations with artists, a book, a map of street art and multidisciplinary exhibitions that will be realized in the next few years. The project will involve a wide range of individuals, including 40 artists and arts professionals. The expected results are the transformation of neglected public spaces, the increase of cultural exchanges and the mobility of works of art, the transfer of knowledge and the regeneration of public spaces.
On Saturday, December 16, in cooperation with the Božidarac center, a street art tour was organized, in which guests from Romania also participated, where street art was displayed in Vračar as part of the traditional Weekend street art event. During the walk, art historian and curator Ljiljana Radošević brought the wealth of street art closer to the participants and presented different categories (graffiti, street art, murals), explained the local and world history of street art, showed different techniques and artists that can be seen in Vračar.
On Saturday and Sunday, 1-on-1 meetings with Serbian artists were organized in order to create contacts, better understanding of the scenes in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria and future cooperation. (conversations with artists Jana Danilović, studio visit and conversation with Branislav Nikolić)
The workshop was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Serbia.
The 11th model of a mural for the blind and visually impaired has been installed in the café-bar 16
The eleventh model of the mural was made for the work of the famous artist Jana Danilović, which is located on the wall in Kafe-bar 16.
The artist painted the model (representing the bird) by hand, which became an integral part of the mural and an inclusive work of art when installed. Next to the model there is also a plaque with a description in Braille. Members of the community who are blind and visually impaired now have the opportunity to meet the works of street artists in the safe space of the social enterprise Kafe - bar 16.
There are 12,000 blind and partially sighted people in Serbia, an almost equal number of men and women. Their position is difficult because they have few opportunities to improve their personal and social status. The most common and most important goal is the integration of blind and visually impaired people into all social flows and daily activities, and socialization, cultural life and art are an integral and important part of that.
"It is extremely significant that we are involved in the project in the cafe bar "16", and that in this space it will be possible to see the Braille as a symbol of the blind. We hope that people will be inspired to learn more about this letter, and maybe they will want to and to learn it. The bird model itself shows that there are groups of people who experience art differently, so another project like this is important not only for us but for the whole community - which will be able to experience art in a new way." - said Nikola Đorđević, president of the Belgrade City Organization of the Blind.
"Having works that are accessible to blind and partially sighted people through the sense of touch means that my works and my art become accessible to people who could not experience it before." - said the artist Jana Danilović.
"The social enterprise Kafe-bar 16 represents a place that is a symbol of integration and freedom, the freedom to learn, work and participate in all aspects of life. This project has further highlighted exactly those values and we are happy to represent a place that brings the community together." - said Jasna Bratičević, program coordinator of the Center for Youth Integration.
Mural models are an innovative approach to presenting street art because with 3D technology, blind and partially sighted people are enabled to get to know street art and the artists who create on the streets through touch.
This is the tenth model in Belgrade, and the eleventh in Serbia. This month, a model mural was placed on the wall of the Home for the Blind in Čačak.
The author of the project is the organization "Street Art Belgrade" in cooperation with the City Organization of the Blind of Belgrade, and the implementation was supported by the Ministry of Culture.
Social enterprise Kafe bar 16
The social enterprise Kafe - bar 16 was opened with the aim of providing support to former users of the Inn after they turn 16 and represents an opportunity for additional education, acquisition of new skills and the possibility of formal employment. First of all, it is another safe location for children who live and work on the streets.
Project Art in Passage
The goal of the Art in Passing project is to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people through the installation of models made with 3D technology. Along with the works, there are Braille descriptions that can rarely be found in the public space. The first 3D models of murals for the blind and partially sighted were installed in 2021, and the Street Art Belgrade organization has installed a total of 16 models since then - 10 in Belgrade, 1 in Čačak, 4 in Vienna, Austria and 1 in Iowa, America.
In Cacak, the first 3D model of a mural for the blind and visually impaired has been unveiled
Cacak – On the wall of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Cacak, a mural has been painted, accompanied by a 3D model with a description in Braille. The mural and model were created as part of the National Capital of Culture of Serbia 2023 – “Cacanska Rodna”, in a city that, thanks to the DUK festival, is one of the largest street art galleries in the country.
As part of the well-known Cacak festival DUК (Days of Urban Culture), artist Maja Stojanovic – Zmaja painted a mural on the wall of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired. With the support of the Embassy of Spain, a 3D model with a Braille description was also created and placed next to the mural. The mural and 3D model aim to bring street art closer to blind and visually impaired individuals. This is the first 3D model of a mural in Cacak and the tenth in Serbia, realized as part of the "Art in Passage" project.
The city of Cacak represents a significant national and regional center of cultural production, especially in terms of street art. By using innovative 3D technology, blind and visually impaired individuals can experience tactile interaction with artworks displayed on the streets.
"Street art is considered the freest form of art, so through 3D models, we want to bring this direction of contemporary art closer to blind and visually impaired individuals. We are very happy that the model has been installed in Cacak, the tenth 3D model in Serbia. This model draws attention to the needs of the blind and visually impaired while celebrating the work of local artists within the DUK festival, the National Capital of Culture, and Spanish culture," said Ljiljana Radosevic, an art historian representing the Street Art Belgrade organization.
"The project has strongly attracted us from the beginning because of its theme - making art accessible to all members of the community. We are aware that this is a challenge faced by many worldwide, and it is important to continuously make efforts to change the situation. This mural represents our collaboration - local artist Maja Stojanovic perfectly portrayed one of the most striking symbols of Spanish culture, the Spanish bull, through colors," stated Dario Otero Castro, Deputy Ambassador and Cultural Attaché at the Embassy of Spain in Belgrade.
"The inspiration for the mural was the famous bull Ferdinand from the animated film, as I love painting animal characters in a positive context. This bull is a tribute to the project partner, the Embassy of Spain, which enabled the creation of a 3D model for the mural, the first in Cacak that brings street art closer to blind and visually impaired individuals," emphasized artist Maja Stojanovic – Zmaja.
"The mural and 3D model with Braille are located on the building of the premises of the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Cacak, allowing our members to feel street art through touch. For us, this means slowly entering the world of art and feeling improvement because, in a way, we are entering a world of equality, a world without barriers," said Dejan Tomic, President of the Inter-municipal Organization of the Blind and Visually Impaired Cacak.
The Inter-municipal Organization of the Blind Cacak operates within the structure of the Association of the Blind of Serbia and brings together over 300 members from the Moravian region, with 170 members in the city of Cacak.
The project's author is the organization "Street Art Belgrade," and its implementation was supported by the Embassy of Spain. The mural and model in Cacak were realized in collaboration with the DUK festival, the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Cacak, and the City Organization of the Blind in Belgrade, within the Capital of Culture of Serbia 2023 – “Cacanska Rodna”.
About the Artist
Maja Stojanovic is an illustrator and a member of the Association of Visual Artists Cacak. She specializes in book illustration and character design. In July 2021, she released her first book titled "Кod nas se kaže.../ We tend to say..." – an illustrated encyclopedia of folk sayings explained in both Serbian and English. Since 2021, she has been a member of the DUК Festival organization and actively contributes to the organization and painting of murals in Cacak, Serbia, and across the region and the world.
About the "Art in Passage" Project
The goal of the "Art in Passage" project is to bring street art closer to blind and visually impaired individuals. Street art is considered the freest form of art accessible to everyone, which is why the project of 3D mural models was initiated. The first mural models were installed in 2021 in Belgrade, where a total of nine models have been placed in the last two years.
In Serbia, there are 12,000 blind and visually impaired individuals, with an almost equal number of men and women. Their situation is challenging as they have limited opportunities for personal and social improvement. The most common and important goal is the integration of blind and visually impaired individuals into all social currents and daily activities, with cultural life and art being an integral and essential part of it.
Our first 3D model in America
In Iowa, artist Jill Wells presented the first 3D model of a mural created as a result of cooperation with our organization.
The idea to set up a 3D model in America also came about after the artist got acquainted with our Art in Passing project at the annual Zero Project conference in February 2023. On a panel at a conference at the United Nations in Vienna, Wales participated together with representatives of our organization in a discussion on the topic of inclusion in the field of street art and then became interested in the 3D model project.
In cooperation with Jill, we worked for several months to prepare the model for her mural, from 3D printing to Braille translation.
The artist plans to continue installing new 3D models of the mural, and wants this to become an accepted practice of presenting art both outdoors and indoors.
Jill Wells spent the past year as an artistic fellow at the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Civic Engagement at Drake University. The 3D mural model project is the result of her engagement as a collaborator.
Exhibition of street art in virtual reality at the French Institute
During the traditional Digital November event organized by the French Institute in Serbia, two exhibitions of street art in Virtual Reality in French will be shown in Belgrade, which were researched and set up by curator Ljiljana Radošević as part of Street Art Belgrade.
From November 7 to 21, exhibitions in the virtual space will be available for viewing using VR equipment in the Gallery of the French Institute in Knez Mihailova.
The exhibition "TRACES: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995 - 2022" follows the development of street art in the relationship between Serbia and France and the influence of France and French artists on the domestic scene from 1995 to 2022. In the virtual space on the VR-All-Art platform, over 70 works created in Serbia and France are displayed, which show the relations between these two countries in the field of street art. The goal of the exhibition is to make the first comprehensive presentation of the impact of French creativity in the field of graffiti and street art on the domestic art scene, as well as the creation of Serbian artists in France, through innovative and new technologies made possible by virtual spaces.
In addition to this exhibition, the public will be presented with the virtual exhibition "Loving Street art Belgrade" from 2020, translated into French, where there are over 40 works created by local and foreign authors on the streets of Belgrade. Both are author's exhibitions of SABG curator Ljiljana Radošević.
During the duration of the program, the public will access the exhibitions using VR equipment, and the most notable works of Serbian and French artists will be exhibited in the space of the center.
One of the first cities to embrace graffiti culture in Europe was Paris. Misha Jens, the first official Belgrade graffiti artist, brought a new style from the streets of Paris to Belgrade in the mid-90s, so we can say that the influence of the French scene on the domestic and relations in the field of graffiti and street art has lasted for more than two decades. Famous French artists visited Serbia and left their works of art on the walls as part of major festivals such as Belef (Blek le Rat, REMED) as well as in cooperation with the French Institute, and many Serbian artists (Aleksandra Petković TKV, duo Sobekcis, Nikola Mihailović , Wuper et al.) spent time in France where they created and received inspiration for further work.
The members of Street Art Belgrade have been researching, documenting and popularizing street art and graffiti for over two decades. As a result of that work, two exhibitions were created in virtual reality. The project was realized with the support of the French Institute in Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia and the company VR-ALL-ART.
Photo © Bogdan Gligorić
Presenting street art in virtual reality at the HeapCon conference
We will present our projects at "HeapCon", one of the largest conferences in the region, which takes place on November 2nd and 3rd in Madlenianum.
The mission of the conference is the exchange of knowledge, the presentation of the latest trends in the world of information technology and entrepreneurship by world experts. The special value of this conference is that, in addition to IT engineers, it also gathers fans of information technology eager for interesting stories and experiences.
Our association will have its own space during the conference, where the digitization project will be presented, and visitors will be able to step into virtual exhibitions.
Since 2019, our association has been developing a street art digitization project:
- creation of the first digitized archive "Museum of Street Art",
- creation of the first exhibition of street art in Belgrade in virtual reality, unique in the world in terms of the number of exhibited works "Loving Street Art Belgrade",
- translation of the exhibition "Loving Street Art Belgrade" into French,
- creation of the exhibition "TRACES: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995 - 2022" about the influence of France on the street art scene, presentation in the Serbian cultural center in Paris,
- creation of the "Urban Heritage Hub" platform,
- continuous promotion of the digitization process on the domestic and foreign markets.
Due to its content and innovation, the digitization of street art has proven to be an excellent way to present contemporary art using modern technologies.
Knowledge is power - a new mural in Šabac
A new mural titled "Knowledge is power" was painted before the beginning of the new school year in the yard of the elementary school "Nata Jeličić" in Šabac.
The mural measuring about 100 square meters was painted by the Austrian artist Käthe Löffelmann and the Serbian artists Aleksandra Petković TKV and Jana Danilović, as part of the project of the Austrian Cultural Forum, which is realized in cooperation with the Šabac Cultural Center, the "Nata Jeličić" school and the Street Art Belgrade organization. The project was created with the desire to emphasize the historical connection between Austria and Serbia in the field of education and artistic creativity.
Based on the theme and location, the artists chose playful motifs of learning and personal strength that develops and is gained through knowledge. On the mural, there are illustrations of word games derived from the phrase "Knowledge is power" - knowledge is superpower, knowledge is the key, knowledge is strength... The typographic solution of the inscription "knowledge is power" illustrates the slogan with a combination of Serbian and English, as well as Cyrillic and Latin letters. Elements that flow through the composition as key, books and pencils in different contexts, represent an association with school and education, in a cheerful and playful way.
About the artists
Käthe Löffelmann is a multidisciplinary artist from Vienna. His work includes murals, conceptual installations, sculptures, digital art and moving images. She is part of the female collective Ripoff Crew, with whom she paints large-scale murals in Austria and around the world.
https://www.instagram.com/kaethe_loeffelmann/
Jana Danilović received her doctorate at the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade in 2018, having defended the art-research project "City and painting - the importance and function of painting interventions in public space". She exhibited her works several times independently in reference galleries in the country and abroad. She is the author of dozens of murals and interventions in public spaces in the country and region.
https://www.instagram.com/jana.danilovic/
Aleksandra Petković TKV has been artistically active since 2004, first in the field of street art, and later in various techniques and media - from furniture redesign to 3D printing. In 2019, the French Embassy awarded her the Order of Knight of Arts and Letters. She launched the unique All Girls Street Art Jam festival, which was designed with the intention of bringing female creativity to the fore on the street art scene.
https://www.instagram.com/kraljica_vila/
The first exhibition of street art of Serbia and France in virtual reality
In the cultural center of Serbia in Paris, an exhibition of street art in Virtual Reality "Traces: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995 - 2022" was presented.
The exhibition follows the development of street art between Serbia and France and the influence of France and French artists on the domestic scene from 1995 to 2022. It was created as a result of the long-term research work of our curator Ljiljana Radošević.
In the virtual space on the VR-All-Art platform, over 70 works created in Serbia and France will be displayed, which will show the relationship between these two countries in the field of street art. The goal of the exhibition is to create the first comprehensive presentation of the influence of French creativity in the field of graffiti and street art on the domestic art scene, as well as the creation of Serbian artists in France, through innovative and new technologies made possible by virtual spaces. In addition to the exhibition, a life-size virtual replica of the work of the famous French artist Blec Le Rath was installed in the space.
https://youtu.be/i2Ilk_GZzBU
In addition to this exhibition, the virtual exhibition "Loving Street art Belgrade" from 2020, translated into French, was presented to the audience in Paris, where there are over 40 works created by domestic and foreign authors on the streets of Belgrade. During the duration of the program, the audience will access exhibitions with the use of VR equipment, and 30 of the most notable works of Serbian and French artists are also exhibited in the center.
https://youtu.be/l2HUMA5AqpQ
One of the first cities to embrace graffiti culture in Europe was Paris. Misha Jens, the first official Belgrade graffiti artist, brought a new style from the streets of Paris to Belgrade in the mid-90s, so we can say that the influence of the French scene on the domestic scene and the relationship in the field of graffiti and street art have lasted for more than two decades. Famous French artists visited Serbia and left their works of art on the walls as part of major festivals such as Belef (Blek le Rat, REMED) as well as in cooperation with the French Institute, and many Serbian artists (Aleksandra Petković TKV, duo Sobekcis, Nikola Mihailović , Wuper et al.) spent time in France where they created and received inspiration for further work.
The exhibitions "Traces: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995-2022" and "Loving Street Art Belgrade" are available to audiences from all over the world on the VR ALL ART platform.
The exhibition in the Serbian cultural center in Paris will last until April 15.
The author of the project is the "Street Art Belgrade" organization, whose members have been researching, documenting and popularizing street art and graffiti for over two decades. The project was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Cultural Center of Serbia in Paris and the company VR ALL ART.
Traces: Exhibition of street art of Serbia and France in virtual reality
In the cultural center of Serbia in Paris from 31.3. until 15.4. a new exhibition of street art in Virtual Reality, curated by Ljiljana Radošević, “TRACES: Street Art of Serbia and France 1995 – 2022” will be presented.
The exhibition follows the development of street art between Serbia and France and the influence of France and French artists on the domestic scene from 1995 to 2022.
Over 70 works created in Serbia and France will be displayed in the virtual space on the VR-All-Art platform, which will show the relationship between these two countries in the field of street art. The goal of the exhibition is to create the first comprehensive presentation of the impact of French creativity in the field of graffiti and street art on the domestic art scene, as well as the creation of Serbian artists in France, through innovative and new technologies made possible by virtual spaces. In addition to the exhibition, a life-size virtual replica of the work of the famous French artist Black Le Rat has also been installed in the space.
In addition to this exhibition, the audience will be presented with the virtual exhibition "Loving Street art Belgrade" from 2020, translated into French, where there are over 40 works created by local and foreign authors on the streets of Belgrade. During the duration of the program, the audience will access the exhibitions with the use of VR equipment, and 30 of the most notable works of Serbian and French artists will be exhibited in the center.
One of the first cities to embrace graffiti culture in Europe was Paris. Miša Jens, the first official Belgrade graffiti artist, brought a new style from the streets of Paris to Belgrade in the mid-90s, so we can say that the influence of the French scene on the domestic scene and relations in the field of graffiti and street art have lasted for more than two decades. Famous French artists visited Serbia and left their works of art on the walls as part of major festivals such as Belef (Blek le Rat, REMED) as well as in cooperation with the French Institute, and many Serbian artists (Aleksandra Petković TKV, duo Sobekcis, Nikola Mihailović, Wuper…) spent time in France where they created and received inspiration for further work.
The exhibitions “TRACES: Street art of Serbia and France 1995 – 2022” and “Loving Street art Belgrade”, both curated by our colleague Ljiljana Radošević, are available to audiences from all over the world on the VR-ALL-ART platform.
The opening of the exhibition will take place on 31.3. on Friday starting at 7 p.m., and guests will be addressed by the author of the exhibition and art historian Ljiljana Radošević from the organization Street Art Belgrade, Serbian artist Aleksandra Petković TKV and French artist Kaldea.
From April 1st to April 15th, exhibitions in the virtual space will be able to be visited with the use of VR equipment in the period from 17:00 to 19:00.
The author of the project is the "Street Art Belgrade" organization, whose members have been researching, documenting, and popularizing street art and graffiti for over two decades. The project was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, the Cultural Center of Serbia in Paris, and the company VR ALL ART.
Presentation of 3D models for the blind in Vienna
The "Art in Passing" project by the organization Street Art Belgrade, which creates 3D models of murals for the blind and visually impaired, was presented in Vienna at the annual Zero Project conference held in the United Nations building.
The project of the organization Street Art Belgrade was recognized as an extremely innovative and creative way of bringing art closer to blind and partially sighted people and was chosen to be presented within the official program of the conference whit more than 1000 participants from all over the world.
For more than 10 years, the Zero Project foundation from Vienna has been dedicated to finding and sharing innovative solutions that improve the daily life and rights of all people with disabilities. During a private visit to Belgrade, their representative came across one of the nine models of murals that Street Art Belgrade installed in the city in the last two years and recognized the potential to present the project to a wider international audience.
As part of the cooperation with the Zero Project Foundation, Street Art Belgrade produced three 3D models of murals from the Calle Libre festival that will be installed in the center of Vienna, in the Karl-Farkas Park. These models are also featured in the first Austrian inclusive museum guide. During the three days of the conference in the atrium of the UN building, the famous Serbian artist Jana Danilović painted a mural called "Inclusion". For this mural a 3D model was created with a description in Braille, and for the first time 3D elements (birds) were included in the painting itself. The mural and 3D models were presented at the closing ceremony of the conference, after which they will go on a tour of galleries throughout Austria.
The mural "Inclusion" depicts the universal truth that touch and love break down all barriers and remain a source of strength for everyone.
About the project "Art in Passing"
The goal of the project is to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people through the installation of models made with 3D technology. Models are an innovative approach to the presentation of street art and graffiti, because with 3D technology, blind and partially sighted people are enabled to get to know the works of art on the streets of Belgrade through touch. Along with the works, there are Braille descriptions that can rarely be found in the public space. The first 3D models for the blind and partially sighted were installed in 2021 on the occasion of October 15th, which is celebrated worldwide as the Day of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and to date a total of nine models have been installed in Belgrade in different locations - the city center, Vračar and New Belgrade.
"We have always been of the opinion that street art is the freest form of art and that it is accessible to everyone because it is on the streets. However, blind and partially sighted people are excluded from this artistic expression. That's why we decided to create 3D models of the murals. In this way, we wanted to bring works on the street closer to the blind and visually impaired and to draw the attention of the general public to the needs of this group of citizens, their inclusion in the daily life of the city - and street art is certainly an important part of that" - the statement of the Street Art Belgrade organization. "We are very happy and proud that we had the opportunity to present and realize the project outside of Serbia and to convey our experience to an international audience in order to increase the accessibility of art to all members of the community" - concluded the members of the association.
Conference participants from the USA, Australia, Bulgaria, Israel, and Great Britain showed interest in the project and the first initiatives to implement the project in those countries have already been launched.
Artist Jana Danilović believes that this is a great opportunity to show how important it is to be aware of how public space is used and that street art, which we perceive as exclusively visual, can also be tactile. "This project quite unexpectedly opened up a new field in art for me, how to act further in my work in order to include the tactile aspect. For most street artists, a democratic approach to art is very important, and it turns out that there is one group of people that is completely excluded, and this is one way to correct that." - says Jana Danilović
The presentation in Vienna, the creation of models and murals is supported by the Zero Project foundation, the European Union platform - Culture Moves and the Goethe-Institut, the national platform Serbia Creates responsible for the international promotion of creative industries, as well as the city organization of the blind in Belgrade.
Video interview for Gebardenwelt TV:
https://www.gebaerdenwelt.tv/zero-project-conference-interview-mit-kuenstlerin-jana-danilovic/
Video file of the interview:
https://we.tl/t-2QqAp9MH6r
You can find more photos here:
https://zeroproject.org/zerocon23/zerocon23-photo-wall#c1750
Links:
https://streetartbelgrade.com/
https://umetnostuprolazu.com/
https://zeroproject.org/
https://zeroproject.org/news/article/inclusive-street-art
Disclaimer:
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
Announcement: The Presentation of 3D models for the blind in Vienna
The "Art in Passing" project by the organization Street Art Belgrade, which creates 3D models of murals for the blind and visually impaired, will be presented in Vienna at the annual Zero Project conference held in the United Nations building.
The project of the organization Street Art Belgrade was recognized as an extremely innovative and creative way of bringing art closer to blind and partially sighted people and was chosen to be presented within the official program of the conference (22.2. - 24.2.) which gathers over 800 organizations from all over the world.
For more than 10 years, the Zero Project foundation from Vienna has been dedicated to finding and sharing innovative solutions that improve the daily life and rights of all people with disabilities. During a private visit to Belgrade, their representative came across one of the nine models of murals that were installed in the city in the last two years and recognized the potential to present the project to a wider international audience.
As part of the cooperation with the Zero Project Foundation, three models of murals will be installed in the very center of Vienna, in the Karl-Farkas Park, which will also be featuredin the first Austrian inclusive museum guide. Also, as a unique performance during the three days of the conference in the atrium of the UN building, the famous Serbian artist Jana Danilović will paint a mural called "Inclusion". A 3D model was created for this mural, which also contains a description in Braille. The mural and 3D model will be presented at the closing ceremony of the conference, after which they will go on a tour of galleries throughout Austria.
The mural "Inclusion" depicts the universal truth that touch and love break down all barriers and remain a source of strength for everyone.
On the last day of the conference on Friday, February 24th at 12:00, a panel discussion will be held with members of the organization Street Art Belgrade as well as with international participants in the field of street art. The panel will be streamed live via the YouTube channel:
https://www.b2match.com/e/zero-project-conference-2023/sessions/c2Vzc2lvbjoxMzY2NDY=
About the project "Art in Passing"
The goal of the project is to bring street art closer to blind and partially sighted people through the installation of models made with 3D technology. Mural models are an innovative approach to the presentation of street art and graffiti, because with 3D technology, blind and partially sighted people are enabled to get to know the works of art on the streets of Belgrade through touch. Along with the works, there are Braille descriptions that can rarely be found in the public space. The first 3D models of murals for the blind and partially sighted were installed in 2021 on the occasion of October 15th, which is celebrated worldwide as the Day of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and to date a total of nine models have been installed in Belgrade in different locations - the city center, Vračar and New Belgrade.
"We have always been of the opinion that street art is the freest form of art and that it is accessible to everyone because it is on the streets. However, blind and partially sighted people are excluded from this artistic expression. That's why we decided to create 3D models of the murals. In this way, we wanted to bring works on the street closer to the blind and visually impaired and to draw the attention of the general public to the needs of this group of citizens, their inclusion in the daily life of the city - and street art is certainly an important part of that" - the statement of the Street Art Belgrade organization. "We are very happy and proud to have the opportunity to present and realize the project outside of Serbia and to convey our experience to an international audience in order to increase the accessibility of art to all members of the community - concluded the members of the association.
Artist Jana Danilović believes that this is a great opportunity to show how important it is to be aware of how public space is used and that street art, which we perceive as exclusively visual, can also be tactile. "This project quite unexpectedly opened up a new field in art for me, how to act further in my work in order to include the tactile aspect. For most street artists, a democratic approach to art is very important, and it turns out that there is one group of people that is completely excluded, and this is one way to correct that." - says Jana Danilović
The presentation in Vienna, the creation of models and murals is supported by the Zero Project foundation, the European Union platform - Culture Moves and the Goethe-Institut, the national platform Serbia Creates responsible for the international promotion of creative industries, as well as the city organization of the blind in Belgrade. The Tourist Organization of Serbia provided support in the promotion of the project in Serbia and Austria.
The announcement on the Zero Project website can be found here:
https://zeroproject.org/news/article/inclusive-street-art
Links:
https://streetartbelgrade.com/
https://umetnostuprolazu.com/
https://zeroproject.org/
Disclaimer:
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.