ABOUT MUSEUM

The Museum of Applied Art (MAA), founded on 6 November 1950, is the parent institution for applied art on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. In the seven current art collections, national and international applied art and design are long established, and in concert with historical trends and tradition, an active relationship towards contemporary art practices is nurtured.

It is an interesting fact that for the forming of its first collection, the Museum had purchased an extraordinarily valuable collection of over 3,000 various artistically processed items collected by the painter and printmaker Ljuba Ivanović over the course of thirty years. The collected items stand out for their historical and artistic value, especially jewelry, old handwritten and printed books, items carved in wood, horn and mother-of-pearl, wood-carved and painted icons, and more.

The historical range of art objects found in the Museum’s collections is extensive. The oldest date back to the 4^th century BCE and belong to the numismatic collection (ancient Greek money) in the Department of Metals and Jewelry, while the collections in the Department of Contemporary Applied Art contain the most modern art production. As a whole, the Museum’s collections trace the development of applied art over a span of nearly 2,500 years. The Museum contains some 45,000 objects of applied art, among which there are also works of exceptional artistic and cultural importance.

MAA collections: Metal and jewelry; Furniture; Ceramics, glass and porcelain; Textiles and costumes; Architecture and urbanism; Photography, applied graphics and the artistic processing of books; Contemporary applied art and design (graphic, industrial and fashion design). Documentation, wood and textile conservation and the library are an integral part of the Museum’s activities.

In addition to the Museum’s basic activities of research, collection and preservation, the Museum attaches increasing importance to working with the public as an inseparable factor of culture.

THE PERMANENT EXHIBITION OF MAA in the Inkiostri Gallery addresses the public with the most representative historical and contemporary art objects from the Museum’s Collections. An integral part of the permanent exhibition is the Art Object of the Month project, which aims to present to the audience an art object from the repository chosen by the curator monthly.

The program and guest exhibitions of inter-museum, inter-institutional and inter-sector cooperation are realized in the gallery spaces of the Main Gallery, the Anastas Gallery and the Mladi Gallery.

There is a vibrant exhibition activity addressing the audience through the traditional salons: the Salon of Architecture, the Salon of Contemporary Applied Art and the Children’s October Salon, as well as the studio exhibitions that traditionally open on the Day of the Museum. 

The DESIGN MARKET is the museum store, a place to buy tickets and various specimens of design and applied art. The CHILDREN’S CORNER is a new area dedicated to children.

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Presentations of the Republic of Serbia were held at the following international events and festivals:

• The Venice Architecture Biennale
• The London Design Biennale
• The Milan Triennial
• The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space
• The Malta Biennale

The architectural edifice known as the Čelebonović Palace, which has housed the Museum of Applied Art since its foundation, is located at an important point in Belgrade, on Topličin venac, at 18 Vuka Karadžića Street. The museum building is one of the most representative examples of Belgrade architecture in the 20s of the 20th century. It was built between 1927 and 1929 as a two-story palace in the Beaux-Arts style, with a archetypal entrance and a spacious marble staircase with a wrought iron railing.

At the invitation of Dr. Jakov Čelebonović, then a renowned Belgrade lawyer, the well-known architects of the time were engaged for the project. It was designed by Stevan Belić, the facade is by Nikola Krasnov, while the Dutch architect Neregar was in charge of the interior design. It was originally intended for rental. The building has housed the Embassy of Spain, law offices, as well as prestigious fashion salons. Although various adaptations were made over time, it preserved the spirit of the time in which it was built. Since 1950 and the establishment of the Museum of Applied Art, its only purpose remains a museological one. The building is under the protection of the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the City of Belgrade.

Awards received by the Museum of Applied Art:

• THE PQ23 AWARD (the Prague Quadrennial) for activating the community, Moonshine piano, National Selection, co-realized by MAA and SCEN, 2023
• THE PQ23 AWARD (the Prague Quadrennial) for the most imaginative concept, Reverie, Student Selection, co-realized by MAA and SCEN, 2023
• NK ICOM SERBIA, the Museum Expert of the Year Award, Biljana Crvenković, senior MAA curator, 2023
• The PAVLE VASIĆ AWARD for the catalog of the exhibition On the glass road: glass art and representation in Serbia 1850–1950, issued by MAA, author: Biljana Crvenković, senior MAA curator, 2023
• The PAVLE VASIĆ AWARD for the catalog of the exhibition МAŠIĆ, issued by MAA, authors: Slobodan Jovanović, senior MAA curator; Miroslav Mušić; Jerko Denegri, PhD; Borut Vild, 2019
• RECOGNITION OF THE SOCIETY OF ART HISTORIANS OF SERBIA (DIUS) for the best exhibition of contemporary fine art – the MAŠIĆ exhibition, Slobodan Jovanović, senior MAA curator, organized by MAA, 2019
• ICOM SERBIA AWARD FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE YEAR, МAA, 2016
• GOLD MEDAL for initiating a dialogue with the curator of the Prague Quadrennial National installation for the work Power(less) – response(ibility) and the curatorial team of the student selection for the work Process, or what is really important to me, as well as all the participants in both installations, 2015
• LARGE PLAQUE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARTS with a charter to the MAA, 2012
• AWARD – The best librarian in a special library, Andrijana Ristić, senior librarian MAA, 2012
• MDS MIHAILO VALTROVIĆ ANNUAL AWARD in the category Museum of the Year Award, MAA, 2011
• ANNUAL AWARD OF NK ICOM SERBIA in the Publication of the Year category, for the scientific study Applied Art and Belgrade 1918-1941, Bojana Popović, MA, MAA Advisor, 2011
• ICOM AWARDS in the Project of the Year category, MAA, Autobiographics exhibition and the Curator of the Year category, curator Dušan Мilovanović, MAA advisor, 2008-09
• ICOM AWARD FOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR for the Serbian part of the Adriatic Ceramics System international project, MAA team, 2008
• ICOM AWARD FOR MUSEUM OF THE YEAR, MAA, 2005/06

Prizes awarded by the Museum of Applied Art:

• MAA SALON OF ARCHITECTURE: GRAND PRIX, awards and commendations by category, Audience Award and Council Recognition
• CHILDREN’S OCTOBER SALON: Prize for the teacher and for the participating children
• PURCHASE AWARD OF THE MAY ULUPUDS EXHIBITION

DIRECTOR: Biljana Jotić (MA), art historian, curator;

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Igor Todorović, designer, president; Stevan Martinović, PhD, art historian, member; Јelena Zorić, potter, member; Snežana Rožnov, executive director of DDOR Novi Sad, member and Bojana Popović (MA), MAA advisor, member;

upravniodbor@mpu.rs

SUPERVISOR COMMITTEE: Dragan Savić, acting president; Мarija Lukić, jurist, member; Јelena Perać, MAA advisor, member.

nadzorniodbor@mpu.rs

Telephone numbers: +381 11 2626 841, +381 11 2626 494, +381 11 2628 655, +381 11 2631 572, +381 11 2626 461

INFO: info@mpu.rs

PR: pr@mpu.rs

Secretariat: sekretar@mpu.rs

Finance department: finansije@mpu.rs;  racunovodstvo@mpu.rs

Design Market: marketmpu@mpu.rs

Coordination: koordinator@mpu.rs

Library: biblioteka@mpu.rs

Children’s Corner: decji.kutak@mpu.rs

Procurement: nabavka.predmeta@mpu.rs

Technical services:  tehnicka.sluzba@mpu.rs

Security: obezbedjenje@mpu.rs

Volunteering: volunteer@mpu.rs

Slobodan Jovanović, senior curator, Collection of Contemporary Applied Art and Design, Head of the Department of Art Collections, slobodan.jovanovic@mpu.rs

Мila Gajić, senior curator, Collection of metals and jewelry, mila.gajic@mpu.rs

Аna Samardžić (MA), curator, Collection of furniture, ana.samardzic@mpu.rs

Јelena Vukadinović (MA), curator, Collection of ceramics, glass and porcelain, jelena.vukadinovic@mpu.rs

Draginja Maskareli, musum advisor, Collection of textiles and costumes, draginja.maskareli@mpu.rs

Јelena Perać (MA), musum advisor, Collection of photography, applied graphics and book artwork, jelena.perac@mpu.rs

Bojana Popović (MA), musum advisor, Collection of contemporary applied art and design, bojana.popovic@mpu.rs

Јelena Popović, senior curator, Collection of contemporary applied art and design, jelena.popovic@mpu.rs

Slobodan Jović (PhD), architect, Collection of architecture, urban planning and architectural design, slobodan.jovic@mpu.rs

Мilica Cukić (MA), musum advisor, Permanent exhibition, milica.cukic@mpu.rs

Milan Andrić, senior wood conservator, Head of the Department of Specialized Affairs, milan.andric@mpu.rs

Bojana Volaš, MA, conservator of textiles, bojana.volas@mpu.rs

Ana Šćepanović, coordinator, ana.scepanovic@mpu.rs

Mioljub Kušić, MA, documentation curator, mioljub.kusic@mpu.rs

Ivana Milinković, documentation curator, ivana.milinkovic@mpu.rs

Мarina Rakić, MA, art historian and librarian, marina.rakic@mpu.rs

Lea Zei, educator, art pedagogue and senior guide, lea.zei@mpu.rs

Dejana Cvetković, designer, dejana.cvetkovic@mpu.rs

Dejan Nikolić, IT, dejan.nikolic@mpu.rs