NC ICOM Serbia Award for the Museum of the Year 2005/06

“In the years of 2005 and 2006 Belgrade Museum of Applied Art has realized an exceptional high quality programme, comprising of exhibition activity and the following programmes, the partial restoration of permanent exhibition, publishing and a constant effort to attract the public through lectures, discussions, promotions, film features and concerts. During the mentioned period, the Museum has organized 16 exhibitions (alone and in collaboration with other institutions from our country and from abroad). Among many exhibitions the Museum hosted one should particularly single out the international event The Days of Polish Culture (2005), which presented exhibitions of Polish jewelry and modern posters, as well as a series of contemporary Polish film. Also, one must not forget the retrospective exhibition entitled Tapio Virkkala, a legend of Finnish design. With the exhibition New Ideas of Contemporary Serbian Ceramic Art at the Beginning of the 21st Century, organized in 2005 in Sidney, the Museum of Applied Art returned to the international art scene, after 15 years. Beside all these, the Salon of Architecture, the Children’s October Salon, the Salons of Applied Art, as well as theme exhibitions Preserved Time and Modern Classics, together with a remarkable publishing activity, the monograph dedicated to the Museum of Applied Art being the pivotal example thereof, all represent a part of this museum’s activity that has strongly marked the cultural life of Belgrade and Serbia during the period behind us. As for the international exchange, the Museum’s activities contributed to the efforts to promote our culture abroad, as well as to present the work of contemporary artist from other countries to the local audience.”

(Excerpt from the Awards Committee explanation)