THE 58^th CHILDREN’S OCTOBER SALON

Awarding of diplomas and prizes: Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 6 pm, the MAA

Authors of the catalog and exhibition: Milica Cukić, museum advisor and Lea Zei, museum art teacher

Organizer: the Museum of Applied Art

Fear and a brave heart is the slogan under which the 58^th Children’s October Salon of the Museum of Applied Art will be held from 11 October to 11 November 2023. Imagination fuels our fears, but it can also help us overcome our fears. Creativity, derived from imagination, creates works of art that, by confronting fear, alleviate its ill effects. Sometimes it is difficult to understand a child’s fear, and even more difficult to calm it down. It seems to us that art can be an ideal way for children to overcome various fears. That is why the goal of this year’s theme of the 58^th Children’s October Salon, dedicated to FEAR, is to directly help children with this emotion.

Some 99 institutions had applied for the competition, including preschool institutions, primary schools, studios and art workshops with 1,015 works of art. The works were selected by Marija Labudović, associate professor at the Department of Textiles within the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade, and Lea Zei, art teacher, who chose 532 works for exhibition.

A first look at the received artworks tells us that two-thirds of the works on paper are two-dimensional, and one-third is three-dimensional. The immediate impression is that this year our participants were most afraid of spiders and other insects, which, although colorful, are no less dangerous. Then come sharks and other poisonous fish of all colors and sizes, as well as snakes. Of course, there is an army of ghosts, vampires, ghosts and various monsters that all children fear. Resulting from negative feelings and phobias, there are illustrations of fears of the dark, deep water, storms, i.e. lightning and thunder, airplanes, heights, but also solitude. Courage is illustrated in a variety of ways, from knights defeating dragons to bold hearts beating in the chests of the protagonists.

As in previous years, the accompanying program of the Salon will be carried out during the Children’s October Salon event in the area of the Children’s Corner of the MAA, as well as at the exhibition itself. The workshop program will be organized in cooperation with renowned artists such as Uroš Petrović and Professor Rastko Ćirić. Due to the specificity of the topic, the program will also include support groups for users of mental health services, such as the NGO Prostor from Belgrade.

The Children’s October Salon event consists of an exhibition and an accompanying workshop and educational program. The exhibition is a select one and prizes are awarded to both children and teachers. The Applied Artists and Designers Association of Serbia (ULUPUDS) specifically grants two awards: for the most successful children’s work in the field of applied art and for the pedagogue who has brought applied art closer to children in the most creative way.