With their rich exhibition program, they guarantee an excellent cultural and artistic experience. And the spaces are very attractive to them, see why.
Tena Razumović ŽmaraMarch 2, 2024
Gallery spaces are often an inspiration for creation; either from the fact that they are beautiful, clean, minimalistic empty halls, which seem to be pure blank paper on which we will just start writing or drawing, or from the fact that these are spaces with a pronounced character and which then become that spatial part of the larger one, ” site specific” work. If you have the opportunity, try to arrange a visit to the space when it is not exhibiting. It will be a void that inspires.
The art scene, not only the art scene, but also the musical, literary, dramatic, and all the creative and inspiring people who make it up can be best met at openings and various get-togethers organized by art galleries. It is often about spaces that are independent organizations or private, and their turbine of work and creativity is started by a wealthy collector or a budding group of enthusiasts who spend every euro in order to make the best use of it during the promotion and presentation of artists with an exhibition that they realize in their space. I bring a selection of galleries in the major cities of the region, which you should visit regardless of which and what kind of exhibition awaits you there. Or at all.
The Cukrarna Gallery opened relatively recently, in September 2021. year, which you can read about here , and it was immediately accepted and placed at the top of the list of significant galleries in the region. This is a place for contemporary art, thought exploration, sound, music. The sugar factory is a hub and an institution at the same time, whose values are based on humanism; respect for others, responsibility for the environment, social criticism and reflection of the society in which it operates. The sugar factory began its life, as its name suggests, as a sugar factory in 1822. in order to be bought by the City of Ljubljana and renovated and transformed into one of the most beautiful and inspiring gallery and creative spaces in the region. Now it has also introduced a new exhibition program scheme, find out what it is all about here . Related: Homes of art: Once industrial plants, see what they’ve become today
Cukrarna, Photo: Cukrarna.art
Bežigraj galleries are places of art, but also of jazz and experimental sound. And often, in addition to music, poetry or literary reading can be heard in these spaces. If these spaces are not filled with art and visuals, words and sound, they are still very interesting. These are smaller galleries that act like a simple labyrinth, encouraging you to move through them and discover their spaces.
Bežigraj Gallery, Ljubljana
Like Cukrarna and Tobačna, it is an excellent example of the revitalization and repurposing of an urban industrial area into one for culture and art. Tobačna 001 is a cultural center with an exhibition space, a museum collection and an apartment for artist residency. It represents the first renovated historical building within the old Tobačna complex in Ljubljana. It opened its doors in 2011. and since then it has been one of the centers of multicultural content. The synergy of the exhibition, museum and residence space is interesting, if you have the opportunity, be sure to visit them all at once, and as an artist you can “taste” the residential part by staying at the residence.
Cultural center Tobačna 001, Ljubljana
Unlike many other private galleries, which are primarily focused on selling the works of artists they collaborate with or from their own funds, the Kranjčar Gallery in Zagreb is focused on a very dynamic exhibition program, so they try to organize two or three exhibitions, promotions, presentations every month. from the contemporary fine and wider art scene. The space of the Kranjčar Gallery is so often filled with people, crowds and noise. But Saturday mornings are perfect for enjoying this extremely inspiring space, which, although it transforms with each exhibition, continuously brings a feeling of peace, silence, and contemplation. Countless times I have “caught” myself on the beautiful Chesterfield couch, which can be placed in the space as needed, as I enter the meditation space. And the exhibition? The exhibition is here, waiting. After calming down, I take a breath, get up and look around her. And I’m always surprised with the excellent quality of the lineup.
Kranjčar Gallery, Zagreb, Photo: Juraj Vuglač
A new gallery of contemporary art in the city of Zagreb that “shook up” the scene last year. Every opening is followed by a real party on Mesnička Street, because not all visitors fit into the gallery. This gallery space is primarily an exhibition space. With a street location in the center of Zagreb and one hundred and fifty square meters of exhibition space, the gallery opens to the city and visitors through large glass windows.
Sidewalk, Photo: Bosnic+Dorotic
Just above the main town square, there is a smaller gallery with an extremely interesting space. Galerija Modro is an elegant basement space with beautiful barrel vaults, which always smells of fresh flowers. Many artists have passed through this space with their works, and what they have in common is the audience. Many who visit Galeria Modro return again and again. I think that the space contributes equally to these returns, as well as the interestingness of the exhibition.
Modro Gallery, Photo: Sanjin Kaštelan
Gallery SC is the place where every young artist exhibited in Zagreb at the beginning of his career. Gallery SC is fortunately inevitable. It is also a beautiful white empty cube with the best lighting in town. Enter the gallery when it is empty and when it is hosting an exhibition, i.e. when the opening rush is an equally impressive event. Here the void is full and silence is sound.
Gallery SC, Photo: Matija Smuk
Art space U10 is an independent art space dedicated to the affirmation of contemporary art, founded in 2012. in Belgrade. It was created in a certain environment as a local platform that serves to represent the young art scene. Art Space U10 achieves exchange with similar initiatives and spaces through work on creating a culture of art education, debate and exchange between artists, curators, art theorists and the wider audience.
Like the Bežigraj Gallery, this is a small labyrinth of spaces. In which excellent exhibitions of contemporary local and regional art find their home for a few weeks.
U10, Belgrade
There is a very special place in Belgrade. He seems to be an exhibition unto himself. You can read more about it here , the only thing I would like to point out is that the uniqueness of the name “piano nobile” is fully “felt” there. As soon as you step into it, you know you are in a very, very special place. Exhibitor, whatever.
Non Canonical, Belgrade
A spacious hall, concrete, neon lighting… These are the first associations that come to mind when I think of contemporary art. And that’s exactly what the Eugster gallery looks like. And it exhibits contemporary art. This excellent combination of contemporary space and contemporary content is the reason why you should definitely visit the Eugster gallery in Belgrade.
Eugster, Belgrade
Since its establishment in 1961, the exhibition practice of the Salon has always been oriented towards younger artists and current artistic tendencies, as well as the presentation of renowned foreign artists. Almost all the most important visual artists from the former Yugoslavia presented themselves to the Belgrade audience in the Museum’s Salon with an independent exhibition, and this practice has continued to this day.
The Salon space is significant, essential, important, all these epithets are felt as soon as you step into the space. Exhibiting in the Salon is prestigious. Even though the space itself does not look grandiose, that significance is felt in the space and that is why it is one of the more interesting exhibition spaces in Belgrade and the region.
Salon MSUB, Belgrade
Opened in 2016. in Baš Čaršija, the contemporary art gallery Brodac, which is also known as Contemporary Bosnia, quickly became a meeting and socializing place for the youngest part of the contemporary art scene. At first, the space is characteristically alternative. That is also attractive about him, because it reflects the scene, all those who visit him. An extremely vibrant place that exudes artistic charm.
Gallery of Contemporary Art Brodac | Contemporary Bosnia, Sarajevo
Manifesto is a hybrid cultural space where a community uses art to address social and political issues. “Our vision is to start a small cultural revolution.” – they say from the gallery. The space is inviting, attractive and really the ideal place to start a revolution, at least an artistic one.
Manifesto Gallery of Contemporary Arts, Sarajevo
Collegium Artisticum was named after the progressive cultural and artistic movement, which was founded by artists with a left-wing political orientation at the dawn of the Second World War in 1939. 1962. Due to its anti-fascist determination, the movement was banned shortly after its foundation. Collegium Artisticum has so far hosted over a thousand exhibitions in over forty years of activity. All relevant artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavia exhibited in this gallery, and the Grand Prix awarded by the Collegium Artisticum at its annual April 6 exhibition is considered one of the most prestigious art awards in the region. At the same time, the minimal and empty space of the gallery shows how “less is more”.
Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo
