New Era: Artistic Discourses on Social and Climate Change

Igor Bošnjak, Isidora Branković, diSTRUKTURA, Jovan Došenović, Dejan Marković, Marija Marković, DNLM, Bojan Mrđenović, PLATEAURESIDUE, Helena Tahir, Nikola Tomić and Adrienn Újhazi

The group exhibition New Era: Artistic Discourses on Social and Climate Change presents works of twelve artists and art groups from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia whose works ardently and consistently address the relationship between human and nature over a longer period of time. In doing so the artists reflect and comment on one of the most topical and pressing issues of present-day society – those of ecology, climate and social change and environmental protection.

The selected artworks highlight profound questions about human impact on the environment and address various social phenomena that impact climate change, and therefore provide an insight into numerous environmental challenges from the perspective of contemporary art. The artists address issues of social responsibility while touching upon an array of ecological and environmental issues, such as questions of interactions between living organisms and their interaction with the environment. In their works they deal with universal themes that refer to ongoing degradation of the environment, as well as challenges caused by modern-day technologies. Furthermore, they draw attention to some fundamental social and ecological questions, and therefore aim to raise awareness about the far-reaching consequences of social and climate change.

The exhibition is result of the project that was jointly conceived and implemented by three museums: Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Galerija Božidar Jakac – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Kostanjevica na Krki, and Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad. It is devised as a travelling exhibition which will be, throughout 2024, showcased in all three participating museums in Novi Sad, Banja Luka and Kostanjevica na Krki. Hereby, this is the continuation of successful cooperation between these art institutions that are instrumental in the development of a dynamic contemporary art scene in the wider region.

The New Era: Artistic Discourses on Social and Climate Change project is supported by the British Council and it constitutes a part of the Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans (CC4WBs) project, funded by the European Union. CC4WBs is focused on fostering dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact. Over a 48-month period, the CC4WBs project aims to improve the performance of the cultural and creative sectors in order to enhance skills, knowledge, access to financial aid to increase competitiveness and sustain co-production and circulation of goods and services in the Western Balkans.

Kustosi: Mladen Banjac (MSURS), Miha Colner (GBJ), Sanja Kojić Mladenov (MSUV)