Exhibition 'Jovan Kratochvil. Composition 100/24'

The retrospective exhibition of Jovan Kratochvil (1924-1998) is being held on the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth and after enough time has passed since his absence, in order to comprehensively view his rich and diverse artistic legacy for the first time. The National Museum of Serbia opens the exhibition on Friday, November 15th at 6 pm, believing that the exhibition is the only true opportunity for a direct encounter, experience, understanding, reevaluation, summarization, and possible repositioning of Jovan Kratochvil's artistic legacy. The exhibition 'Jovan Kratochvil - Composition 100/24' for the first time brings together his most significant works from all creative phases that were created from the 1940s to the 1980s. Starting from partisan art and socialist realism, moving towards abstract expression within socialist aesthetics and modernism, exploring work in different materials, all the way to pioneering achievements of sculptures made of transparent polyester. The exhibition curator, Lidija Ham Milovanovic, has selected a total of 100 exhibits, among which sculptures are dominant. Additionally, Kratochvil's paintings, graphics, and drawings are presented, along with documentary exhibits on public monuments. Considering that Jovan Kratochvil often titled his works 'Composition' with a written serial number in the year of creation, the exhibition setup carries a title that aligns with the artist's practice. The selected material is mostly owned by the Kratochvil family, and in addition to works from the National Museum of Serbia, the installation includes works from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, the Museum of Yugoslavia, the Faculty of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Sumadija in Kragujevac, the Contemporary Gallery from Zrenjanin, Muzej Zepter, as well as three works in private ownership. The selection of exhibits includes emblematic works by Kratochvil, as well as a selection of achievements that marked his creative phases from the beginnings to works that we believe represent the latest, simultaneously most inventive outcomes of his artistic quests.