A conceptual exhibition dedicated to the great artist Milena Pavlović Barilli titled “Milena Pavlović Barilli: One painter, 15 photographers, 30 works of art” was officially opened on June 23, 2022, at the Italian Institute of Culture in Belgrade, in the presence of numerous guests. The tribute to the inimitable Milena was held under the auspices of the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Culture and Information and in cooperation with the Milena Pavlović Barilli Gallery, the Italian Institute for Culture in Belgrade and DDOR Osiguranje.
The exhibition was officially opened by Maja Gojković, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information. She said that the exhibition, through the photographs made by 15 photographers, offers a new perspective on the artistic work of one of the most important Serbian artists, validating the fact that Milena’s artwork is timeless and that it is an endless inspiration for painters, writers, designers, and other cultural workers.
“The Ministry of Culture and Information, the Embassy of Italy, and the Italian Institute of Culture, together with other partners, have recognized the importance of presenting Milena’s art in the modern era, which makes this exhibition an outstanding example of international cultural cooperation,” Ms. Gojković said.
“Milena, the daughter of the famous Italian writer and music critic Bruno Barilli and Danica Pavlović from Požarevac, is symbolically bringing Serbia and Italy together tonight at the Italian Institute of Centre in Belgrade. The universal power of her creativity is still a bond that makes the cultural ties of our two countries stronger,” added the Minister of Culture.
“It is a privilege to be that we had such a gifted painter. It is all the more our obligation to make her artwork as visible as possible to a wider audience and to affirm her entire artistic appearance among the national and international public,” concluded Ms. Gojković.
The exhibition features 15 contemporary Serbian photographers who contributed to Milena’s creative oeuvre, including Marko Krunić, Monika Pavlović, Marko Vulević, Goran V. Popovski, Dušan Reljin, Vukica Mikača, Goran Zlatković, Vuk Dapčević, Jasna Prolić, Miša Obradović, Miloš Nadaždin, Sever Zolak, Nenad Marjanović, Boogie and Nebojša Babić. This time, the photographers had a great challenge to decipher the hidden messages behind Milena’s marvelous paintings that made her a great artist, an absolute icon of Serbian modernism, and a woman who was and remains ahead of her time.
The exhibition will be open until September 15, 2022, at the Italian Institute of Culture in Belgrade. We want to invite all fans of modernism and art to visit the exhibition, decipher the hidden meanings in the artwork of Milena Pavlović Barili, and at the same time, enjoy the visual treats prepared by contemporary photographers.
