Art shouldn’t be elitist, it should be about connecting people
With the upcoming exhibition of Serbian contemporary art at the Museum of the American University – Katzen Art Center, which will take place from February 8 to the end of May 2025, we took our time to talk to the founder and director of Art For All Galery, Marija MIlošević, about how this initiative came to be, the impact of these international collaborations between Serbia and America and the people that are behind it all.
Could you share some details with us about the origins and the idea behind the Gallery „Art for All“?
The Art For All Gallery has been working on the promotion of young visual artists since 2016 and serves as a hub for the exchange of ideas and exhibitions. We are located in the most beautiful part of the Old Town, Belgrade, across the street from the Patriarchate, the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel, and the Princess Ljubica Residence. The fact that we are located at the historical crossroads of the city brings us numerous foreign visitors who have positive reviews about the work of our contemporary artists.
It says that the main mission of „Art for All“ is to make art accessible and affordable to all. How do you aim to achieve that?
We are trying to promote fine arts as an inexhaustible resource, which, with a little investment can serve Serbia as an added value in the promotion and positioning of both Belgrade and Serbia on the cultural map. Our motto in our work is that art should not be elitist, it should be about connecting people because it speaks in a universal, comprehensible language for all peoples and nations and conveys a strong message of current topics that are the same throughout the world.
Comprehensible language for all peoples and nations and conveys a strong message of current topics that are the same throughout the world
Recently, you managed to get a date, from February 8 to the end of May 2025, for the exhibition of Serbian contemporary art at the Museum of the American University – Katzen Art Center. How did this initiative come to be?
Our activity, in the field of promoting Serbian contemporary fine art in the United States, began in 2021, when Mrs. Elisabeth Escobar and I first started a private lobbying initiative to obtain exhibition dates in large American cities, such as Washington DC and New York. Mrs. Elisabet Escobar, as the wife of an American diplomat, lived in Belgrade for three years, and fell in love with our spirit and creativity, appreciating the innovation and ingenuity of our artists. We achieved our first exhibition results in 2022 with a large exhibition at the Anacostia Art Center in Washington, where we presented the multimedia works of nine artists from Serbia. This was immediately followed by an exhibition in 2023 in New York at the MC Gallery in Manhattan, where twelve artists were presented.
As the crown of our activity and commitment, we managed to obtain a date for the exhibition at the Museum of the American University Katzen Art Center from February 8 to the end of May 2025 to present and promote not only our contemporary fine art but through accompanying programs, our country and the most important projects in the field of culture, such as Expo 2027.
Could you tell us more about the concept of the exhibition and about the Museum in which it will take place?
We have a third floor, the most important and largest space in the Museum for hosting Serbian contemporary fine art. For that occasion, the museum’s director Mr. Jack Rasmussen, visited Belgrade recently, to get to know better Serbian art scene and way of life. We are about to present new aspirations in today’s modern era and to showcase the art scene as it is today: modern, up-to-date with all global issues. This exhibition should be inspiring storytelling beyond stereotypical representations and narratives, showing contemporary topics, and abandoning the thesis of a region of conflict and opposites. We will try to overcome the stereotypical images of the Homo Balcanicus, which still prevail through the imagination of the West. It is about Serbia Now, which is the working title of the exhibition.
This exhibition should be an inspiring storytelling beyond stereotypical representations and narratives, showing contemporary topics, abandoning the thesis of a region of conflict and opposites
How important are these cultural collaborations between countries such as Serbia and USA? What’s the main impact of such projects?
If the right way of communication is found in presenting culture -in this case contemporary fine arts, then cultural diplomacy in action has a strong influence on forming opinions and conveying messages. Our partners in this endeavor, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia with The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Washington DC, recognized the private initiative’s effort to form a new method of diplomatic mediation in the formation of the country’s image, which has recently been called “soft power “. American Embassy in Belgrade, with His Excellency Ambassador Hill, is aware of our mission and is very supportive.
We are about to present new aspirations in today’s modern era and to showcase the art scene as it is today: modern, up-to-date with all global issues
Could you tell us something about the artists whose work will be displayed at the exhibition?
It is planned to present ourselves through multiple media, which corresponds to the style and genre of artistic practice of our artists. The exhibition will include paintings, sculptures, installations, and video works. The process of selecting artists and artworks is ongoing, Mr. Rasmussen, the director of the museum, and I are working daily to select the most relevant representatives of today’s vibrant contemporary art scene in Serbia. I would not like to highlight any names so as not to leave someone out because the selection is ongoing. We must come across good reviews from Washington professionals and the general public, and Mr. Rasmussen has great experience in doing so.
