OPEN CALL “IT NEVER HAPPENED!”
ASSOCIATION OF FINE ARTISTS OF SERBIA (ULUS),
Department of expanded media,
announces an open call for submission of artworks for the exhibition
It never happened!
The exhibition is dedicated to the centenary of the publication of the avant-garde magazine Zenit
https://www.avantgarde-museum.com/en/museum/collection/authorszenit~pe4393/
Zenit: international magazine for art and culture
Zenit, the international magazine for art and culture, has been launched by avant-garde artist Ljubomir Micić (1895-1971) in February 1921 in Zagreb. It’s been published there monthly up to 1923, and thereafter in Belgrade till the last issue in December 1926, when the magazine has been forbidden. A total of 43 issues were published, as well as one poster Zenitsmus, and one issue of daily Zenit Newspaper dated 23 Septemebr 1922. Besides Ljubomir Micić, other people have taken part in the editing of Zenit, like Boško Tokin, Rastko Petrović, Branko Ve Poljanski and Ivan Goll. The contributors were: Miloš Crnjanski, Dušan Matić, Stanislav Vinaver, Alexander Blok, Jaroslav Seifert, Wassily Kandinsky and others.
Zenit is the most significant avant-garde magazine in the territory of former Yugoslavia and one of the most significant within the context of European avant-garde. By its programme, Zenit is basically international: it gravitated to the creation of one completely new and united Europe, disregarding the races, nationalities, languages, ideas or ideologies. In many ideas, it was an attempt of new Babylon palace building in spite of mixed nations. Zenitism is the avant-guard movement born around Zenit magazine. The Zenitism Manifest is published in June 1921 and was proclaiming the humanism аnd anti-war ideas. Western European culture is spiritually bankrupt, according to Micic, but Zenitism, the embodiment of the Balkan “barbaro-genius”, will revitalize it.
The Zenit collection belongs to special collections of National library of Serbia, as a part of the Ljubomir Micić’s legacy
The exibition will be realized in the Art Pavilion “Cvijeta Zuzorić” ,Mali Kalemegdan 1 in Belgrade, in the period from March 18 to April 8, 2021.
Word from organizers:
In the year in which we mark one century since the publication of the first issue of the magazine ZENIT revue for modern art / February 1921 / edited by avant-garde writer and critic Ljubomir Micić, exhibition will be starting point for contemporary critical and artistic observation of the fate of avant-garde movements and their impact on society, their internal tensions-contradictions as well as the social reception that tend to leave often such a figures and movements quite ahead of their own time – at the very margins, and even to- historical oblivion.
The avant-garde never permeated society as a whole, but its significance was subsequently often valued as exceptional and revolutionary.
Therefore, the title of the exhibition contains a reflection not only related to the historical fact of avant-garde phenomena, but also echoes as well towards the processes of emancipation that they (not) initiated in the wider society.
Therefore, the organizing committee invites artists to contribute with art works that are:
– focused on the historical avant-garde movements and their contemporary heritage
– are developing socially engaged ideas: manifests, revolutionary or utopian projects
– examining the boundary areas of visual expression
– experimenting with codes and language innovations in visual expression
to submit their works to the competition in one of four categories:
- individual works for exhibition in all formats
- performative program in the space of the Art Pavilion “Cvijete Zuzorić”
- speech program or presentations of artwork on the stage of the exhibition lasting up to 45 minutes (projector, lighting, sound system provided)or recorded presentations up to 30 minutes
It is possible to present various works that belong to the domain of expanded media, such as video, experimental film, performance, various forms of multimedia, digital photography, street art , mail art, etc.), interactive installations (works realized through computers, microphones, electronic sensors, networking), art of software and applications, etc.
The competition is open to all artists, and each author or art group has the right to submit up to two works for the exhibition created no later than 2019.
The application should contain:
– filled in application form ,
– visual presentation of the paper – insert from the proposed paper in .mp4, .jpg, .wav format or a link to the visual and textual documentation of the paper. For each submitted work, it is necessary to enclose at least one photo of 10x15cm, 300 dpi resolution, RGB color mode. In case of video or process work, a link for review (Vimeo, YouTube…) is submitted in the form of an insert lasting up to 3 minutes.
– Certificate of paid membership fees for the current year for ULUS members. For members who have paid the membership fee for the current year, participation is free, and for those who do not pay the membership fee, but want to participate in this exhibition, as well as artists who are not ULUS members attach a confirmation of payment of registration fee of 2,000 RSD, while for foreign artists the amount is 30 EUR.
Payment in the country is made according to the following instructions:
Recipient: Association of Fine Artists of Serbia, Mali Kalemegdan no. 1. Belgrade Purpose of payment: Material costs for the production of the exhibition of the PM-ULUS section
Account number: 325-9500600026388-38
Payment from abroad is made according to the following instructions: Intermediary: OTP BANK PLC., BUDAPEST, SWIFT CODE: OTPVHUHB, Account with institution: VOJVOĐANSKA BANKA A.D., SWIFT CODE: OTPVRS22, Beneficiary Customer: /RS35325960160000399767, UDRUŽENJE LIKOVNIH UMETNIKA SRBIJE, MALI KALEMEGDAN 1, Beograd (Stari Grad), SERBIA
or (recomanded) via PayPal-om on the adress: izvodi.ulus@gmail.com
Due to the difficult financial situation in which the Association finds itself, the registration fees for this year could not be completely abolished, but they were reduced.
Applications for the competition, which must contain the entire competition material, are submitted by e-mail to the address:
godisnja.prosirenimediji@gmail.com
Electronic application of each applicant for the competition is required.
The competition for the submission of works is open until March 10, 2021.
The authors will be informed about the selector’s decisions by March 12, 2021. Acceptance of the received works for the exhibition will be done on March 14 and 15, 2021. The exhibition will take place on March 16 and 17, 2021. If necessary – with the participation of the author.
The deadline for submitting data for the catalog and website is March 13, 2021.
The opening of the exhibition will be held on March 18, 2021. The taking over of the works after the end of the exhibition will take place on April 9, 2021.
No later than five days after the arrival of the notification that the work has been accepted for the exhibition, the author is obliged to submit electronically:
- at least one photo of the presented content: 300dpi resolution, CMYK color mode, .jpg or .png format.
- text on the work – up to 250 words;
- short narrative biography of the artist – up to 250 words.
OTHER REGULATIONS:
The organizer reserves the right to artists who do not timely
submit the required materials be removed from the list of exhibitors. Incomplete, untimely or applications that do not comply with the propositions of the competition will not be considered. Papers that do not correspond to the content of the competition in their format will not be included in the selection. The selectors reserve the right to contact the work proposer in case of ambiguity and ask for additional documentation.
The selection of works is done by the Organizing Committee of the exhibition composed of 4 (four) members who are appointed by the Section of Expanded Media and confirmed by the decision of the Board of ULUS. The selectors and curators reserve the right to include 20 invited artists in the exhibition.
Due to the new circumstances caused by the pandemic, the Organizing Committee of the exhibition reserves the right to introduce changes in time and space if necessary.
Each artist, given the modest potential funding of ULUS, can receive a letter of support to borrow equipment or provide self-equipment to display their work.
At their request, the Organizing Committee will send the authors of the selected works an appropriate certificate of selection, in order to obtain (or return) funds for participation and / or realization of artistic work – from sponsors, donors and / or local organizations.
On the occasion of the exhibition, a special edition in PRINTED FORMAT will be published, special publications – NEWSPAPER, and the data from the applications will be used for this publication. Each exhibitor is entitled to one free copy.
By filling in and signing the Application Form, the author agrees to use his work for the purpose of promotion, catalogs, both in print and on social networks and in other promotional formats.
Transport of works and customs clearance costs (for applications outside Serbia) are borne by the artist. ULUS will issue the necessary documentation to confirm the purpose of importing the author’s work.
ULUS is responsible for damage or disappearance of works from the day of acceptance into possession until the day when they hand them over to the export customs procedure, i.e. until the moment when the artist personally takes over the works.
ULUS is not responsible for damage or disappearance of works in case of force majeure (natural disaster, unforeseen difficult circumstances, war events, etc.).
ULUS will not be liable for any damage or disappearance of works that have not been taken over by the last takeover date. With the consent of the artist, ULUS may sell or award unaccepted works for humanitarian purposes, in accordance with the ULUS Abandoned Works Ordinance.
With best regards,
Organizing committee
