Equal winners of the "Milunović, Stijović, Lubarda" award at the 79th Traditional Exhibition of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro (ULUCG), which opened tonight in the Art Pavilion in Podgorica, are Darko Đurović for "Irrational Human Behavior" in oil on canvas, Božo Šekularac for the work "An Angel of Modest Reputation" in the technique of acrylic on canvas and Jovo Petričević for the lithography "Show me your teeth".
Although the award, named after three great Montenegrin artists, is traditionally and symbolically awarded for drawing, sculpture and painting, this year that was not the case.
ULUCG president Svetlana Dragojević confirmed that they did not comply with those guidelines. It is concluded that the prize for the sculptural work, but also for the best exhibition in the previous year, which was previously awarded, was "missing".
"This year, for the first time, there are no more classifications related to artistic paintings, drawings or sculptures or installations... Everything is classified as a work of art. That's why there was a need and that's why three awards, so diverse, were awarded," she said. is she, and when asked whether the tradition of the Traditional Exhibition was interrupted, she answered in the negative.
"They are all works of art, so they are not interrupted. The goal is not to limit ourselves either with techniques or with possible end results, and I think that this is the only way we can develop even more," said Dragojević.
After a long time, the winners of the "Milunović, Stijović, Lubarda" recognition received a plaque and a monetary award in the amount of 500 euros.
Another novelty this year is the award for young people called "ULUCG", which is intended for members of the Association up to the age of 35 and includes the organization of an independent exhibition in the gallery space of the Art Pavilion in the upcoming exhibition season. The winner of this award is the artist Ksenija Borozan for the relief "Raised Hand", which also attracts attention at the very entrance to the Pavilion.
"This year we have about twenty new members and we thought that the best possible reward for them is the opportunity to exhibit, because the reward will be in the form of an exhibition. We will organize an exhibition for them during the next year, which, I think, is the best way to draw attention to their work, potential, opportunities," explained Dragojević, who was elected as the new president of the association at the ULUCG Assembly in December.
The redemption prize of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro in the amount of up to 3.000 euros was also awarded to Radovan Rajko Grujić for the work "Slanderer" in combined technique.
The president of the jury, academic painter Tanja Markuš, told the News that the basic criterion for awarding awards was the quality of the work, both in terms of some technical skills in the realization of the work itself, and in terms of the originality of the idea that the work carries. She expressed satisfaction with this year's exhibition and attendance, and pointed out the importance of the ULUCG award for young artists.
"I am especially glad that this year we reintroduced a cash prize for artists, which unfortunately was not given for many years, and in addition we also introduced a prize for young artists in order to support the presentation of young artists at the very beginning of their career and give them the opportunity to present themselves and improve," Markuš told Vijesta.
The exhibition includes the works of 116 artists, and this year's opening ceremony was definitely one of the most visited in recent years and provides a kind of cross-section of the Montenegrin art scene and an insight into the tendencies of the authors.
At the opening, Markuš announced the winners, Dragojević addressed the audience with the wish that there would be more such gatherings in the future, and the exhibition was officially opened by academician Zuvdija Hodžić.
"Each of the collective annual exhibitions of the Association of Fine Artists of Montenegro, and there were 78 of them, as well as this one tonight, represented first-class cultural events and confirmed the dominant role of fine artists in Montenegrin society," he said at the beginning and continued to recall the decades-long tradition and the importance of this manifestation.
"Symbolically speaking, the journey of a thousand miles was made possible by Lubarda, Lukateli, Oraovac, Vujović, Tomanović, Božović, Prijić, and a little later the returnees to Montenegro, Milunović and Vušković, who in 1946 founded the Association, then schools, then Art Galleries, and with the first exhibitions with catalogs on cardboard and kraft paper, they showed their artistic potential, and with Lubarda's exhibition in 1951, they shook the Yugoslav art scene," added Hodžić.
He pointed out that imagination, pluralism of ideas, freedom of expression are important characteristics of artists and characteristics of the Montenegrin art scene, but also an expression of the Montenegrin libertarian tradition, the unity of ethics and aesthetics.
"Only a free man can be a true artist. Only a true artist can be a free man. This exhibition of the works of 116 artists, of whom the Association and Montenegrin culture are proud, and we - art lovers, happy and grateful" is proof of that, said the academician and declared the exhibition open.
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