On the occasion of marking 60 years since its establishment, the ‘Atelje 61’ Institution for Tapestry Making, will make the jubilee grander with the opening of the ‘Bosilj Fiction of Atelje 61’ exhibition by the author Jelena Đorđević in the Svilara Cultural Station on Thursday, 11 March, at 12 p.m.
The exhibition includes 13 tapestries by Ilija Bašičević Bosilj, made in the Institution for Tapestry Making in the period 1967-1975.
During the exhibition, professionally guided tours led by Dr Ivana Bašičević Antić, curator of ‘Atelje 61’ and author Jelena Đorđević, have been planned for 16 March at 5 p.m., and for 19 and 29 March at 4 p.m. Moreover, workshops within which weavers-specialists of the artistic weaving in ‘Atelje 61’ will demonstrate to all interested the weaving techniques on small, horizontal looms, and introduce the creative part of co-authorship in the tapestry making, from the cardboard of an artist to the final work.
Visitors themselves will have a chance to try their hands at creating the unique visual artistic media. All interested can apply via e-mail address [email protected] for professionally guided tours.
Tapestry, as an autonomous, visual media, which emerged from the convergence of the French and Flemish tradition and local heritage of the ćilimar technique of weaving on a loom, is a young artistic discipline. However, during its 60-year-old existence so far, it achieved a great progress from first, a little naive, pioneer attempts and experiments, to completely authentic and original achievements that follow contemporary world artistic processes.
Ilija Bašičević – Bosilj attracts a great interest in terms of his creative work, from the moment he was affirmed as a self-taught artist, who afterwards, has positioned himself among the 50 most famous representatives of the so-called Outsider Art (Fr. Art brut), to this day, when his works are the subject of revalorisation, theoretical thinking, and critique. This is also the perception of ‘Atelje 61’ within European and world frameworks, as the only institution profiled as a complex tapestry centre on the territory of the Western Balkans.
The unique institution began with its activities on 28 February 1961, as a craft shop for tapestry making, whose name ‘Atelje 61’ (En. Atelier 61) points out and reminds of the year of establishment, as the so-called visiting card. The first, especially constructed loom for tapestry making by using the special rug weaving technique, was brought to the empty premises of the Boško Petrović atelier on the upper plateau of the Petrovaradin Fortress, the so-called ‘second’ barracks, in April 1961.
Partners of the ‘Atelje 61’ Institution for Tapestry Making in the project are the ‘Fond Ilija & Mangelos’ Foundation and Svilara Cultural Station.
The exhibition will last until 16 April, and visitors will have a chance to see it during working hours of the Svilara Cultural Station, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Organisers kindly ask all visitors to adhere to all measures in order to maintain health and enjoy cultural events. Visitors are obliged to wear masks during all events. The maximum number of visitors indoors is being controlled. In the case of change of pandemic measures, the organiser reserves the right to change the programme and format of the event.
