Međunarodni centar za produkciju, promociju i istraživanje savremenog stvaralaštva pojedinaca koji stvaraju iz duboke potrebe za razumevanjem sopstvenog identiteta kroz i izvan društvenih uloga i odnosa. No historical art context can
penetrate the empty souls of tomorrow…”
Goran Stojčetović, founder of Art Brut Serbia Association
The artist’s need for genuine expression, whose life is marked by s
evere economic inflations and crises,wars, crime and political transition, has found new sources of creative motivation and started to resist against the newly created living and social circumstances in Serbia, from the fall of former Yugoslavia until today. The idea of founding Art Brut Serbia Association is a direct consequence of such times that
inevitably bring with it problems of psychological instability of individuals as well as the whole society. By introducing the idea and formal reference to the term art brut, the association has very clearly introduced to the Serbian culture and society a phenomenological platform that allows a multidimensional and more flexible approach to understanding and accepting art which comes from the people on the outskirts of society. The notion of normalcy has become absurd and is being used to disqualify any type of art coming from “willful” people. Art Brut Serbia likes to question this notion and
bring into light the importance of this type of art. Within the Association, there is also an Art Brut Serbia art group and it represents the production segment of the Association which is carefully nourished, developed and engaged in various cultural and social contexts. Therefore, the Association is directly involved in developing the art scene in the country. On the other hand, the Association puts great effort in discovering new “invisible” artists and talent and works on their inclusion in social and cultural life. The Art Brut Inside web portal and social media, such as the Art Brut Serbia page, currently followed by almost 9000 people, have not only promoted work of its members, but also totally unknowns authors. It has given them a chance to
promote their work not only by publishing photographs, but also their texts and thoughts, without any censorship from its editors. Also, by organizing numerous open workshops and art projects, the Association has created a strong network of friendship and compassionate communication. In different places in Serbia and the region, with different people, in different contexts, from children and youth
with mental disabilities, and children without parental care, psychiatric patients, refugees, and prisoners, to “normal” citizens saturated by official art and culture. This type of communication and action is the life force of Art Brut Serbia Association. Its two long-term projects connect people with shared traumatic experiences and, at the same time, affect the public by depoliticizing the subject matter and providing a more intimate insight into the phenomenon of trauma. Project Joint Guardian,
aimed at collecting, presenting and analyzing artworks made during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999; and project Prison Art Serbia, whose goal is to establish an independent social platform for presenting artworks made by prisoners. Both projects still face ambivalent reactions from the Serbian society and are far from being interesting to the official cultural and scientific community. A special chapter in the history of the Association was the founding of Art Brut Studio VMA at the Day Hospital of the Belgrade Military Medical Academy (VMA) Psychiatric Clinic. Art Brut Studio VMA was established in early 2015 and is part of the regular therapeutic program for patients from both the Day Hospital and the Psychiatric Clinic. It is important to note that this studio, the first of its kind in Serbia, as
well as the Balkans, was founded at the Medical Military Academy, one of the biggest military hospitals not only in southeastern Europe, but the whole world. The studio has already had several exhibitions in the country and abroad: the House of the Serbian Army 2016; Balkan Art Brut Salon 2016, 2017 / ŠTAB Gallery; Museum of the City of Belgrade - Remont Association / Bg Actopolis 2017; Art Primitive Gallery Sarzana, Italy 2017; KC Grad - Art brut / MMA 2018; Basement Warehouse - NOVO DOBA Festival 2018; Military Medical Academy Gallery - Norma i
normala, 2019; Gallery SULUJ - Art Brut Serbia, international exhibition from the collection ABS, 2021. The artistic and psychological aspects of creation were presented at lectures and workshops:
Internal seminar: Art brut studio - MMA Day Hospital 2015; Art therapy and Art brut studio at the Military Medical Academy - House of the Serbian Army 2016; Internal seminar: Art brut studio - MMA Day Hospital 2016; Balkan Art Brut Salon 2017 - ŠTAB Gallery; Art brut studio - connection of psychology and art - 65th Congress of Psychologists of Serbia 2017; Art brut studio MMA - School of Design Bg,
2017; Depth drawing method - MMA Art Brut Studio project - Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, 2017; Psychologist as a guide through the exhibition Art Brut / MMA - KC Grad 2018; Review of the work of the Art Brut of the Military Medical Academy - Meeting of the section of psychologists of professional associates of secondary schools, 2019; Internal seminar: Art brut studio - MMA Day Hospital 2019; Psychological aspects of the Art Brut Study of the Military Medical Academy -
67th Congress of Psychologists of Serbia, 2019. The Art Brut Serbia Association is collaborating with organizations with similar interests and activities. It participates regularly in the program of the Alternative Cultural Centre Matrijaršija in Belgrade
(international festival of independent comics/Novo Doba; independent art and publishing stand at the Fijuk Fair). It launched the first Balkans Art Brut Salon / BABS in 2016, in cooperation with Belgrade-based Štab Gallery. In cooperation with the Halle Saint Pierre Museum in Paris, the Art Brut Serbia Association presented several of its members at the large exhibition of Balkan contemporary marginalized art "Turbulences dans les Balkans" (September 7, 2017 - July 31, 2018) where, in addition to the exhibition, it also played the role of mediator and proposer of marginalized artists the entire region as well as the role of the
organizer of the accompanying program during this exhibition (two-day workshop of performative drawing by Goran Stojčetović with museum visitors, July 2018). In November 2020, the Art Brut Serbia Association was presented at a large group exhibition of Serbian and Croatian contemporary marginalized art "Dream Catchers"at the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, Croatia. In May, 2021, the Art Brut Serbia Association organized an international exhibition of works from the Art Brut Serbia Collection, at the SULUJ Gallery, Belgrade. As part of the exhibition, Depth drawing workshops by Goran Stojčetović were organized. Within the organization NOVI SAD - CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE 2022, the Association Art Brut Serbia is invited to design and organize part of the program that deals with the art of marginalized groups of people and individuals, from the country and abroad. Also, within this program, numerous Depth drawing workshops by Goran Stojčetović will be organized with the users of psychiatric services
and the interested part of the citizens, as well as exhibitions and performances. The Art Brut Serbia Association (ABS) was formally founded in February 2014 in Belgrade. The Association does not hold an office, has no atelier, no gallery, nor any kind of membership or income, sponsorship or donations. It remains in existence solely through the will of its members and friends.
