Berislav Šerbetić and Vojin Bakić. Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija. 1979–81. Petrova Gora, Croatia. Exterior view. Photo: Valentin Jeck, commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art, 2016
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is set to open a new exhibition exploring the architecture of the former country of Yugoslavia. Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948–1980 will be the first exhibition in the United States to honor the peculiar architecture of the former socialist nation.
More than 400 drawings, models, photographs, and film reels culled from an array of municipal archives, family-held collections, and museums across the region will be presented to an international audience for the first time. Toward a Concrete Utopia will feature works by many of Yugoslavia’s leading architects. It will explore “large-scale urbanization, technological experimentation and its application in everyday life, consumerism, monuments and memorialization, and the global reach of Yugoslav architecture.”
Read on for more about the exhibition and Yugoslav brutalism.
Jordan and Iskra Grabul. Monument to the Ilinden Uprising. 1970–73. Kruševo, Macedonia. Photo: Valentin Jeck, commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art, 2016
The architecture that emerged during this period is a manifestation of the “radical pluralism, hybridity, and idealism” that characterized the Yugoslav state itself during its 45-year existence. The exhibit will delve into the unique forms and “multifaceted character” behind the international spectacle of Yugoslav architecture.
Branko Žnidarec. Hotel Adriatic II. 1970–71. Opatija, Croatia. Exterior view. Photo: Valentin Jeck, commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art, 2016
Ivan Vitić. Apartment Building on Laginjina Street. 1957–62. Zagreb, Croatia. Perspective drawing, 1960. Tempera, pencil, and ink on paper, 27 15/16 × 39 3/8″ (71 × 100 cm). Ivan Vitić Archive, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
You can visit the exhibition from July 15, 2018 – January 13, 2019, at The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.
News via: MoMA
MoMA to Explore Spomenik Monuments With “Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948-1980”
The Museum of Modern Art will explore the architecture of the former Yugoslavia with Toward a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948-1980, the first major US exhibition to study the remarkable body of work that sparked international interest during the 45 years of the country’s existence.