Through the icons and embroidery of Serbian artist Marija Vukosavljević, the audience in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, will have the opportunity to enjoy them over the next month thanks to Žana Petković Kuljača de Rodriguez, the honorary consul of our country in that South American state, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Republic of Serbia and the selfless assistance of the curator of the “Manzana Uno” gallery, Cecilia Baje Boti.
The exhibition was opened by the Secretary General of the MFA, Dušan Kozarev, who on that occasion emphasized that “this exhibition is not only an artistic event, but also a symbol of cultural dialogue, understanding and friendship between our two peoples, firmly connected by the Christian religion and the nurturing of traditional values.” Kozarev also noted “that relations between Serbia and Bolivia are good and friendly, based on a high level of mutual understanding, respect and support on the most important issues.”
Speaking about the exhibited icons and their significance for the spiritual life of the Serbian people, honorary consul Žana Petković Rodriguez underlined that “on the one hand, in an unconscious way and through these icons, national awareness was strengthened, and the tradition of Saint Sava and Orthodoxy were integrated into the Serbian spiritual being, which is why even in the most difficult moments of suffering and hardship the people preferred to renounce life and existence altogether rather than betray the tradition of their glorious ancestors.”
Curator Cecilia Baje Boti pointed out that “Marija Vukosavljević enters the spiritual space through the practice of machine sewing, thus revealing Orthodox icons that connect us in this way with the contemporary, in terms of form of execution, and the traditional.”
In addition to a significant number of representatives of the cultural life of Santa Cruz, the opening of the exhibition was further enriched by a performance by the children’s choir “Friends of Art,” who performed Serbian songs in the Spanish language.
Marija Vukosavljević (1979), from Valjevo, graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade and is a member of the Association of Applied Artists and Designers of Serbia (ULUPUDS). From 2013 to the present, she has exhibited in 20 solo and more than 40 group exhibitions in Serbia and abroad.
Her works are found in Serbian, Greek and Russian temples – in the churches of St. John (Paune), the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos (Mladenovac), St. Sava and in the Cathedral Church in Novi Sad, in the monasteries of St. Nektarios (Aegina), Hilandar and Lelić, in the Bishop’s Palace in Kruševac and in the Gradac Monastery.
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Source: Predrag Karasović Foto & Video: Počasni konzulat Srbije u Boliviji