HISTORICAL SUCCESS OF SERBIAN CULTURE: Our project won second place at the UNESCO competition in Paris! (VIDEO)

The Kaleidoskop Cultural Center has achieved a historic success for Serbian culture on the global stage: the project “Light of Logos: Digital Networking, Education and Inclusion for Sustainable Development of Contemporary Sacred Art” won second place at the UNESCO competition in Paris. Out of over 2,000 applications and 881 officially selected projects from 194 countries, UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) chose only the 11 best, and the project by the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center took second place, with a difference of only half a point compared to the first-place winner.

This is the first time that a civil society organization from Serbia has received support from UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) in the specific field of contemporary sacred art, whereby the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center is recognized as a carrier of innovative practices in the international cultural space.

Global confirmation of vision and tradition

By the decision of the 19th regular session in Paris, UNESCO positioned the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center as a strong actor on the international cultural scene, while contemporary sacred art was clearly defined as an important factor in creative industries and global development trends.

Through an integrated approach that combines media and cultural production with education, Kaleidoskop positions itself as a bridge between tradition and innovation—a platform capable of shaping narratives about cultural diversity in local, regional, and international contexts.

Special prestige is added to this success by the fact that the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center has been included in the official calendar marking the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, making the project part of the global celebration of this key international document.

The independent evaluation of the National Commission during the pre-selection process assessed that the project offers a rare and innovative focus on sacred art in a contemporary and digital context, filling a significant gap in artistic and institutional support frameworks. The Commission also pointed out that the project has exceptional opportunities to contribute to long-term structural improvements in the cultural and creative sector of Serbia, especially in the field of contemporary sacred art.

Digital future of sacred art

The project will be implemented in the period from May 2026 to May 2028 and includes international networking of artists, the development of a specialized digital platform, educational programs, and exhibition activities. Through the construction of digital infrastructure, for the first time, conditions are systematically created for the long-term development of contemporary sacred art in a digital environment, featuring virtual exhibitions, educational content, and international knowledge exchange.

“Light of Logos” before the Belgrade audience in September

The international, juried exhibition “Light of Logos,” which will be held from September 1 to 16, 2026, in the Gallery of the Ilija M. Kolarac Endowment in Belgrade, represents the first public step in the realization of this broader strategic project, accompanied by international master classes. The exhibition is held with the blessing of His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and continues a seven-year tradition of the manifestation.

The previous edition, from 2025, confirmed the high position of the “Light of Logos” exhibition on the regional and European cultural scene: the exhibition was viewed by more than 4,000 visitors during its 15-day duration, more than 600 guests attended the grand opening, and 97 selected artists from 12 countries exhibited 130 works, including leading iconographers of today.

Partners on the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center project are the Kontrapunkt Association and the Center for Sustainable Communities, with the participation of domestic and international experts and artists.