"Josip Broz Tito" Art Gallery of the Nonaligned Countries
| Company type | Art gallery |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arts and culture |
| Founded | September 1, 1984 in Titograd, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Yugoslavia |
| Founder | Non-Aligned Movement |
| Defunct | April 4, 1995 |
| Fate | Merged into Centre for Contemporary Art of Montenegro |
| Successor | Centre for Contemporary Art of Montenegro |
| Headquarters | Titograd (now Podgorica) , Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Yugoslavia |
Area served | Non-Aligned Movement countries and developing countries |
| Products | Exhibition and preservation of art and cultural works from NAM countries |
| Owner | Non-Aligned Movement member states (collective ownership) |
The "Josip Broz Tito" Art Gallery of the Nonaligned Countries () was an art gallery located in Titograd (present-day Podgorica) within the Socialist Republic of Montenegro, part of the former Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia. It stood out as the sole art institution founded through a resolution of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Inaugurated on 1 September 1984, the Gallery's mission was to gather, safeguard, and exhibit artistic and cultural works originating from Non-Aligned Movement nations and developing countries. Its establishment was formalized during the 8th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Harare, Zimbabwe, where it was envisioned as a collaborative entity responsible for organizing a recurring Triennial of art from NAM countries. However, this triennial event never materialized due to disruptions caused by the Yugoslav Wars.
Over its years of activity, the Gallery compiled a collection of approximately 800 pieces contributed by 56 countries aligned with NAM and other developing regions. The assortment comprised fine arts, applied arts, furniture, musical instruments, and objects of ethnological, anthropological, archaeological, and geological significance, alongside items connected to notable historical moments and personalities. The institution officially ceased operations on 4 April 1995 when the Parliament of Montenegro created the Centre for Contemporary Art of Montenegro, which assumed full ownership of its collection.
History
Encouragement for establishing the gallery came from the 7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in New Delhi, India, and the inaugural Conference of Ministers of Culture of NAM held in Pyongyang, North Korea—both convened in 1983. Subsequently, a ministers of culture assembly in Havana, Cuba, proposed its recognition as a shared institution among member states. This led to the official founding of the "Josip Broz Tito" Art Gallery on 1 September 1984.
The municipal authorities of Titograd allocated the prestigious Podgorica Royal Palace, situated along the Morača river, as a venue for the gallery. Recognition as a common NAM institution was granted in 1986 during the 8th Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe. That year, an exhibition organized by the gallery toured cities including Lusaka, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, and Cairo. Additionally, UNESCO endorsed The First Symposium on Art and Development hosted at the gallery.
Functioning as a collective platform, the gallery highlighted cultural expressions from marginalized Third World countries, actively challenging dominant Eurocentrism in art discourse. Unlike many museums rooted in colonial legacies, its entire inventory was composed exclusively of gifts donated by NAM member states. Among notable creations was Bernard Matemera’s white marble sculpture titled "Family," crafted at the gallery in 1987. The 1988 Non-Aligned Broadcasting Conference held in Limassol, Cyprus sparked an annual documentary television competition facilitated by the gallery that saw increasing international involvement. Its status as an international institution was reaffirmed at the 9th NAM Summit convened in Belgrade, SR Serbia in 1989. Coordination for national contributions often involved foreign ministries or cultural organizations; for instance, India collaborated with its National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Between 1986 and 1991, an Egyptian mummy named Nesmin was exhibited at the gallery before being returned to the National Museum of Serbia.
In 1995, following administrative decisions by Montenegro's Parliament, the gallery merged with the Montenegrin Republic's Cultural Centre to establish what is now known as the Centre for Contemporary Art of Montenegro. Interest in its heritage has been revived through exhibitions such as Southern Constellations (2019) in Ljubljana, Slovenia; Solidarity Spores (2020) in Gwangju, South Korea; another iteration of Southern Constellations (2021) in Rijeka, Croatia; and a 2022 showcase at Podgorica Botanical Garden organized by Montenegro’s contemporary art centre.
In September 2024, Montenegro’s Administration for the Protection of Cultural Property conferred upon both the gallery and its collection the designation of "movable cultural property of national importance." This followed a successful proposal submitted by curators from the Contemporary Art Center in 2022.
See also
References
- Yugoslav art
- Museums in Montenegro
- Arts organisations based in Montenegro
- Culture in Podgorica
- 1984 establishments in Yugoslavia
- 1995 disestablishments in Montenegro
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Cultural depictions of Josip Broz Tito
- International cultural organizations
- Defunct organisations based in Montenegro
- Art museums and galleries established in 1984
- Art museums and galleries disestablished in 1995
- Foreign relations of Yugoslavia
- Defunct art museums and galleries