The exhibition “Workers’ Club: Between Us” opened at the MSUCG Gallery

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Last night, the exhibition “Workers’ Club: Between Us” was officially opened at the Gallery of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, whose authors are Adrijana Gvozdenović and Nela Gligorović, and the curator of the exhibition is Teodora Nikčević.

In her address to the audience, Nikčević emphasized that this project is not about a conventional exchange between work and viewer, but about a much more complex process.

“Gvozdenović and Gligorović include the audience in their work and in every element of the work at the exhibition. The audience is not treated as a consumer of art, but becomes someone who actively participates in the creation of the work itself. Not only does it actively participate, but it is also an open work.”

In her address, Nela Gligorović emphasized that through this project they are trying to break down the rigid, hierarchical structures of the art institution, within which the artist is the guarantor of autonomy, and the curator is a butler or guardian of the art world.

“Institutionally determined roles keep all actors of the art system trapped within the framework of authority or position, limiting the exchange and improvement of experience in the field of joint work, art as a collaborative practice. As a result of discussions about work, conditions and regulations, the format of the Workers' Club was created.”

Adrijana Gvozdenović thanked all collaborators on the project and announced the promotion of the magazine, which will be held in the MSUCG gallery during the exhibition, adding that the primary goal of this exhibition is not to show shortcomings, but to see how they can be the basis for different actions.

“We are interested in the possibility of change by creating an environment that examines existing norms. Here, I would like to make a shift from criticism that points fingers, to something that can be called the development of criticality – an incentive to see our complicity in problems,” Gvozdenović emphasized.

A series of activities will be implemented within the Workers' Club - a workshop on the status of independent artists and experts in culture, a guest appearance by Hana Ćurak, promotion of the magazine "Between Us: Work in Art" (with authors Katja Praznik, Vladana Jeremić, Violeta Kachakova), promotion of the catalog and expert guidance through the exhibition.

The realization of the program and magazine was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Southeast Europe.

The exhibition is open to the public until 28.02.2025.