Last night, the exhibition “Kiki Smith. Woven Worlds” by the internationally renowned artist Kiki Smith was opened at Petrović Castle. The exhibition was inaugurated by PhD Tamara Vujović, Minister of Culture and Media of Montenegro, with speeches from PhD Vladislav Šćepanović, Director of MCAM, exhibition curator Milica Bezmarević, and a video message from the artist herself, Kiki Smith.

Minister of Culture and Media, PhD Tamara Vujović, emphasized that the exhibition of Kiki Smith’s works demonstrates the boundless creativity and universality of art, which resonates with all of us. She stated that Kiki Smith invites us to question our own prejudices and ideas about identity, gender, and culture, reminding us of the complexity and beauty of human existence. She added that through symbols and universal themes of regeneration and redemption, the artist opens spaces for reflection and change.

“I congratulate the management of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro for raising the bar once again with this exhibition, offering something special to the Montenegrin public. The museum’s exhibition spaces are becoming too small for all the ideas and plans of Director Šćepanović and his dedicated team of curators. I truly look forward to the next steps in realizing the project of building a new space for contemporary art – the new museum building on the banks of the Morača,” said Vujović.

For Vujović, it is particularly important that the number of attendees at MCAM events continues to grow, which “shows that we are on the right path for contemporary art to find its well-deserved place, both in space and discourse.”

Šćepanović expressed satisfaction with the results achieved by the Museum over the past year.

“The Kiki Smith exhibition completes our exhibition program for this year. It has been one of the most challenging exhibitions we have ever realized, considering that the artist works outside of Europe. The process of bringing the exhibition to Montenegro was extremely complex and represented a unique endeavor for our country. We are proud to have successfully overcome all challenges, and I am thrilled that the public will have the opportunity to enjoy the works of this renowned artist in the coming months,” said PhD Šćepanović.

He added that the Museum plans to continue bringing internationally relevant names to Montenegro in the coming year, while also focusing on presenting Montenegrin artists on the global stage, further strengthening their visibility and recognition.

PhD Vladislav Šćepanović, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, shared an interesting anecdote about his meeting with artist Kiki Smith at the Venice Biennale in 2017 during the exhibition opening.

“At that time, I wished to organize an exhibition of her work here. I am pleased that, after seven years, I have had the opportunity to realize this project right here in Montenegro, in our museum,” said Šćepanović.

Exhibition curator Milica Bezmarević highlighted the importance of the collaboration that contributed to the realization of this highly demanding project. “I owe great thanks to my dear colleagues from Belgrade, curators Ljubi Jovićević and Mirjana Dušić, who, with their experience and authentic energy, significantly contributed to the entire exhibition preparation process, as well as to Minister of Culture and Media, PhD Tamara Vujović, for her unwavering support from the very beginning, and to artist Kiki Smith and her assistant Hillar Deez.”

Bezmarević also reflected on the significance and themes of the exhibited works, as well as the process of selecting and installing them.

“The exhibition includes works created over several decades of Kiki Smith’s artistic career, where the artist addresses themes of the human body, animals, nature, and fables. The series of impressive jacquard tapestries stands out, some of which are made with silver threads and hand-painted. Along with these works, sculptures, reliefs, prints, and drawings are presented, offering a unique insight into Kiki Smith’s artistic expression – a profound synthesis of humans, nature, and the animal world,” said Bezmarević.

She emphasized that the exhibition is the result of close collaboration with the artist and a partnership project between the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro and Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck in Remagen.

The exhibition “Kiki Smith. Woven Worlds” will be open to the public until February 23.