Degrading "Support" from the Ministry of Culture of Serbia

The Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia, expresses strong protest against the results of the 2013 Call for proposals in the filed of contemporary art production issued by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Serbia.

According to the Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia,  the results of the 2013 Call for proposals in the filed of contemporary art production are just another indicator demonstrating the pernicious cultural policy that threatens to abolish contemporary art, especially non-institutional cultural and artistic production.

The results of the Call, which we have been waiting for more than six months (the deadline was 27th November 2012), indicate a drastic marginalization of contemporary art that is "self-propelled" and is not favored by any political channels. Such conclusion can be drawn owing to the refusal of many projects of our members, and miserable subventions for the projects that were supported, said the Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia in statement.

"By this decision the Ministry of Culture and Information also reveals the lack of awareness of its legal duty to provide the conditions for achieving the general interest in the culture, which is crucially contributed by this very independent cultural scene.

We would like to draw attention of both authorities and wider public that contemporary art production, especially the independent one, embodying the most representative Serbian achievements on the international scene, is living through the worst moments in the last 20 years. Conscious suppression of the culture as the bearer of social memory and identity can only mean one thing - the Ministry of Culture, being the maker of cultural policy, is working hard on erasing the identity of Serbian society, and thus the future cultural heritage that will not exist without contemporary cultural production", said the Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia.

Source:  The Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia