During
his choosing of objects to present, author did not lead with a historical chronology
of the use of the objects, but instead with a wish that the showing would be visually
and narratively as interesting as possible for the general public. According to
his words, that is how the visitors participated in one performance that could
be called sentimental archeology, where everyone could find one's own or family
history
By MARKO ANDREJIÆ from Belgrade,
SERBIA
"The first news of café-bars in Mecca begin
in the XV century. During the XVI century they become apparent in Cairo and Syria,
1554 opens the first café-bar in Constantinople, but in the XVI century the enjoyment
of coffee is carried over from the East to the West and already in 1522 year the
first café-bar in Belgrade is marked, 1592 in Sarajevo, 1640 in Venice, 1652 in
London..." This and many other interests in line with coffee and café-bars
the visitors to the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade could learn about, who had
the opportunity from the August 20 to the September 5 to look at the exhibition
"European Road of Coffee".
-
During my exhibition (paintings and sculptures) in the Youth Theatre of Novi
Sad, Radmilo Muliæ, writer and publisher, actually the organizer of the exhibition,
showed me his collection of objects tied to coffee. That is when he told me a
fact that Belgrade was the first European city on the road of coffee from Ethiopia
towards Europe, which had a café where coffee was drunk and sold. The first café-bar
was opened in 1522, somewhere near nowadays Doræol (District of Belgrade). His
idea to display the collection in my studio, which was located in the vicinity
of the café-bar of my grandfather, I pointed instead towards the Ethnografic Museum
and in that manner came to the realization of this exhibition - explains for WAVE
magazineRade Markoviæ, together with Radmilo Muliæ author of the exhibition
on coffee.
The showing has four panels: the first displays how coffee overtook
the European cities. The second - collection of objects from Radmilo Muliæ and
a part of the collection of the Museum of Forgotten Arts, and the company "Manual"
from Novi Sad.
-
This panel had for its goal to show the creativity and weight of the human spirit,
which displays itself on objects from everyday life, that it is always looking
for something, it repairs and leaves the old, it creates the new - resounds Markoviæ
and contines: The third panel are Belgrade's old café-bars. That was given because
it was tied to the first café-bar on the land of Europe. The fourth panel was
coffee (and café-bar) as an inspiration to the artists, and the continuation of
the story of the human spirit and the unstilness that keep it moving, all in all
like us two authors of this story.
During his choosing of objects to present,
author did not lead with a historical chronology of the use of the objects, but
instead with a wish that the showing would be visually and narratively as interesting
as possible for the general public. According to his words, that is how the visitors
participated in one performance that could be called sentimental archeology, where
everyone could find one's own or family history. Taking into consideration that
the exhibition brought about significant interest, and numerous visitors, it looks
as though most found that personal piece of history.
With
the coming of new times and often new owners, Belgrade's café-bars have lost much
of their authenticity, and the old Bohemian quarters have been changed with modern
cafeterias. The rich offering squeezed some of the traditional ways of preparing
and drinking coffee, and that is why in the center of Belgrade it is almost impossible
to drink the old good homemade, also better known as "Turkish," coffee.
-
I think that Belgrade café-bars throughout time are changing quite chaotically
adapting to the almost always humble materialistic opportunities and political
surroundings. As far as the culture of drinking coffee, it is only recently experiencing
its vanity and determining different standards in consuming coffee thanks to the
opening of branded coffees and the opening of society as a whole - concludes Rade
Markoviæ in his interview with WAVE magazine.
During
his choosing of objects to present, author did not lead with a historical chronology
of the use of the objects, but instead with a wish that the showing would be visually
and narratively as interesting as possible for the general public. According to
his words, that is how the visitors participated in one performance that could
be called sentimental archeology, where everyone could find one's own or family
history
-
During my exhibition (paintings and sculptures) in the Youth Theatre of Novi
Sad, Radmilo Muliæ, writer and publisher, actually the organizer of the exhibition,
showed me his collection of objects tied to coffee. That is when he told me a
fact that Belgrade was the first European city on the road of coffee from Ethiopia
towards Europe, which had a café where coffee was drunk and sold. The first café-bar
was opened in 1522, somewhere near nowadays Doræol (District of Belgrade). His
idea to display the collection in my studio, which was located in the vicinity
of the café-bar of my grandfather, I pointed instead towards the Ethnografic Museum
and in that manner came to the realization of this exhibition - explains for WAVE
magazine Rade Markoviæ, together with Radmilo Muliæ author of the exhibition
on coffee.
-
This panel had for its goal to show the creativity and weight of the human spirit,
which displays itself on objects from everyday life, that it is always looking
for something, it repairs and leaves the old, it creates the new - resounds Markoviæ
and contines: The third panel are Belgrade's old café-bars. That was given because
it was tied to the first café-bar on the land of Europe. The fourth panel was
coffee (and café-bar) as an inspiration to the artists, and the continuation of
the story of the human spirit and the unstilness that keep it moving, all in all
like us two authors of this story.
With
the coming of new times and often new owners, Belgrade's café-bars have lost much
of their authenticity, and the old Bohemian quarters have been changed with modern
cafeterias. The rich offering squeezed some of the traditional ways of preparing
and drinking coffee, and that is why in the center of Belgrade it is almost impossible
to drink the old good homemade, also better known as "Turkish," coffee.