Biennial Exhibition 2019

Balkan Architectural Biennale 2019 was held in Belgrade, BAB CINEMA, from 14-21st of November 2019,. The manifestation was successfully realized for the fourth time with the support of Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure – Republic of Serbia; Ministry of Education, Science and technological Development – Republic of Serbia; Ministry of Culture – Republic of Montenegro; SAŠA MARCETA FOUNDATION; Serbian Chamber of Engineers; Yugoslav Film Archive; ENTEXT; 13. JUL PLANTAŽE; SACG; XELLA; STUDIO BALDINI – INTERNATIONAL; STO; JAF; SAINT GOBAIN; KVART BELGRADE WATERFRONT.

The overall topic of BAB 2019 was “DECODING BALKAN “, conceptualized by commissioner dr Tatjana Mrđenović. (De)coding Balkan presents a process od recreating Balkan identity based on previous traditions and future intentions towards desirable images. Therefore, it explores past, present and future codes of building, designing, urban regulation, morphology, urban planning, used instruments and tools towards new paradigm of green: more transparent, efficient, ecologically friendly societies urbanism, architecture and design. Ecology is one of the main issue of global society, so the focus is on using contemporary tools in the fields to meet global standards and traditional diversity exploring / decoding the past and present traditions to code them into coherent future actions among Balkan and the region. It seeks to counter the lack of meaning and meaning of routine architectural practice, on the one hand, and the forces of global capital and generic internationalism, on the other. In this sense, regionalism is not interpreted as a re-actualization of symbols of national identities and various historicisms, but as a reaction of the contemporary creative spirit to the inherited state of material things, and in the form of diversification of patterns of solving common problems in everyday architectural practice.

BAB19 CATALOGUE

This year’s Balkan Architecture Biennale is organizationally and institutionally supported by the Sasha Marceta Foundation. It was held in November in the magnificent building of the Balkan Cinema, which is undergoing a phase of complete reconstruction under the project of Dr. Diana Adzemovic Andjelkovic, Dr. Vladimir Andjelkovic and Aleksandar Bogojevic. The event was announced in July 2019 when Art historian Marko Stojanovic, director of BAB, summarized in his presentation the experiences of previous architectural exhibitions, referring to the rich program of BAB in 2019. Through a reflection of reflexive practice, Marko pointed to the progress and gradual progression of the Biennial from his earliest days to this year’s event supported by the most renowned professional authorities and cultural institutions in the country and region.

Architect Sonja Radovic Jelovac, President of the BAB 2019 Jury, gave an inspirational lecture on the latest projects of the multi-award-winning Montenegrin Synthesis Studio. Through a typology of multi-family housing, elite family villas and mountain resorts, Sonja decodes patterns of progressive efforts to develop Montenegrin contemporary architecture based on critical observation of local and international influences, traditional materials and contemporary construction techniques.

Architects Dr. Dijana Adzemovic Andjelkovic and Dr. Vladimir Andjelkovic, members of the BAB 2019 jury, through the project of reconstruction of the Balkan Cinema and through the project of a family home in Novi Sad, presented the ultimate reach of critical reflection on the relationship between history and modernity, changeable and inherited, provincial and progressive. Through the project of reconstruction of the Cinema Balkans, Diana and Vladimir presented different emergent possibilities of spatial multifunctionality.

MONTENEGRO – HOST COUNTRY

BAB 2019 brings one significant novelty. Starting this year, the Balkan Architecture Biennale had its own host country. Under the leadership of commissioner from Montenegro Dr. Sonja Radovic Jelovac, architects, designers and researchers from Montenegro this year had a special place and importance in Belgrade at the review of the most creative ideas and realizations. The host country was represented by minister od Culture Republic of Montenegro:”At the fourth Balkan Architectural Biennale (BAB) Montenegro showed, first of all, that our architectural, urban and design profession, in the broadest sense, have capacity and its place on the regional stage because it can obviously display representative segment of its accomplishments beyond the borders of our state […] “ The commissioner from Montenegro was arch. Sonja Radović – Jelovac, placed by Marko Stojanović and Tatjana Mrđenović, showed excellence in organizing Montenegrin actual state in Architecture and Urbanism, which was supported by the Republic of Montenegro and its Ministry of Culture.

The representative team from Montenegro had extraordinary presentation of their insight of DECODING BALKAN, when Minister of Culture of Republic of Montenegro Mr Aleksandar Bogdanović said that the topic DECODING BALKAN opens plenty spaces for discussion especially in the ways of finding balance in between tradition and new modernism. His thesis was supported by multimedial presentation of most successful architects in the field of Republic of Montenegro. Republic of Montenegro was represented by Aleksandar Bogdanovic, Minister of Culture, Drazen Blazic, State Secretary, Bozidar Bozovic, Director of Secretary of Protection of Cultural Herritage, Milica Vusurovic, Ministry of Culture, Tanja Bogdanovic, Secretary of Protection of Cultural Herritage.

The members of international jury in the field of architecture and urbanism were: dr Sonja Radović Jelovac, Studio Synthesis – Montenegro (jury president), dr Ebru Erdönmez – Turkey, Arch Ileana Tureanu – Romania, dr Haris Piplaš, ETH – Bosna and Hercegovina, dr Alen Žunić– Croatia, dr Vladimir Anđelković, a2arhitektura – Serbia, Saša Begović, 3LHD – Croatia,Prof. Goran Vojvodić, Faculty of Architecture – Serbia, Relja Ivanić, architectural photograph – Serbia.

The members of international jury in the field of interior design and furniture were: Nikola Novaković, Enforma – Montenegro (jury president); Ksenija Đorđević – Serbia; Nika Županc – Slovenia; Nataša Perković – Bosna and Hercegovina; Ruđer Novak-Mikulic – Croatia with curator Jelena Nikolić.

BAB 2019 AWARDS

ARCHITECTURE:

GRAND PRIX: AIM Studio – Local Community Center Gošići , MONTENEGRO

SECOND AWARD: Branislav Mitrović– Kamenovo , MONTENEGRO

THIRD AWARD: Dva Arhitekta– Vinarija Galić, CROATIA

URBANISM:

GRAND PRIX: SKROZ- Chichenville, CROATIA

SECOND PRIZE: ENOTA – Koper Central Park, SLOVENIA

THIRD PRIZE: VALLUM- Salt Road, ROMANIA

UNREALIZED DESIGNS

GRAND PRIX: SODA arhitekti – Peace, CROATIA

SECOND PRIZE: MVA – re-Generator, CROATIA