A contemporary museum must remain open, accessible and in constant conversation with the society that surrounds it
CULTURAL INTERVIEW
by Dragan Nikolić
Marijana Kolarić
Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art
Marijana Kolarić, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, leads the institution as it marks sixty years of looking, questioning and re-imagining the world through art. Our conversation unfolds in the spirit of that journey — about how a museum stays alive, how it changes with its time, and how it keeps opening new spaces for meaning, encounter and wonder.
Artistic heritage is not an archive of the past, but a living body that continually evolves and communicates with contemporary society
How do you perceive the evolution of the museum over the past six decades, and which key milestones do you consider the most significant for the museum’s current position?
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, from its very founding in 1965, established the foundations of a modern museological approach in the region. The founders’ vision was to create an institution that not only preserves but also actively reflects on contemporary art as a social phenomenon. Over the course of six decades, the museum has undergone various phases – from forming one of the most significant institutions and art collections in the Yugoslav space, through a period of closure due to reconstruction, to its reopening in 2017, which marked a new beginning for the museum.
In my opinion, the greatest challenge is for the museum to remain relevant in the face of political, social, and technological changes. Today, as an institution with a strong international reputation, the Museum of Contemporary Art is an open, dynamic space of dialogue, experimentation and critical reflection on the art of our time, and this is what we continue to strive for in the future.
With the anniversary comes a new presentation of the collection – what strategic changes in the way artistic heritage is presented do you plan during the celebration and afterwards?
Sixty years of existence is an opportunity to observe continuity, but also to reconsider the way we interpret our artistic and cultural heritage.
With the exhibition Turning Points Towards Modernity: Art of Society 1900–1945, we have initiated a multi-year cycle in which the museum’s rich collection will be presented in three chronologically connected units – from the birth of modernism to art today. After the first display dedicated to the first half of the twentieth century, the upcoming exhibition will focus on the period between 1945 and 2000, followed by a third one centred on art after 2000.
We do not aim for a linear narrative of artistic styles, but rather highlight a network of meanings within diverse expressions and the social circumstances that shaped them. In this diversity, we recognise and present the culture of a region and an era, offering visitors multiple layers of interpretation – visual, educational, emotional and analytical. After the anniversary, the exhibition cycle will continue, while part of the museum will remain dedicated to periodic exhibitions and retrospectives of important national and international artists, ensuring that the Museum remains continuously “alive” and accessible to different generations of audiences.
What are, for you, at this moment, the greatest challenges in managing a collection comprising around 9,000 works by domestic and international artists?
Managing a collection that encompasses the art history of the region, of the former Yugoslav cultural space, from modernism to contemporary practices, requires continuous care both for the physical preservation and for the interpretative context of each individual work. Our museum today preserves around 9,000 works by domestic and international artists, which is truly an immense wealth, but also a responsibility. The collection is constantly developing and growing through new acquisitions and donations, and we have now reached a point where we are running out of space – both exhibition space and storage in our depots, which is one of our greatest challenges.
We are also working intensively on digitalisation to make the collection accessible to a wider public as well as to experts, especially those who are unable to visit the museum in person.
A significant part of our work also involves conservation and the conditions in which the works are kept, particularly when it comes to contemporary materials and media. At the heart of everything is the idea that we should not treat our rich collection as an archive of the past, but as a living body that is constantly evolving and engages with contemporary society.
How does a museum institution celebrating its 60th anniversary integrate digital and interactive formats for younger audiences, and how do you plan to develop these formats further?
Digital transformation is no longer an option, but a necessity. In the past four years, we have introduced new forms of communication with the public – from interactive guides and virtual tours to programmes and exhibitions that combine art and technology. Younger audiences expect immediacy, so we have aimed to use digital content not merely as a source of information, but as a tool for creative participation.
The next step is the development of a platform that enables deeper interaction: a digital archive, specifically an electronic database of the collection that is open and accessible to the public, as well as educational programmes through VR experiences and collaborations with the startup and IT community. Our goal is for the museum to become a laboratory of ideas, where art, technology and education function together.
Given the rise of cultural tourism and the changing habits of audiences, in what way do you adapt museum programmes and exhibitions to remain relevant in the region?
A contemporary museum must understand its audiences – both local and international – and today they move, travel and compare experiences. For this reason, we are actively developing regional and European collaborations with museums in Ljubljana, Zagreb, Skopje, Podgorica, Cetinje and Banja Luka, as well as with the wider European space, such as recent exhibitions in Graz and at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon. In this way, we build bridges between artists and audiences, encourage cultural dialogue and increase the visibility of our artists and collection worldwide. Additionally, membership in international networks further enhances the museum’s position as a relevant cultural destination.
We devote special attention to the visitor experience, because museums today are more than ever becoming spaces of experience, not only exhibitions. Audiences are drawn to artists whose work has a recognisable voice. Whether these are legendary, old masters who form part of the collective memory, or contemporary artists whose voice is globally recognised because they address global issues, they have the power to connect people around the world and generate a large international audience. In this regard, the exhibitions of Marina Abramović, Erwin Wurm, Michelangelo Pistoletto and David Hockney attracted a vast domestic and international public, and our museum was not only an essential place to visit but also contributed to strengthening the cultural identity of Belgrade and its positioning as a centre of contemporary art in the region.
Digital transformation is no longer an option, but a necessity
Looking ahead, what visions and plans do you have for the next ten years – where would you like to see the museum, and which goals do you consider priorities in further development?
I want the Museum of Contemporary Art in the coming decade to become an even stronger centre of contemporary art – a place of dialogue, research and education, but also a space where public knowledge and art intertwine. Our priority will be to further open the museum to the public through new forms of exhibitions, digital platforms, and collaborations with leading artists from around the world.
We plan to continue the digitalisation process and improve the conditions for preserving artworks, as well as expand our spatial capacities, since the growth of the collection and public interest exceeds the framework of the period in which the museum was founded. Our vision is a museum that preserves and nurtures cultural heritage, while also encouraging new artistic production and inspiring future generations.
As a woman leading one of the most significant cultural institutions in the region, what is your perspective on the role of women in contemporary cultural management?
I believe that the cultural sector has long been a space where women achieve significant results; yet, it remains essential that their voices are heard at a strategic level. The role of women in culture is not only a question of equality, but also of quality – because diversity of approach brings new perspectives.
Personally, I believe in a leadership model that encourages collaboration, the exchange of ideas and the building of trust. This is the way we build teams in the museum, and this is the way I strive to lead the institution – through dialogue, empathy, consensus, and a shared vision. Only in this way can we create a sustainable and creative cultural scene.
How would you explain the closeness between the idea of female leadership and soft power?
The female leadership model is inherently linked to the concept of soft power – a form of strength that does not impose, but inspires, builds trust and connects people through values and ideas. While traditional models of power often rely on authority and structure, the female approach is more communicative, inclusive and oriented towards shared goals.
In culture and the arts, this is evident in the ability of women leaders to build bridges between institutions, artists, audiences, and society as a whole. Soft power in this context becomes a form of cultural diplomacy: it is not measured by dominance, but by the capacity to influence through empathy, trust and the creation of spaces for dialogue.
When women lead cultural institutions, they often bring precisely this type of “soft” strength – the strength of collaboration, understanding and long-term vision. In this sense, soft power and female leadership are not only closely related concepts, but part of the same principle in which power is not demonstrated, but shared, and through sharing, paradoxically, it is multiplied and strengthened.