Exhibition marking the 60th Anniversary of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade
In 1970, a young David Hockney had a solo exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade—an early sign of his global reach and a moment of
lasting resonance in the Museum’s history. Today, more than five decades later,Hockney returns—this time through the vivid legacy of his work and the radical
evolution of his artistic language.
Originally, the idea to bring David Hockney’s works again to the Belgrade audience, as one of the most influential artists of our time, arose with our desire to highlight an artist
who celebrated the very first years of the museum’s establishment and whose exhibition resonated for a long time even after it was finished, leaving a mark on the local scene
and its artists at the same time as honoring the Museum’s continued dedication of presenting groundbreaking art to the local, regional and international public.
David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of the most influential and beloved artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. A key figure of British Art and a lifelong innovator, Hockney has
consistently challenged the boundaries of painting, drawing, photography, and digital media. His work bridges classical art traditions with bold experiments in perspective,
color, and technology.
Whether capturing the intimacy of personal relationships, the play of light in California swimming pools, or the shifting seasons in the English countryside, Hockney’s art is
marked by a deep commitment to seeing—and to making others see anew. His embrace of the iPad, iPhone, and digital drawing as serious artistic tools has expanded the
language of contemporary art, inspiring generations of artists to rethink how we create and communicate visual experience.
Hockney’s influence transcends media and geography. He has exhibited in the world’s leading museums, authored groundbreaking theoretical reflections on vision and
perception, and helped redefine the possibilities of modern portraiture and landscape. In every phase of his career, from his early graphic works to his immersive digital
environments, Hockney invites viewers into a world of color, clarity, and constant reinvention.
The exhibition From Paper to Screen offers a unique insight into Hockney’s work across decades, from the early drawing and etchings from the 60s until the very recent iPad
works, linking his classic draughtsmanship with contemporary digital experimentation — simultaneously providing a dialogue between past and present, analogue and digital,
material and immaterial. It invites us to reconsider the role of the artist in an age of technological transformation at the turn of the century — and to reflect on how seeing
itself has changed.
We are honored to share this moment with our public, to reignite a cultural connection that spans over decades, and to once again welcome David Hockney’s visionary work to
Belgrade.
The exhibition has been realised through significant support of the British Council, which continuously contributes to the cultural exchange and connection of the art
scenes between United Kingdom and Serbia.
Our deepest thanks go to the artist, his studio, British Council in London and Belgrade, British Embassy in Serbia, Martin Gayford for his significant contribution to the text for
the catalogue and all those whose commitment made this exhibition possible.
Curated by : Maja Kolarić