The ceremonial signing of the Gift Contract, which includes 627 books from the personal library of Professor Zoran Gavrić, of which 528 are monographs and 99 serial publications, as well as 22 original VHS tapes with films about significant world artists, published by several European producers, took place at the National Museum Kraljevo, on Friday, November 22nd, 2024, at 1 p.m. The contract was signed by Gordana Gavrić, as the donor on her own behalf and on behalf of her daughter Sofija Gavrić, and Darko Gučanin, director of the National Museum Kraljevo, who received this Legacy for use and care. Professor Zoran Gavrić (1949-2020) was a historian and art theorist, curator and director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, art interpreter and university professor of art history and aesthetics.
The Legacy of Professor Zoran Gavrić was presented to the public, in the Gallery of the National Museum Kraljevo, on the same day, Friday, November 22nd, 2024, starting at 6 p.m. At the beginning of the program, Darko Gučanin, director of the National Museum Kraljevo, addressed the audience, who referred to the tradition of endowments or charity, which in our region dates back to the Middle Ages, while during the 19th and 20th centuries, a series of founders appeared, from Anđelko and Tatija Savić, Petar Bogavac to Živka Đoković. In the National Museum Kraljevo itself, the largest Legacy is that of Dr. Olivera Radojković Čolović and includes a house, a collection of paintings and furniture. The Legacies of Ljubodrag P. Ristić and Tomislav Šćekić are also worth mentioning.
The program was moderated by Tatjana Mihailović, PhD, museum advisor of the National Museum Kraljevo, who emphasized that we have gathered tonight to present the act of donation by Gordana and Sofija Gavrić, which is not so common nowadays, prompted by noble motives to continue the mission of a unique intellectual, such as Professor Gavrić, and to pass on the theme of his research, work and intellectual commitment – which is the field of contemporary art – to some new researchers, whose work will be made easier and more refined.
The audience was then addressed by Professor Dragan Bulatović, PhD, a friend and long-time collaborator of Zoran Gavrić, who organized the Zoran Gavrić Days in 2022 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, as a two-day scientific and professional gathering. He reflected on the way Gavrić acquired books for many topics on which he worked dedicatedly as a researcher and translator. He never asked for a price but was only interested in how they would be obtained from the German, French or English-speaking world. That is why the library donated to the Museum contains rarities that are rare in Serbia, and there are few institutions that own individual copies from this collection. He also congratulated the National Museum Kraljevo on the gift.
Saša Pančić, the second guest of the program, spoke about Zoran Gavrić from a personal perspective, as a friend and artist. He reflected on their collaboration as an artist and art critic, which had a special colour that was accentuated by the extraordinary personality of this intellectual. He spoke about Gavrić’s true dedication to art and its study, but also about the special personal moments they shared. He testified about his great happiness that came with his daughter Sofia, whom he had in his late years, and the deep connection with her that pushed everything he had done up until then into the background. He also congratulated the National Museum Kraljevo on the gift.
At the end of the program, Gordana Gavrić addressed the audience, who had the need to explain the motives for forming the Legacy of her late husband Zoran Gavrić, right in her hometown. The Legacy of Books was formed as a specific library specialized in the field of contemporary art, which the National Museum Kraljevo is significantly involved in and where Gavrić once visited with promotions of his publications and participated in a project related to the artist Filo Filipović. This library enables a full research process, and many unique publications can only be found in Serbia within this group of books. She expressed hope that the Legacy will have a life of its own, that it will attract, above all, young researchers, and that Zoran Gavrić’s noble mission in our culture will continue through this Legacy.