U četvrtak, 9. 8. 2018. u 21 sat u galeriji Centra za kulturu Vela Luka napedesetu obljetnicu Prvog međunarodnog susreta likovnih umjetnika u Veloj Luci 1968. otvara se dokumentarna izložba pod nazivom „Međunarodni susret likovnih umjetnika u Veloj Luci 1968.“.
Izložba je rezultat višegodišnjeg prikupljanja i obrade dokumentarne i umjetničke građe vezane za Prvi međunarodni susret umjetnika u Veloj Luci i rezultat istraživanja građe koja se čuva u Centru za kulturu Vela Luka i Arhivskom sabirnom centru Korčula-Lastovo-Pelješac. Značenje ove izložbe jest u tome što je ovo prva veća javna prezentacija Međunarodnog susreta u Veloj Luci 1968., a koja ima za cilj senzibiliziranje javnosti za očuvanjem građe i sjećanja na nekadašnje kontekste i uvjete umjetničkog djelovanja u specifičnom okružju i uvjetima tadašnjeg društva. Zamišljena je kao dio projekta pod nazivom „Otok i kolektiv/Tragom jedne međunarodne umjetničke mreže“ kojim bi se nastojalo u rasponu od nekoliko godina putem izložbi, predavanja i tiskanja opsežne publikacije valorizirati manifestacije objedinjene nazivom „Međunarodni susreti likovnih umjetnika u Veloj Luci“. Projekt bi u konačnici doprinio vrednovanju, zaštiti i trajnoj prezentaciji predmeta i građe nesumnjive društvene, umjetničke i arhitektonske relevantnosti u vrijeme socijalizma.
Međunarodni susreti likovnih umjetnika održani su u Veloj Luci 1968., 1970. i 1972. godine. Inicirali su ih umjetnici Kosa Bokšan i Petar Omčikus s ciljem da Vela Luka postane eksperimentalni umjetnički centar i da se međusobno upoznaju umjetnici Istoka i Zapada. Zamisao je naišla na podršku svih tadašnjih društveno-političkih djelatnika u mjestu, a Velolučani su isključivo sami financirali Susrete iz vlastitih izvora.
Na Susretima su sudjelovali brojni svjetski priznati likovni umjetnici, arhitekti, kompozitori, redatelji i likovni kritičari, a sva tri susreta bila su medijski izvrsno popraćena. Susreti su u svoje aktivnosti uključivale velik broj mještana i ostavili su dubok trag na kulturni i umjetnički život zajednice u narednim desetljećima.
Tema Prvog Međunarodnog susreta „Vela Luka 68“ bila je problematika mozaika i kolektivnog i individualnog stvaralaštva.
Drugi međunarodni susret „Vela Luka 70“ posvećen je realizaciji turističkog naselja u uvali Plitvine i integraciji arhitekture, kiparstva i slikarstva.
Sudionici Trećeg međunarodnog susreta „Vela Luka 72“ bili su iz područja filma, televizije, glazbe, kazališne i likovne umjetnosti. Kroz ovaj susret istraživale su se mogućnosti aktivne i stvaralačke suradnje umjetnika i stanovništva Vele Luke.
Na prvom susretu 1968. realizirano je sedamdesetak mozaik ploča od kojih je jedan dio ugrađen u spomen pano s centralnim motivom golubice u središtu Vele Luke, a drugi predan poduzećima i ustanovama u mjestu. Mozaici su nastali na otočiću Proizdu smještenom na ulazu u velolučki zaljev. Prvi međunarodni susret likovnih umjetnika u Veloj Luci trajao je od 9. do 31. kolovoza, a u sklopu Susreta realizirana je i međunarodna izložba održana u Narodnom sveučilištu u Veloj Luci (Zadružni dom) od 17. do 27. 8. koja je kasnije prenesena u Beograd, Sarajevo, Suboticu, Rijeku i Zagreb.
Na međunarodnoj izložbi u Veloj Luci bili su zastupljeni sljedeći umjetnici i likovni kritičari: Endre Balint (Mađarska), Claude Bellegarde (Francuska), Kosa Bokšan (ex Jugoslavija), Vaclav Boštik (ex Čehoslovačka), Tadeusz Brozowski (Poljska), Jacques Busse (Francuska), Ciubotaru Florin (Rumunjska), Corneille (Holandija), Stojan Ćelić (ex Jugoslavija), E. R. Gillet (Francuska, nije bio osobno prisutan), Tadeusz Kantor (Poljska), Joko Knežević (ex Jugoslavija), Jan Kotik (ex Čehoslovačka), Julio Le Parc (Argentina, nije bio osobno prisutan), Edo Murtić (ex Jugoslavija, nije bio osobno prisutan), Jean Messagier (Francuska), Branko Omčikus (ex Jugoslavija), Achille Perilli (Italija), Šime Perić (ex Jugoslavija), Ivan Picelj (ex Jugoslavija, nije bio osobno prisutan), Andres Rac (Mađarska), Paul Rebeyrolle (Francuska), Brigitte Simlinger (Austrija), Otokar Slavik (ex Čehoslovačka), Jesus Raphael Soto (Venezuela, nije bio osobno prisutan), Yasse Tabuchi (Japan), Aleksandar Tomašević (ex Jugoslavija, umro u vrijeme priprema susreta), Kemal Širbegović (ex Jugoslavija), Jean - Clarence Lambert (Francuska), Miroslav Mićko (ex Čehoslovačka), Georges Boudaille (Francuska), Luc Ferrari (Francuska).
Osim mozaika i međunarodne izložbe, Susret je obilježila i glazbena manifestacija koju je zajedno s lokalnim stanovništvom, umjetnicima, Narodnom glazbom i turistima predvodio francuski kompozitor Luc Ferrari.
U realizaciji izložbe „Međunarodni susret umjetnika u Veloj Luci 1968.“ sudjelovali su Dubrovačko-neretvanska županija, Sveučilište u Dubrovniku (Odjel za umjetnost i restauraciju), dr. sc. Dalibor Prančević (Filozofski fakultet u Splitu), akademski slikar grafičar Nikola Skokandić, akademski slikar Gorki Žuvela, teoretičar arhitekture dr. sc. Tomislav Premerl, sudionici Međunarodnih susreta umjetnika u Veloj Luci Joakim Prižmić i Ivo Cetinić Paron, Inicijativa za očuvanje pomorstva Vele Luke, Udruga „Luško lito“, Mirna Miličić, Tamara Levak Potrebica i Lujo Frlan. Kustosica izložbe je Rada Dragojević Ćosović.
Izložba ostaje otvorena do 15. 9. 2018.
On Thursday, 9thAugust 2018, at 9 pm, a documentary exhibition entitled “The 1968 International Encounter of Artists in Vela Luka” will open in the gallery of the Vela Luka Cultural Centre. The exhibition, which will be opened on the 50thanniversary of the first international encounter of artists in Vela Luka, held in 1968, is a result of years of collecting and processing of documentary material and art works relating to the First International Encounter of Artists in Vela Luka and of research of artefacts and documents kept in the Vela Luka Cultural Centre and the Archival Collection Centre of Korčula-Lastovo-Pelješac. The importance of the exhibition lies in the fact that this is the first significant public presentation of the 1968 International Encounter of Artists in Vela Luka, and its purpose is to raise awareness among the general public about the need to preserve archival material and memories of past contexts and conditions in which artists worked in the specific environment and social circumstances of the time. The exhibition is envisaged as part of the project entitled “The Island and the Collective: Tracing an International Artistic Network”, which should last several years and encompass exhibitions, lectures and a comprehensive publication aimed at evaluating the events that fall under the title “The International Encounters of Artists in Vela Luka”. Once completed, the project will contribute to the evaluation, protection and permanent presentation of items and documents of undoubted social, artistic and architectural importance dating from the socialist period.The international encounters of artists were held in Vela Luka in 1968, 1970 and 1972. They were initiated by the artists Kosa Bokšan and Petar Omčikus, with a view to making Vela Luka an experimental art centre and allowing artists from the East and the West to get to know one another. The idea was supported by all of the town’s social and political functionaries, and the Encounters were financed solely by Vela Luka’s own resources.
A number of internationally recognized artists, architects, composers, directors and art critics took part in the Encounters, and each of the three editions was extensively covered by the media. A large part of the Vela Luka population participated in the Encounters’ activities, and they thus left a deep trace in the cultural and artistic life of the community for decades to come.
The topics of the First International Encounter,“Vela Luka 68”,were issues relating to mosaics and to collective vs. individual creativity.
The Second International Encounter,“Vela Luka 70”,was dedicated to the construction of a tourist destination in the Plitvine Bay, and to the integration of architecture, sculpture and painting.
Participants at the Third International Encounter,“Vela Luka 72”,came from the world of film, television, music, theatre and fine arts. The encounter explored the possibilities for active and creative cooperation between the artists and the Vela Luka population.
During the first encounter, in 1968, about seventy mosaics art works were produced, some of which were incorporated into the memorial stand featuring the central motif of a dove, put up in the centre of Vela Luka, while others were given to local companies and institutions. The mosaics were created on the island of Proizd, situated at the entrance to the Vela Luka Bay. The First International Encounter of Artists in Vela Luka took place between 9th and 31st August. It included an international exhibition set at the Vela Luka Open University (the Cooperative Centre) between 17th and 27th August, which was later also shown in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Subotica, Rijeka and Zagreb. The following artists and art critics took part in the Vela Luka international exhibition: Endre Balint (Hungary), Claude Bellegarde (France), Kosa Bokšan (ex-Yugoslavia), Vaclav Boštik(ex-Czechoslovakia), Tadeusz Brozowski (Poland), Jacques Busse (France), Ciubotaru Florin (Romania), Corneille (the Netherlands), Stojan Ćelić (ex-Yugoslavia), E. R. Gillet (France, not present in person), Tadeusz Kantor (Poland), Joko Knežević (ex-Yugoslavia), Jan Kotik (ex-Czechoslovakia), Julio Le Parc (Argentina, not present in person), Edo Murtić (ex-Yugoslavia, not present in person), Jean Messagier (France), Branko Omčikus (ex-Yugoslavia), Achille Perilli (Italy), Šime Perić (ex-Yugoslavia), Ivan Picelj (ex-Yugoslavia, not present in person), Andres Rac (Hungary), Paul Rebeyrolle (France), Brigitte Simlinger (Austria), Otokar Slavik (ex-Czechoslovakia), Jesus Raphael Soto (Venezuela, not present in person), Yasse Tabuchi (Japan), Aleksandar Tomašević (ex-Yugoslavia, died during the preparations for the Encounter), Kemal Širbegović (ex-Yugoslavia), Jean-Clarence Lambert (France), Miroslav Mićko (ex-Czechoslovakia), Georges Boudaille (France), Luc Ferrari (France). In addition to the mosaics and the international exhibition, the Encounter was remembered for a music event, led by the French composer Luc Ferrari, together with local inhabitants, artists, the Narodna Glazba amateur orchestra and tourists. The exhibition “The 1968 International Encounter of Artists in Vela Luka” has been organized in cooperation with the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, University of Dubrovnik (Department of Arts and Restoration), Dr. Dalibor Prančević (Split Faculty of Humanities), academic painter and graphic artist Nikola Skokandić, academic painter Gorki Žuvela, theorist of architecture Dr. Tomislav Premerl, participants at the International Encounters of Artists in Vela Luka Joakim Prižmić and Ivo Cetinić Paron, the Vela Luka Initiative for the Preservation of Seafaringand, the Luško Lito Association, Mirna Miličić, Tamara Levak Potrebica, Lujo Frlan. The exhibition curator is Rada Dragojević Ćosović. The exhibition will be open until 15th September 2018.