The National Library of Serbia and that of Spain signed an agreement on cooperation. An international art festival has begun in Prokuplje. Nisville, the most important jazz festival in southeastern Europe, begins in Nis on August 16. More in the Cultural Chronicle, prepared by Tihana Pavicevic.
At an annual meeting of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries, held in Helsinki this year, the National Library of Serbia and the National Library of Spain signed a protocol on cooperation. On that occasion, the acting director of the National Library of Serbia, Dejan Ristić, gave a lecture on the history of this Serbian cultural institution, which is marking its 180th anniversary this year. The conference also discussed the initiative of the National Library of Serbia to host a meeting of directors of national libraries of southeastern Europe in October this year. The initiative was greeted by the member-libraries and support was given to the intensification of regional cooperation.
Every year, Prokuplje, a southern Serbian town, hosts traditional cultural events in memory of important dates or persons from the history of Serbia. The traditional International Art Colony Boza Ilic’s Memorial was founded in memory of this Serbian painter and is held every year in the village of Žitni Potok, where the artist was born. This year’s event gathered numerous artists from Serbia and abroad, including three from Mexico. The guests from Mexico attended the colony last year as well, on which occasion they presented, as a gift, three large murals, now displayed in dowtown Prokuplje. Every artist taking part in this international colony is obliged to present a work or art presented within the colony to the „Boža Ilić“Art Gallery.
Nisville, the most important jazz festival in southeastern Europe, begins in Nis, a town in southern Serbia, on August 16. and lasts until August 19. This is the only cultural event that has won a statute entitled Best from Serbia. The 29th jazz festival also includes an exhibition of photos entitled All That Jazz by Aleksandar Plačkov, and also an exhibition staged by artist Bojan Bonić in the Nis Fortress. The third exhibition at the festival is called “Serbian Jazz, Bre” by Ivan Grlić. This year’s festival will be in the sign of the violin, thanks to the French musician Jean Luc Ponty who is to open the festival with his band. During the festival, 80 concerts with more than 400 performers will be held on 10 stages.