Art collection
Marina Abramović, a performance artist from Belgrade, one of the most enduring artists of our time and one of the few who has managed to blend east and west with her artistic expression, opened the Marina Abramović Institute (MAI) in United States. Branding, communications, and advertising agency Foster + Svensson supported the opening of the MAI Institute, a gathering place for young artists from around the world and a place where they will be able to gain freedom in artistic expression and action.
The Marina Abramović Institute is a place of collaboration between art, science, technology, and spirituality, bringing these areas in touch with works of great duration and an institution dedicated to performance as an artistic expression, artistic methods, and creativity of Marina Abramović. In addition, it will also preserve a wide variety of artistic disciplines such as dance, theater, music, opera and future, new forms of artistic expression.
Foster + Svensson supports the activities of Marina Abramović with the aim of participating in the creation of a vibrant and modern art history, as well as participating in works that will mark an entire epoch. Foster + Svensson supported the opening of the MAI Marina Abramović Institute from its founding in 2013 and additionally through media communication contributed to raising awareness of the works of our great artist. Through direct collaboration with the media, we have been able to engage the public and contribute to the growth of awareness of the ideas and artistic expression of Marina Abramović. News was published and broadcasted by leading international media such as AP, New York Times, CBS, Der Standard, SRF, El Pais, Die Welt, Arte, DPA, RIA Novosti, Le Figaro, and The Guardian, while in Serbia almost all media reported on MAI Institute foundation, where in total over 270 press releases were recorded.
Foster + Svensson received a certificate confirming that it is one of the Founders of the MAI Institute, whose conceptual creator is Marina Abramović, one of the most enduring performance artists of our time.
Contemporary private art collection
Within one of the programs within Foster + Svensson Foundation we have established “Art preservation” as one of our focus areas in art. Besides identifying and promoting art, we also buy original artworks and created private contemporary art collection, that will present legacy for the next generation. We acquired and bought the original works of art such as and by:
NADEŽDA PETROVIĆ (1873-1915), “Anatomical study of the foot”, Munich (Germany), from c. 1899
ACADEMICIAN MILAN KONJEVIĆ (1898-1993), “Cow study 1”, from 1954
ACADEMICIAN MILAN KONJEVIĆ (1898-1993), “Cow study 2”, from 1954
JOVANA STOJANOVIĆ from the Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade (Calligraphy and Typeface Design academic study course in the class of Associate Professor Jana Oršolić), Belgrade (Serbia), from 2021
VICTOR VASARELY (1906-1997), XIV Olympic Winter Games, Sarajevo (Yugoslavia), from c. 1983
DUNJA JUNG (1972), Announcing spring, Belgrade (Serbia), from 2022
Art is deeply embedded in Foster + Svensson history. Arts and culture represent a key determiners of our social growth and development. Our heritage brings rich history in visual and musical arts.
Our descendants are from families which worked on facade elements in the French neo-baroque and neo-renaissance style on the House of Jevrem Grujić in Belgrade (1896) originally created by the Italian master of decorative painting Domenico D’Andrea by using very rare sgrafitto technique, almost unique example of architecture in Belgrade (Serbia). In addition, one of our founders Vladimir Suvodolac, is a family member from Belgrade (Serbia) with modern origin back in 1860’s. His grandfather Dragiša Suvodolac was a Royal Court artist, worked with sculptor Ivan Meštrović on creating “The Victor“ monument in Belgrade (1928) and Memorial monument to the Unknown Hero atop Mount Avala in Belgrade (1938) to name a few. For its work and service, the family was awarded in 1938 by King Peter II Karađorđević of Yugoslavia with Royal Household Silver Medal with Crown Rare for visual art services including painting, sculpture, and architecture.
Our founder Suvodolac family is one of the oldest and rarest families in Serbia, dated back in 11th century between 1004-1008 during Byzantine Empire, when Suvodol monastery was built and later rebuilt by Prince Lazar of Serbia as Nemanjić dynasty foundation in 14th century. Complete reconstruction was done during 1866 by Mihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia. Suvodol monastery is marked as a cultural monument of great importance under Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia.
Fervent support for the arts serves as a testament to our beliefs in the transformative power of creativity. We have been an avid art collectors and creators for over years, showcasing a profound appreciation for artistic and cultural expression as our stronghold.
