The ‘Cloud’ sculpture by Branislav Nikolić was chosen at the sculptural-architecture call for the conceptual solution for the creation of a sculpture within the urban planning of the Novi Sad District, which was launched at the initiative of the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation and the Centre for Fine and Applied Arts ‘TERRA’. A total of 13 solutions were submitted to the call, which was opened on 1 January 2023.
The conceptual solution should take into account the spatial and historical context of the District, as a place that inherits a hundred-year industrial heritage, as well as its future purpose, i.e. a new centre of creative industries, thanks to the renovation within the European Capital of Culture project.
The ‘Cloud’ sculpture by Branislav Nikolić represents a contemplative and organic addition to the new concept for the revitalization of the District area. Envisaged in the form of a factory chimney from which smoke billows, the sculpture transports the visitors of the District with its form into the history of the area marked by the intensive industrialization of Novi Sad at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its simplicity communicates unequivocally with heritage, attracts the eye and calls for dialogue. Built in a combination of terracotta and steel, the ‘Cloud’ will document the history of the District, connecting past and present. Two dominant materials, terracotta and steel, were the carriers of the city’s development, following its constant progress through the decades.
The expert jury, which brought together professionals in the field of culture and art – professors from the University of Novi Sad, representatives of the ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation, as well as representatives of the Centre for Fine and Applied Arts ‘TERRA’, chose the ‘Cloud’ by Branislav Nikolić as the winning solution because the author answered the set criteria with the highest number of points. In this case, the criteria were the conceptual relationship to the topic and the materialization of the concept, the quality of the solution in relation to the topic, the meaningful and meaningful qualities of the solution, the originality of the idea, the persuasion and communicativeness of the solution, the aesthetic, artistic and formative qualities of the solution, the materials and the creation of the work in the terracotta, the quality of the technical-technological characteristics of the solution, materialization as well as future exploitation and maintenance, the quality of the solution in relation to the context – in the immediate and wider environment, cultural heritage and the specifics of the space to which the public sculpture will be set and within which it will be interpreted, technical possibilities of the proposed solution for the implementation, as well as the plausibility of argumentation – the clarity of communication through graphic attachments.
The basis for announcing the call is an urban intervention in a public space, which involves the installation of a sculptural work, in a location that aspires to become the most vibrant centre of creative industries in the region. With the revitalization of the District, the once unsafe spaces have today already taken on the contours of a centre of contemporary creativity, where various contents are widely implemented, and numerous organizations and independent artists have found a new home. The announcement of the call is a natural consequence of further development of the District, networking with regional partners and strengthening the ties between them.
You can find all information about the call, as well as the description and appearance of the conceptual solution for the ‘Cloud’ sculpture on novisad2022.rs.
