REX: A cultural laboratory

IssueSeptember - November 2002
Feature by PN staff

In Serbia the REX/B92 cultural centre describes itself as “a laboratory for research of new fields of culture”.

The centre is a member of TEH (Trans Europe Halles), network of European independent cultural centres and the coalition of centres for creative development and use of new media (ECB - European independent cultural centres network).

REX projects include

  • Ring Ring. International New Music Festival (held every year in May, since 1996)
  • Mladi YU vizuelni (Young Yugoslav visual artists). Conceived as a project providing the widest possible insight into the works of young Yugoslav artists (launched at the end of 1998).
  • Dupla Eksplozicija (Double Explosion). Discussing the role of art and culture in social changes (2000).
  • Graficka Zavera (Graphic Conspiracy). Support for the development of local comic-strip scene (the first comic-strip collection was published in 2000)
  • Cyberedu. Creating basic conditions for more advanced and creative use of new media (2000)
  • Alt.bgd (Alternative Belgrade). Urban Belgrade culture on-line (June 1999-September 2001)

Through widening the domains of contemporary culture and promoting creative use of new media REX:

  • supports production and presentation of analytical and critical culture;
  • promotes values of open and democratic society and culture and art that reflect current civil needs and initiatives;
  • carries out projects in collaboration with cultural workers active in the local or ex-Yugoslav scene;
  • carries out programmes in Belgrade and throughout Serbia with the aim of playing an active part in the European cultural milieu and organises guest visits of various artists, participates in forums and workshops, initiates and carries out international projects, exchanges programmes and experiences with similar centres;
  • insists on working with young people and audience, emphasising educational aspect of such an activity;
  • creates a “free zone” for discussion about current political and social processes. In building REX, our starting points are the belief that art is a means of communication and the “ideology” of networking.

In terms of organisation and editorial policy, the centre promotes the idea of “migration as the oxygen of cultural diversity and development”.

Topics: Culture, Balkans