Sunday at the MAA
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN
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GUIDED TOURS
The “Sunday at the MAA” programme is organised every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm and consists of two parallel programs: GUIDED TOUR (for adults) and WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN (for 4-12 year olds).
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN - "FANTASTIC FORMS: KANAGA” (11-13h)
The aim of the topical “Fantastic Forms” workshops is to teach children some of the basic elements found in some of the most beautiful examples of classical west African art – masks and sculptures – which are displayed on the permanent exhibition of the Museum.
“Fantastic Forms: Kanaga” introduces the mask of the Dogon people in Mali. These masks are symbols of the whole living world surrounding humans which is inhabited, according to legend, by ancestors from the mythical past.
The kanaga is an example of the artistic use of shape, form and colour symbolism which is explained to children through the creative act. Without colour, the mask is merely a piece of wood; when coloured and decorated, it communicates with the ancestors, and this is why colours are so important. The four colours stand for the for elements: black – water, red – fire, white – air and yellow (brown) – earth. The Dogon believe that all tha was ever created, is made out of these four elements. As part of a costume the kanaga – dancing mask – becomes a symbol of the movement generated by the supreme creator Amma, when he was creating the world at the beginning of time.
Lead by a specialized team, through film and storytelling, drawing and painting, children will create their very own kanaga mask.
The Workshop is in Serbian.
* Entrance: 150 RSD
** The workshop does not require reservation!
*** Parents and guardians are kindly asked to bring children on time so that children are able to fully participate in the structured and prepared programme, and take full advantage of the creative time spent in the museum.
GUIDED TOURS (11h)
Guided tours as part of the Sunday at the MAA programme are designed to meet the widest museum audience and their interests. Curators and experts in specific fields of African art and culture, prepare topical tours focusing on the different segments of the permanent display and the (at that moment) thematic exhibition. If you have not previously had the opportunity to be familiarized with the objects on the permanent display, or if the current exhibition in the small gallery of the Museum is of particular interest, these guided tours are just for you!
The Guided Tour is in Serbian.
* Entrance: 150 RSD
** The guided tour is for adults, but suitable for younger adults as well (13-18 year olds)
Stories from the Permanent Display - Guided Tours:
Sunday, 8 October, 11:00
ONE MAN, NO CHOP – 40 Years of the MAA
A special segment of the exhibition dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Museum, deals for the first time with the lives and work of the Museum’s founders and is titled – Unpacking the Archive of Veda Zagorac and Zdravko Pečar. MAA Curator Dragan Mišković will guide you through the youth of these two people, retracing their political views and values, as well as their tireless work in Africa through diplomatic and cultural activities. This guided tour introduces lesser known facts from the lives of these two individuals, as well as the motifs that lead to the establishment of the unique Museum of African Art in Belgrade.
Guided by: Dragan Mišković, MAA curator
Sunday, 15 October, 11:00
The History of the MAA Building and Introductory Tour Through the Permanent Display
Scheduled for 11-13h will be a guided tour offering insight into the architectural history of the museum building, as well as the Yugoslav and politics of the Non-Aligned movement which were the foundations for building an institution as unique as the Museum of African Art in Belgrade (in 1977). The second segment of the guided tour will focus actual objects on the permanent display – masks and sculptures in wood of the Senugo, Dogon and Bamana – offering insight into the traditional life in west-African societies, i.e. one of the crucial elements of the Bantu religious system – ancestor worship.
Guided by: Sara Nikolić, master student of ethnology and anthropology & Dragana Ćurčin, graduate student of ethnology and anthropology (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 22 October, 11:00
Humanity Without Limit – Understanding of Morality of African Peoples
Ignorance often produces misunderstanding, fear and prejudice. Due to lack of education, we have a tendency to diminish the value of what we do not know and do not understand. If we want to overcome the prejudices that we have about the culture, belief systems, art and lifestyles of African people, we need to understand what is at the core of all things, and that is a philosophy. The guided tour will focus on Ubuntu philosophy and the ethical system of the Akan, in order to enhance our philosophical knowledge of African peoples.
Guided by: Aleksandra Knežević, Undergraduate Student of Philosophy (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 29. October, 11:00
Symbols of Power in Western African Communities
Through this guided tour, we will learn about the laws, rituals, tools and decorative items, and try to understand all the ways in which these elements culminate into one whole – one community, with its specific characteristics, mythology and art. Having removed our prejudice, we will be able to distinguish many similarities and differences between “our” and “their” social systems and, above all, recognize all those genuinely identical nuances of everyday life, of the big and small, powerful and powerless people, no matter what space or time they dwell in.
Guided by: Sofija Dakić, Undergraduate Student of Sociology (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 5 November, 11:00
Childhood and "Rites of Passage" Among West African Peoples
The guided will familiarize you with the customs and beliefs linked to childhood and growing up in a traditional west-African community. You will learn about practices and beliefs connected with fertility and birth as well as the importance of motherhood. Special mention will be made of the symbolical role of rituals - the use of masks and other sacred objects - both during the period of growing up, and those that occurring throughout the life of individuals in traditional communities.
Guided by: Katarina Milovanović, Undergraduate Student of Pedagogy & Maja Banović, Undergraduate Student of History (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 12 November, 11:00
Myths and Legends of West African Peoples
This guided tour is an introduction to the traditional legends of different cultures of Africa, above all the Dogon, Bambara, Senufo and Ashanti. Through the tour you will find out about the first “beings” that walked the land and how they influenced their descendants – humans. We invite you to join us and learn how myths and legends permeate African reality today.
Guided by: Dušаn Тоšić, Undergraduate Student of History (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 19 November, 11:00
Zoomorphic Motifs and Symbolism in West African Art
In many West African communities, animals have occupied a key place in mythology, legends and rituals. We will get acquainted with the permanent display of the Museum by tracing zoomorphic (animal) motifs in the works of the Dogon, Bambara, Senufo, Baule, Dan and Gere peoples, whose traditional sculptures and masks in wood dominate the display. Stories about animals teach us a lot about the people themselves and the way they see the world around them.
Guided by: Nastasija Radovanović, Undergraduate Student of Archaeology (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 26. November, 11:00
The Influence of West-African Art on European Modern Art
What is the situation in European artistic circles in the late 19th century when the fruits of African material culture became available to the general European public? What interest did African masks, sculptures and textiles provoke among painters such as Matisse, Picasso, Darren, Vlaminck...? Join us on this tour through the permanent display of the Museum and let us trace works of art like the ones that produced new directions in art in the 20th century.
Guided by: Marijana Štrubel, Undergraduate Student of Art History (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 3. December, 11:00
Myths and Legends of West African Peoples
This guided tour is an introduction to the traditional legends of different cultures of Africa, above all the Dogon, Bambara, Senufo and Ashanti. Through the tour you will find out about the first “beings” that walked the land and how they influenced their descendants – humans. We invite you to join us and learn how myths and legends permeate African reality today.
Guided by: Dušаn Тоšić, Undergraduate Student of History (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 10 December, 11:00
The Mysterious Power of the African Mask
The mask is an essential element in dance rituals, rites and ceremonies of African communities. Because of its magic and power, members of the community treat the mask with great respect: from its creation and protection, its participation in various rituals and different social occasions. Masked, and accompanied by musical instruments, in certain rhythm, the mask-wearer loses his identity and transforms into a supernatural being that provides communication between community members and ancestral spirits.
Guided by: Slađana Biljić, Undergraduate Student of Archaeology (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 17 December, 11:00
Humanity Without Limit – Understanding of Morality of African Peoples
Ignorance often produces misunderstanding, fear and prejudice. Due to lack of education, we have a tendency to diminish the value of what we do not know and do not understand. If we want to overcome the prejudices that we have about the culture, belief systems, art and lifestyles of African people, we need to understand what is at the core of all things, and that is a philosophy. The guided tour will focus on Ubuntu philosophy and the ethical system of the Akan, in order to enhance our philosophical knowledge of African peoples.
Guided by: Aleksandra Knežević, Undergraduate Student of Philosophy (Practicum 2017)
Sunday, 24 December, 11:00
Play and/or Real Life: Growing Up Among the People of West Africa
This tour will consider the role of parents through the eyes of the people whose beliefs and rituals color everyday life and important events in the lives of individuals and communities. We will get acquainted with the customs and beliefs that are related to fertility and childbirth, the importance of motherhood, masked dancers, secret societies and other customs during initiation that await both boys and girls on their path to adulthood.
Guided by: Katarina Milovanović, Undergraduate Student of Pedagogy (Practicum 2017)
2018.
Sunday, 14 January, 11:00
The Meaning of the Ancestral Cult among the peoples of West Africa
African religious practice with its mystique and uniqueness, has provoked worldwide interest over the centuries. The ancestral cult was prevalant in almost every part of Africa and the veneration of ancestors held an important role in many ceremonies. On the permanent display of the Museum, there areshowcased cult figures and masks which were used by the Dogon, Senufo, Bambara, Dan and Gere peoples.
Guided by: Dragana Ćurčin, Undergraduate student of Ethnology and Anthropology
Sunday, 21 January, 11:00
ONE MAN, NO CHOP – 40 YEARS OF THE MAA
A special segment of the exhibition dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Museum, deals for the first time with the lives and work of the Museum’s founders and is titled – Unpacking the Archive of Veda Zagorac and Zdravko Pečar. MAA Curator Dragan Mišković will guide you through the youth of these two people, retracing their political views and values, as well as their tireless work in Africa through diplomatic and cultural activities. This guided tour introduces lesser known facts from the lives of these two individuals, as well as the motifs that lead to the establishment of the unique Museum of African Art in Belgrade
Sunday, 28 January, 11:00
The Influence of West-African Art on European Modern Art
What is the situation in European artistic circles in the late 19th century when the fruits of African material culture became available to the general European public? What interest did African masks, sculptures and textiles provoke among painters such as Matisse, Picasso, Darren, Vlaminck...? Join us on this tour through the permanent display of the Museum and let us trace works of art like the ones that produced new directions in art in the 20th century.
Guided by: Marijana Štrubel, Undergraduate Student of Art History
