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A Historic Moment in Algeria

OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION “ZDRAVKO PEČAR: THE FIRST YUGOSLAV REPORTER OF THE ALGERIAN REVOLUTION” AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ALGERIA

Organized by the Museum of African Art in Belgrade, the exhibition “Zdravko Pečar: The First Yugoslav Reporter of the Algerian Revolution” was ceremoniously opened at the National Assembly of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, marking a new chapter in the history of relations between Serbia and Algeria.

This event, of exceptional cultural and political significance, was held at the invitation of the President of the Algerian Parliament, Brahim Boughali, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Algeria and Ambassador Ana Petković. The delegation of the Museum of African Art to Algeria consisted of Director Dr. Marija Aleksić and curators Emilia Epštajn and Milica Josimov, who presented to the Algerian public the story of Zdravko Pečar, one of the most important mediators between African and Yugoslav peoples in the 20th century.

The exhibition “Zdravko Pečar: The First Yugoslav Reporter of the Algerian Revolution” focuses on the life and work of Zdravko Pečar — a Yugoslav journalist, historian, diplomat, revolutionary, and founder of the Museum of African Art (MAU). Visitors have the opportunity to explore the complex personality of Zdravko Pečar, his engagement in the fight against colonialism, significant contribution to the cultural and political ties between Yugoslavia and African countries, through through rich archival materials: photographs, printed documents, and his personal library. Pečar’s legacy resonates to this day — both through the numerous journalistic texts and books he published, and through the exceptional institution he founded, the Museum of African Art, which for decades has served as a unique platform for dialogue about Africa and the Middle East in this part of Europe.

At the exhibition’s opening, the Museum’s Director, Marija Aleksić, presented the President of the Algerian Parliament with a vinyl record issued in Yugoslavia in 1961, containing rare audio recordings of Algerian patriotic songs, including Cassaman, which would later become the national anthem of independent Algeria. She also presented a special commemorative postage stamp edition, concieved jointly by the Museum of African Art, the Association of Friends of Algeria, Filmske novosti, Adligat, and the Embassy of Algeria in Serbia, in honor of the 70th anniversary of Algeria’s struggle for independence.

The exhibition of the Museum of African Art currentlys presented in Algeria is based on the exhibition “Zdravko Pečar: (SELF)PORTRAITS”, by Dr. Nemanja Radonjić, Dr. Ana Knežević, and Emilia Epštajn, which was organized at the MAU in 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of his death.