Written by: Gordana Tadić / Photos: Marko Rupena
The international juried exhibition of sacred art and multidisciplinary event Svetlost Logosa / The Light of the Logos, organized by the Kaleidoskop Cultural Center, was held from August 26 to September 11 at the Kolarac Endowment Gallery in Belgrade, featuring some of the most prominent contemporary iconographers. The exhibition was officially opened by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, with the presence of Bishop Tihon Rakićević.
This event, dedicated to marking the 850th anniversary of the birth of Saint Sava, took place with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije. In the year when UNESCO celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Kaleidoskop Cultural Center was especially honored to be invited to join the jubilee celebration, with The Light of the Logos exhibition being included on the global map of events visible to audiences worldwide.
The exhibition was marked by impressive numbers: more than 4,000 visitors during the 15 days of its duration, 600 guests at the opening ceremony, 97 exhibitors from 12 countries, 209 works submitted to the competition, and 130 icons included in the display. The program was further enriched by two masterclasses – icon painting and gilding.
You can view the photos from the opening in the gallery above.
The exhibition presented 130 icons created by 97 artists from 12 countries. Alongside the best domestic authors, works were displayed by creators from Greece, the USA, Cuba, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Belarus, Republika Srpska, Germany, Latvia, and the Philippines.
A special highlight was the arrival of Grigore Popescu-Mușcel (79), one of the most esteemed contemporary iconographers, whose works adorn over 50 churches across Europe. His recognizable, elongated, and graceful figures, as art historians note, "perform a heavenly ballet without gravity." Popescu’s works were also displayed at the Kolarac Gallery by special invitation of the organizers.
Among other distinguished participants were Prof. Dr. Jorgos Kordis from Greece, Romanian artists Prof. Dr. Mihai Coman and Prof. Dr. Andrei Mușat, as well as Serbian authors Vladimir Bata Kidišević and Prof. Dr. Todor Mitrović.
The exhibition concept was authored by MA Luka Novaković, painter-conservator and PhD candidate at the University of Belgrade, while the curatorial setting was shaped by art historian Vera Vitorović. The works were selected by the artistic council: Grigore Popescu-Mușcel, Bishop Dr. Tihon Rakićević, Prof. Dr. Todor Mitrović, and MA Biljana Cincar Kostić.
Visual by Emanuela Tassan Lukic Mazzoko, photos: Mihai Coman
During the exhibition, two masterclasses were held. On August 27–28, Romanian and Serbian artists jointly painted, creating five new icons that were immediately displayed in the gallery on easels. The authors of these works were Grigore Popescu-Mușcel, Mihai Coman, Andrei Mușat, Todor Mitrović, and Luka Novaković.
A few days later, from September 2–4, artist and gilder Todor Lepčević led a three-day program The Art of Gilding: Tradition and Innovation, dedicated to the craft of creating icons fully in gold.
Kaleidoskop Cultural Center extends gratitude to the partners who recognized the importance of hosting this high-profile exhibition: UNESCO, which included the exhibition in the global celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions; the Kolarac Endowment for providing gallery space and staff who demonstrated the highest professionalism; ComputerLand, which donated four awards for the winners; Wiener Städtische Insurance, which supported the printing of the catalog; His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije for the honor of opening the exhibition; and Iviron, which provided wooden panels for the masterclass.
Special thanks are also due to our team, who worked diligently for a year to prepare the exhibition: master painter and conservator Luka Novaković, author of the exhibition concept; art historian Vera Vitorović, curator and exhibition designer; the organizational and PR team – Gordana Tadić, Miona Kovačević, and Lela Milivojević; and the video production team of KC Kaleidoskop – Biljana Đogić, Bogdan Đurić, and Nikola Đogić.
We especially thank our colleagues from the media, who showed great interest and reported professionally on The Light of the Logos 2025, contributing to the popularization of contemporary sacred art and confirming that Byzantine artistic concepts remain an inseparable part of contemporary art, Serbian culture, and its identity. How the media reported and part of the press clipping (from over 90 media features) can be found HERE.
We would like to thank the outstanding musicians who enhanced the grand opening: Ljiljana Popović, soloist and singer-songwriter, Viktor Ilić, professor of classical guitar, and Predrag Nedeljković, clarinetist from the group Živa voda, as well as the chanters of the Choir of the Church of Ružica and the Chapel of Saint Petka in Belgrade.
Finally, and most importantly, we thank all the artists for their participation and professionalism, our guests from Romania for the time they devoted to coming to Belgrade, all international artists-exhibitors who traveled to Belgrade, as well as our entire creative team and collaborators for their professionalism, dedication, and smiles at every moment. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
The 2026 open call for participation will be announced on our portal during the winter. For now, we can reveal that the competition will accept only new works, meaning that the icons submitted must not have been exhibited previously.
All important information about the exhibition can be followed on our portal at the Svetlost Logosa page, as well as on the Instagram and Facebook profiles of the exhibition, and the Instagram and Facebook profiles of Kaleidoskop Media magazine.
The digital exhibition catalog is available HERE.
See you at Kolarac in 2026!
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