Marina Abramović, considered by many to be the greatest performance artist of the last century, has taken over The Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade in Serbia. The Cleaner, which runs through January 20, is her largest and most significant retrospective to date, tracing her ascent over a 50-year career. It also marks the first time in 45 years that Abramović has staged a solo show in her native country.
The Cleaner features more than 120 works of art, including drawings, photography, video installations, and a smattering of her wild performances pieces (Lips of Thomas [1975], Nightsea Crossing [1982-1986]). It starts with her early paintings (1960-1969), conceptual works (1970-1972), and radical solo performances (1973-1975), then explores Abramović’s gutsy and poignant collaborations with fellow artist and longtime lover Ulay (1976-1988). The final chapter of the exhibition is devoted to her endurance-testing, taboo-smashing solo work from the last 26 years, including 2010’s headline-grabbing piece, The Artist is Present, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The traveling exhibition first debuted in 2017 at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet and has since displayed in Denmark, Norway, Germany, Italy, and Poland. Serbia is the show’s final stop and a return-to-roots homecoming for Abramović, where programming includes film screenings, tours, and live re-performances of Abramović’s work, staged daily by local and international artists.
If you’ve never been, this blockbuster exhibition is the perfect excuse to explore Belgrade, a beacon of Balkan culture and one of Europe’s most overlooked cities.
Where to stay
Saint Ten, a 55-room boutique inn in the Vraĉar district, is Belgrade’s only member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collective. Request a junior suite with a balcony view of Saint Sava, the second largest Orthodox church on earth. For a budget-friendlier option, check out the 10-room Bohemian Garni, whose interiors are starkly minimalist with an occasional pop of color. Garni’s location, in the heart of Skadarlija, a.k.a. the Bohemian Quarter, is unbeatable. The cobblestoned streets are lined with ceramics studios, antique stores hawking Turkish kilims, and buzzy Serbian restaurants with live music.
What to do
The Nikola Tesla Museum remains one of Belgrade’s top tourist attractions. The UNESCO Heritage-protected collection traces the hometown inventor’s career through displays of his technological innovations and personal artifacts (including a rather debonaire crocodile-skin briefcase). Guided tours are led in Serbian and English; line up early if you want a front-row seat for the electricity demos.
Another institution worth adding to your itinerary is the imposing Museum of Aviation. The retro-futuristic building, built in 1989 by Bosnian architect Ivan Štraus, houses hundreds of Serbian aircraft, including the remains of two NATO planes shot down by Serbian forces during the 1999 bombing campaign. (Note: The museum is adjacent to the Belgrade airport, 30 minutes from the city center. Try to drop in when you’re heading to or from the airport.)
The aforementioned Church of Saint Sava, atop Vraĉar Hill, has been called the Sagrada Família of Eastern Europe. The white marble-and-granite monolith with the 4,000-ton copper dome is still unfinished inside. It has technically been under construction for more than a century, its progress limited first by allied bombings during World War II, then by the crippling chokehold of Communism, and most recently by the Yugoslav Wars. Great pains have been taken over the last 20 years to complete the interior, but what exactly you can see when you visit is always a gamble. The only part that is complete is the crypt—an underground stunner with its maze of arches, Murano glass mosaics, and bewitching wall and ceiling frescoes.
Take a stroll around Kalemegdan Park and the Belgrade Fortress, overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers. The well-groomed green space has a zoo, medieval tower, 2,000-year-old Roman well, and a military museum with hulking tanks and cannons on display. Don’t miss Ružica, an 18th-century gunpowder magazine turned enchanting ivy-clad church with chandeliers made of bullets.
Where to eat
Do as the locals do when it comes to breakfast and queue up at Pekara Trpković. Burek is the specialty of this 114-year-old bakery. Order a warm, flaky, melty, ham-and-cheese slice to go and head to nearby Manjež Park. Pigeons will gather around your feet as you tuck into the decadently delicious treat—like a cross between spanakopita and a calzone.
At Loki, sample the pljeskavica, a super-sized burger stuffed with pancetta and cheese; or the pohovani, a triangle of breaded- and deep-fried Serbian white cheese served with tartar sauce and a paprika-spiked urnebes spread on a giant roll. Đerdan is known for its kobasica, or Serbian sausage; Walter is good for ćevapi, tasty grilled fingers of ground beef and pork. Dva Jelena on Skadarlija is a traditional Serbian restaurant; try the karadordeva, deep-fried pork filet with kaymak (clotted cream).
After dark, head down to buzzy, boozy Beton Hala on the river to see where Serbia’s moneyed trendsetters go to party. Executive chef Bojan Bocvarov at Ambar offers neo-Balkan bites and an impressive selection of rakija, a type of fruit brandy popular throughout the Balkans.
Where to shop
One of the best spots to pick up souvenirs is Makadam, a boutique and bistro. The goods are all made in Serbia, including delicate porcelain earrings by Biljana, leather and walnut boxes from Kora, and bijou bottles of artisanal rakija. Hit up Atelje Petlja for funky, arty clothing by local designers Tijane Cvetković and Zoe Kide; Wolf & Chain for chunky, colorful jewelry and housewares; and Parfimerija SAVA, the last old-world perfumer in Belgrade, for a hand-blended custom perfume or cologne.
