Description:
Serbian Museum of Bread - Jeremija was founded in 1995.
Museum resulted from years of collecting and research made by a painter Jeremija. Travelling around Serbia (visitings more than 700 villages), Jeremija paints but also researches, collects ethnographic objects, tools, machines, records customs and rituals. In early 1990s, he decided to present his collections to the general public; in this period, he started constructing buildings which would house his collections several years afterwards.
Collections with around 2000 artifacts are housed at the area of 1200 square meters and in several successively constructed buildings which had been designed and implemented by Jeremija himself.
The main concept of the museum display is aimed at showing the journey of a wheat grain from “the soil, over bread to the heaven” thus corresponding to Jeremija’s painting cycles of “Soil”, “Bread” and “Heaven”.
Presented artifacts tell a story of bread and bread-making methods in Serbia in the past, its importance and symbolism, but also the story of people, customs, way of life in the days of yore. Artifacts are allowed to be touched, while certain number of artifacts in presented by demonstration of its functions.
Artifacts presented are organized into three themed collections: ethnographic, archeological and art collections.
Ethnographic collection contains: collections of tools for land cultivation, transport means collections of objects used for bread making and baking, collection of objects for food preparation and collection of ritual breads.
Archeological collection consists of the pre-historic and antique collections. Pre-historic collection encompasses collection of tools for land cultivation, collection of millstones and wheat storing dishes. Antique collection consists of tools for land cultivation dating from the Roman ages.
Art collection contains collection of paintings and drawings by Jeremija.
Museum complex also houses an oven for bread baking, a hearth and a church dedicated to Serbian Slava.
Due to strong influence of the artist’s personality upon the concept of the museum exhibition and his practical engagement in the implementation, the whole museum complex is entwined with the idea of the museum as yet another work of art by Jeremija.