Kovačica » Kovačica | 99 T HE CASE OF T HE V I L L AGE OF KOVAČ I CA The heart and soul of Slovak naïve painting Serbia addedSlovak naive painting to its national register of intangible cultural heritage in 2012, while it is this year expected to be a candidate for inclusion on theUNESCO List of the IntangibleCultural Heritage of Humanity KOVAČICA, A SMALL VILLAGEINTHEDISTRICTOF South Banat, occupies themost prominent place in international cultural circles when it comes to the world of naïve art, withnaïve painters of Slovakorigin having spent centuries nurturing their own culture, language, customs and art. Among thefirst totry theirhand at creating naïve paintings were Jan Sokol andMartinPaluška,morethan 90 years ago, and they were soon joinedbyMihal Bireš and, sometime later, Vladimir Boboš. Afine art section was founded after WWII, with the likes of Martin Jonaš and Jan Knjazovic – with their specific, exotic style–becomingmembers. And thencame1952,whenthefirst exhibitionofnaïvepainterswasorganised to commemorate the 150th anniversaryof the arrival of Slovaks in these lands.There were 12 of themexhibiting their paintings, while the event was given a special charm with the inclusion of the Women of KovačicaAssociation, with their handicraft works that faithfullydepictedSlovak customs and traditions. The year 1952 is considered the year when Kovačica naïve art made its first public appearance, and the Art and Painting Section was also founded that same year, and provided with a special stamp of legitimacy by aforementioned great naive artmasters Jonaš andKnjazovic. Everything progressed much faster from then on, and people started to talk about Kovačica all around the world, prompting theneed to establish a Gallery of the painter-farmers of Kovačica. Founded on 15th May 1955, itwasthefirstgalleryof itskind anywhere in the then Yugoslavia. Enteringtheworldofnaïveart in the1960swereOndrejVenjarski, Jan Garaj, Pavel Lacko,KatarinaKarleček – all of whom hailed from Kovačica, aswell as JanBačur fromPadina, andtheyweresoonalso joinedby the most famous naïve painter, Zuzana Chalupová,whowasaccompaniedby Eva Husarikova, Katarina Kožikova andPadina natives JanHusarik and Mihal Povolni.The 1960s proved to be the most fruitful years in the naBabkov dom (Jan Bačur) Babka house (Jan Bachur)
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