From December 19, 2021, to March 1, 2022, the exhibition showcasing the life and work of Montenegro’s most significant architect, Svetlana Kana Radević, will be open to the public at the Modern Gallery of the Museums and Galleries of Podgorica. The exhibition, part of the December Art Scene program, will be officially opened by the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, and the Mayor of Podgorica, Dr. Ivan Vuković.

“It is only natural that Kana, after a successful presence abroad, returns home. This was true during her lifetime as well—she came back to Titograd after successful periods spent in the United States and Japan. After the strong international response, it would feel incomplete not to present the exhibition in Podgorica as well. We are happy that this is happening on the day of Podgorica’s liberation, and we believe the people of Podgorica will have a positive impression,” said the exhibition organizers.

The exhibition arrives in Podgorica from Venice, where, for the past six months, it was presented as part of the “collateral events” section of the main program of the Venice Architecture Biennale. For the first time, it introduced Svetlana Kana Radević’s life and work to the international public on such a scale. The exhibition received positive reviews in major outlets such as The New York Times, New York Review of Books, Financial Times, The Tribune, as well as Architectural Review, ArchDaily, and many other respected global media platforms. It features drawings, letters, and photographs from Kana’s private archive, generously made available by her family.

“Although Kana’s work dates back only a few decades, with many of her contemporaries still living and working among us, researching her legacy feels like a forensic process into a life lived centuries ago. The absence of an institutional archival center dedicated not only to her work but to architecture in general is a major shortcoming. We hope the exhibition contributes to raising awareness of this issue—because only by addressing it can we, as responsible institutions and individuals, properly engage not only with Kana’s architecture but with cultural and historical heritage more broadly. Everything this exhibition presents to the public is of immeasurable value,” said the organizers.

The exhibition is organized by the APSS Institute and the company Strategist, under the patronage of the President of Montenegro and with the support of the Capital City of Podgorica.

“The APSS Institute will mark its tenth anniversary next year, along with its mission to contribute to education in the field of architecture and the cultural-historical heritage of this region—especially in relation to younger generations. In order to raise awareness, not only about Kana’s work but about architecture and the city more broadly, we must invest in education. That is also the aim of this exhibition,” said Dijana Vučinić, Executive Director of the APSS Institute.

The exhibition is supported by a large number of companies: Artemide, Bemax, CEDIS, CGES, Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG), Glosarij, Hipotekarna Banka, Metropolis Media Montenegro, Savana, Uniprom, and Zetagradnja.