Museum of Contemporary Art

Overview

The Museum of Contemporary Art (Muzej savremene umetnosti) occupies a striking brutalist glass-and-concrete building overlooking the confluence of the Sava and Danube in New Belgrade. It holds over 35,000 works of 20th- and 21st-century art from the former Yugoslav states and beyond.

Highlights

• Permanent Collection: Works by Marina Abramović, Ljubica Cuca Sokić, and other major Yugoslav-era artists.
• Brutalist Architecture: The 1965 building by Ivan Antić is considered a masterpiece of Yugoslav modernist architecture.
• Sculpture Park: Large-scale outdoor installations surround the museum along the riverbank.

History

Founded in 1958, the museum was one of the first institutions in socialist Europe dedicated to contemporary art. It closed for renovation in 2007 and reopened in 2017 after a decade-long restoration that preserved the original brutalist aesthetic while modernizing climate control and lighting.

Visitor Tips

• Tip 1: The museum is on the New Belgrade side — walk across Brankov Bridge from the old town (15 minutes).
• Tip 2: The sculpture park is free and accessible at all times, even if the museum is closed.
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours.