As a fine arts medium, tapestry is a young art discipline in Yugoslavia. Yet, during its fifty years of existence (the first attempts at the art of tapestry making date from the early 50s), it has covered a significant road of development from the first, pioneering and somewhat naďve attempts, to quite authentic and original solutions, which follow modern artistic trends in the world.

A good portion to this fifty year long development has been marked by the activity of the Atelier 61 and its quality and equally great production of tapestries by eminent Yugoslav artists, mainly painters, sculptors, graphic designers…., as well as those whose expression is in the applied arts. On the other hand, the Belgrade circle of authors, tapestry artists by vocation, first began to deal seriously with this art at the Academy, today Faculty of Applied Arts in Belgrade (since 1986 tapestry has been made a separate subject studied at this Faculty), and then independently, in the inspiring atmosphere of their studios and workshops. Executing their works by themselves mainly, they have created quite a unique road of development of Yugoslav tapestry, parallel with the one, but also different from the road followed by the Atelier 61. The popular zing and the exhibiting of these works was the concern of the Museum of Applied Arts and the Gallery of the Army Cultural Centre, who must be given no sparing praise for the affirmation of this art discipline. By the works of these authors, on the one hand, and the artists who co-operated with the Atelier 61 on the other hand, tapestry has achieved a very high position in modern Yugoslav art, achieving at the same time prestigious world standards.

Bearing in mind these guidelines in the development of tapestry, as well as the many times proven specific creative language of the fine arts medium, in which various artists have created various visions, the idea on the establishing of a tapestry making colony was quite justified. The inspiration and initiative for this undertaking came from the Atelier 61, with the self-less aid, support and understanding of the Executive Council of Novi Sad and the Serbian Republic Ministry for Culture.

The intention and the predominant aim of the further development and affirmation of the art of tapestry gathered together for the first time at a colony, artists-tapestry makers-makers of like vocations and interests, but of quite different aesthetics and expressions. The concept of the Atelier 61 was, among other things, to establish a closer co-operation between artists at this colony: According to the words of Gordana Glid: “For thirty years I have been making my tapestries alone, decorative fabrics and fashion details. For the first time in Yugoslavia someone is inviting me and offering me the possibility to create tapestries and textiles from given materials, and under such good conditions for work and accommodation. Even the meeting of other people in the colony is very useful, for when each of us creates alone in his or her studio we think we know everything, when we find ourselves with others, there is a mutual exchange and we sometimes reveal our secrets to each other." These words express succinctly the sense and the essence of working at the colony.

The first session of the colony unique in Yugoslavia, and perhaps even in the world, was held during July 1998 in Futog. Thanks to the courtesy of the management of the Agricultural School and its student hostel, the authors were given the rooms of this magnificent edifice, once the mansion of the Austro-Hungarian Kotek family, to work and live in. There was an occasion, in an official atmosphere, such as the opening ceremony, to also promote the name of the colony: “It gives me honour on behalf of the Atelier 61 to open this first colony officially, and at the same time to fulfil the desire of all the employees to have the colony named after Boško Petrovic. In this way his name would be deservedly and permanently linked to tapestry." (Nada Adžic)

The next three sessions, equally as successful as the first one, and with the force of inspiration of something new, gathered the invited artists at the Petrovaradin Fortress, where the premises of the Atelier are located. The reason for this was certainly a closer contact with the workshop and the weavers, and the valuable and necessary co-operation of the authors and their co-authors. In this, the inspiring atmosphere of the Fortress could not be neglected. In the fortress there are some eighty studios of artists of various artistic orientations, into which, as with all good hosts, you can enter for a brief visit.

From the very beginning a detailed plan was made and the propositions for working in the colony clearly formulated, and they were presented to the participants beforehand. Each year according to the participants’ suggestions and the suggestions of the members of the Art Board, the Atelier 61 invites up to 10 authors. The colony lasts for seven days, and during that period of time the artists have to make one sketch of an idea or a painting for a tapestry from the material provided by the host. The weavers will convert the painting into a tapestry, but the authors are also offered the possibility, if improvisation is an essential element of their work, to execute their own work. The finished tapestry is added to the Collection of the Atelier 61, in the section of achievements from the colonies, which is one the ways for the Collection, which is rich and varied by character, to be continually added to by valuable new works. The obligation of the Atelier 61, according to the propositions, is to present the tapestries of the participants at the colonies, as well as previous works from their oeuvre, to the public by exhibitions, which, now traditionally at the beginning of the meeting of the next colony, present to the public the achievements of the Bo{ko Petrovi} colonies of tapestry making. In this way one of the very important events is a meeting of the participants of two sessions.

The experience gained so far at the colonies reveals that it is very important to have at each session artists of all generations, whose various experiences, achievements in this form of art, certainly contribute to the dynamism of these encounters. Likewise successful has been proven the idea that in addition to tapestry makers, painters should also be invited, authors who have a developed sense of work and experimentation in this field, and whose positions and ideas are valuable for the development of tapestry in Yugoslavia. The last two sessions have pleased the organizers by the participation of authors from the Ukraine. In this way the original idea of the Atelier 61 is coming true, the colony is growing into an event of international significance.

The work on the sketches and painting designs, the active discussions on the art of tapestry, the exchange of personal views and experience, the occasion for each artist to present his work by photos, slides, videos, written materials, the informal gathering, and finally the tapestries made, have enabled the colony only after four years of sessions to justify the intentions of its originators and organizers and to become an essential part of the activity of the Atelier 61 and part of trends in the creation and affirmation of Yugoslav tapestry.