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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Kovačica naïve art on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Belgrade, 3 December 2024

The Ministry of Culture stated that naïve painting practices of Kovačica, an element of the intangible cultural heritage of Serbia, has been inscribed today on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This decision confirms the commitment of the Republic of Serbia to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and the promotion of cultural diversity, while also highlighting the importance of national minorities in Serbia and their contribution to the richness of cultural heritage.

The decision on the inscription was made by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO at its 19th session, which is being held in Asuncion, Paraguay, from 2 to 7 December.

The naïve painting practices of Kovačica were entered into the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia in 2012 and refer to the tradition of painting and decorating objects with representations of the folk life, rural environment, history and everyday lives, which developed as a special form of naïve art in the town of Kovačica in the 1930s.

Serbia has so far inscribed five elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day (2014), Kolo, traditional folk dance (2017), Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle (2018), Zlakusa pottery making (2020) and Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit - šljivovica (2022), the statement said.