On 25 large banners, the most important moments from the life and creativity of Desanka Maksimović are presented – childhood and youth, schooling from Brankovina, Valjevo, Belgrade to Paris and title of academician, first poetic attempts and first published verses, post-war travels, guest appearances at all significant events in the former Yugoslavia (Zmajeve dečje igre, Vukov sabor, Brankovo kolo), photos from the family album, postcards and letters.

Visitors could see the most significant foreign and domestic awards and recognitions the poetess received for her long and fruitful life.

Documents, photographs, and domestic and foreign editions of books were used for the realization of the exhibition, first of all from Desanka Maksimović’s family, and then from the Archives of Yugoslavia, the SASA Archives, the Manuscript Department of Matica Srpska, the Archives of Zmaj Children Games, and the Vuk’s Convocation.

The exhibition is created for all ages. The opening posters highlight the songs: “Verujem”, “Žao mi je čoveka”, “Tražim pomilovanje”, “Pamtiću sve”, “Nemam više vremena”, “Ruka”.

On one of the posters, we have an overview of the poet’s opening of the Belgrade City Library in 1986, where she emphasized the following:

“I am happy that I was given the joy of opening the doors of this important cultural institution and inviting you to cross its threshold… If we had searched for three centuries where to put it, we would not have found a more beautiful place for it: the facade looks at it the poet Milan Rakić; not far from Kalemegdan there are also Branko Radičević, Vojislav Ilić, Bora Stanković… And finally, thanks to everyone who helped our beloved Belgrade get this home, or rather the entire country of books. Let the books live and think in it free!”

Subsequent posters depict the poet’s biography, alternating with verses and photographs combined with textual descriptions, from childhood to the title of academician, through reviews of her work and awards, through photos from the family album, to the words of Svetlana Velmar Janković from 1992:

“From a poet who inimitably sings the experience of her existence, she grew into a poet who expresses the experience of her people in times of suffering, and then grew to a poet who expresses the metaphysical experience of the man of our time, in order to reach the expression of the existence of both the human being and the cosmos: of a human being in the cosmos and the cosmos in a human being…”

“I will remember everything.

Let the fire consume me,

may I be prey to murky waves,

in the silence of the underground darkness

I don’t hear the depths of the voice,

if I forget.”

(From the song “I’ll remember everything” featured on one of the exhibition posters)

The exhibition can be viewed here.

The catalogue can be viewed here.