The BELGRADE EX-LIBRIS CIRCLE is a non-profit, a-political association which aims at the promotion of collecting, researching and creating ex-libris. It was founded in July 1994 by 30 artist, collectors and researchers from Belgrade. Today it has more than 250 members among which one third are from abroad. At the XXV International ex-libris congress in Milano the BEC was admitted as a member of F.I.S.A.E., the international federation of ex-librists. At the same time the BEC started preparations for the mega project - The World of Ex-libris.

In 1994 the BEC, in cooperation with Swisss Embassy in Belgrade, launched two (for the artists and for the owners) international competitions under the title The World of Ex-libris. Over 1200 artists from 63 countries submitted some 6500 ex-libris for the artists' competition, making it the largest event of its kind ever held in this specific field of applied graphic art. Five bookplate exhibitions were held in Belgrade in October 1995: Ex-libris and Their Artists in the Museum of Applied art, Ex-libris and their Owners at Zepter Gallery, Ex-libris Yugoslavia at the Ethnographic Museum, Ex-libris- Historical Retrospective at the National Museum, and Ex-libris Brunovsky at the Graficki Kolektiv Gallery. The curator of the manifestation was Swiss collector Benoît Junod. The catalogues of the exhibitions, with more than 1200 pages and 1450 illustrations of which many in colour, constitute a veritable encyclopaedia of ex-libris, reflecting the history of of this form of the applied art from the Middle Ages until today. They were presented at the Frankfurt and Belgrade bookfairs, at the letter they were awarded first prize for the best design and for the best printed book in the country. The five catalogues together with video inserts, animation, the following material, press clippings, complete index, etc., are available on the CD-Rom, first in the world on ex-libris theme. That CD-Rom was presented at the XXVI Congress of F.I.S.A.E., held in Chrudim, Czech Republic, in 1996.

Since 1997 the BEC twice a year publishes its billingual (Serbian-English) Chronicles. Up to now 16 issues has been published.

With the founding of the BEC, a new chapter in the design, collection, and research of bookplates in this part of Europe started. (BEC closely cooperates with Bulgarian Ex-libris Society and is helping Greek and Macedonian ex-librists in establishing their ex-libris associations). With the World of Ex-Libris exhibitions and catalogues, a wide-ranging visual experience and documentation is brought to the public, and these catalogues encouraged the artist to continue and develop their talent in making ex-libris.

New stimulus for that represented new project the BEC launched in June 1998: in the year of the celebration of the anniversary of the the Hilandar Monastery, BEC organized an international competition with the subject 800 Years of the Hilandar Monastery.

In the meantime other international competitions follow: In 2000: Ex-libris CHILD (bookplates for the children, by the children, and child as an artistic theme) in cooperation wih the Children Friends and New Belgrade Municipality In 2002 Ex-libris for the French Cultural Center in Belgrade In 2002 First Balkan Ex-libris Triennial (with Bridge as a theme) with BalkanKult, Belgrade In 2004 Sports/Bicycle with Sports academy and Multiart Club, both from Belgrade

The exhibition (with catalogues) from those competions were shown across the country and abroad, particularly in the countries of the Region (Bulgaria, Slovenia, Bosnia-Hercegovina), but in Western Europe too (Switzerland, United Kingdom).

Address: Kosančicev venac 29 (c/o FPU), 11000 Belgrade
Tel. +381 (0)11 625 399
e-mail: bodin@eunet.yu ili rciric@eunet.yu