Kovačica

Kovačica was settled by Slovaks in the eighteenth century and remains a Slovak-speaking village, with the language, Lutheran church and dress still in use, and since the 1930s it has produced a remarkable concentration of naive painters: farmers and housewives who painted village life, harvests, weddings and winter scenes in flat bright colour, and whose work now hangs in collections abroad. The Gallery of Naive Art holds the main collection, and several painters keep studios in their houses that can be visited by arrangement, which is the better experience since you meet the artist. The tradition has been recognised as intangible heritage at national level. The village around is ordinary Banat, flat and agricultural, and the contrast with the paintings is part of the interest.

History

Records mention small settlements here in 1458, Serb soldiers settled the village in 1751-1752, and the first Slovaks came from Ečka and Aradac in 1783, followed by others in 1801. The Slovak Evangelical Church was built in 1824-1828, and its altar was painted in 1838-1839 by Konstantin Danil (Wikipedia, Kovačica).

What you'll find

• The naive art gallery - the main collection of the Kovačica school.
• House studios - painters working in their own homes.
• Slovak village life - the language, church and traditions still in daily use.
• Flat Banat farmland - the landscape the paintings depict.

When to go

April to October for the village and the surroundings. The gallery is open year round with shorter winter hours. Studio visits need arranging in advance, often through the gallery.

What to expect

The gallery is small and a visit takes under an hour. Studio visits require calling ahead and end with an opportunity to buy, which is fair. English is limited. The village itself has few other facilities and no accommodation to speak of.

Nearby

Pančevo lies southwest; Belgrade is beyond it.

Key facts