START UP CITY March 2007 – December <strong>2008</strong> - The Start Up City project was among the first programs launched by the <strong>Telenor</strong> Foundation, conceived and implemented in cooperation with the Kiosk Contemporary Art Plat<strong>for</strong>m from Belgrade. The project aim is to decorate 19 cities in Serbia (Vranje, Zrenjanin, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Pančevo, Smederevo, Užice, Subotica, Šabac, Novi Pazar, Valjevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Čačak, Požarevac, Leskovac, Loznica, Zaječar, Sombor and Jagodina) which were recently granted this status, with murals by young fine artists. The project promotes these towns, contributing to the urban development of Serbia, as well as breathing life into the art scene in Serbia and decentralizing culture production, while at the same time gaining recognition <strong>for</strong> cooperation between artists and local communities, by promoting public spaces and enhancing the life of small communities. Works by young artists have already, or will, contribute to the visual identity of these cities. These are Ana Kraš, Aleksandra Petković, Isidora Nikolić, art group Krsh, Aleksandar Dimitrijević, Vladimir Perić Talent, Miodrag Stanišić, Miloš Nušić, Igor Štanglicki, Siniša Ilić, Stefan Ikonić, Igor Orsolić, Milena Putnik and Nevena Popović, Mladen Hrvanović and Tatjana Milošević. Murals have been painted in Vranje, Zrenjanin, Kraljevo, Leskovac, Pančevo, Užice, Subotica, Šabac and Loznica. Murals will also be completed in Novi Pazar, Kruševac, Zaječar, Požarevac, Smederevo, Valjevo, Sombor, Čačak, Jagodina and Sremska Mitrovica. It gives us great pleasure to improve towns in Serbia with works of modern art, engage young artists and revive art as a medium, which has been practically <strong>for</strong>gotten in our midst. In a short time the murals have become features of these cities, a place of gathering and meeting, and we are pleased to have inspired local authorities, through this initiative, to continue painting and improving their towns. Our strategy is to initiate projects, together with our partners, and supervise their progress, which is why the <strong>Telenor</strong> Foundation has actively participated in all stages of the Start Up City project – starting from the design and selection of artists, to the production of the murals and the promotional campaign, pointed out Ana Krstić, Manager of the <strong>Telenor</strong> Foundation. The collaboration of <strong>Telenor</strong> Foundation and Kiosk on the Start Up City project was awarded the Bizart Prize, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of Serbia, <strong>for</strong> the most successful partnership between the cultural and business sectors. 48 Corporate Responsibility
Mural by Stefan Ikonić in Loznica,“Start Up City“ project