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§ FOND ZA OTVORENO DRUŠTVO i podrška umetnosti i kulturi Od njegovog osnivanja, 17. juna 1991, tada pod imenom Soros Fond Jugoslavije, jedan od ciljeva Fonda bila je podrška razvoja umetnosti i kulture. U godinama koje su usledile, u ratu, izolaciji i siromaštvu podrška umetnosti i kulture postala je tim značajnija. Problem preživljavanja, kojim se Fond od početka rata i uvodjenja sankcija itekako bavio kroz razne oblike humanitarne i medicinske pomoči - ticao se, naime, i duhovne sfere. Ideje otvorenog društva koje Fond dosledno zastupa neodvojive su od slobode izbora i otvorenosti prema različitim idejama, tradicijama i ljudima. To su, istovremeno, temeljne vrednosti svake umetnosti i kulture. Ideje otvorenog društva i kultura su, zbog toga, stalno na „zajedničkom poslu”. Zahvaljujuči podršci Fonda za otvoreno društvo u toku 1995. godine bilo je moguče da se realizuje oko dve stotine projekata iz oblasti vizuelnih umetnosti, pozorišta, muzike, rok kulture i filma. Stotinak mladih umetnika je dobilo štipendije za umetničke škole u inostranstvu ili za učešče na medjunarodnim festivalim i konkursima. Pre dve godine je osnovan i Centar za savremenu umetnost sa ciljem da podržava i promoviše jugoslovensku umetničku scenu i informiše o medjunaodnim kulturnim zbivanjima. Kada se uz sve ovo ima u vidu da je zahvaljujuči podršci Fonda za otvoreno društvo objavljeno stotinak vrednih knjiga i omogučeno pokretanje ili opstanak četrdesetak časopisa, onda je jasno da nije u pitanju nikakav trenutni „interes” za kulturu i umetnost nego trajno, strategijsko opredeljenje. Bez tog opredeljenja bi, uostalom, i ideja o otvorenom društvu bila krajnje apstraktna. Alterlmage je, zbog toga, ne samo „druga slika” nego i deo celine u kojoj su sve „slike” i moguče i poželjne. FUND FOR AN OPEN SOCIETY and its support for arts and culture Ever since its establishment on June 17, 1991 as a Soros Yugoslavia Foundation, the support for art and culture has been one of the Funds’ priorities. In the meantime, the war, isolation and poverty have made the.support for arts and culture even more crucial. Through its different humanitarian and medical aid programs the Fund did its best to cope with the problems of survival, but has never neglected support for arts and culture. The ideas of an open society to which the Fund is committed to could be hardly separated from the freedom of choice and openess to other ideas, traditions and people. At the same time, these are fundamental values of art and culture as such. Therefore, ideas of an open society and culture are always “on the same track”. In 1995, the Fund supported more than two hundred art projects, including those from visual arts, theater, music, rock culture and film. Hundreds of young artists were awarded grants for studies abroad, or to participate at international festivals and competitions. Two years ago the Center for Contemporary Art was founded with the aim to support and promote Yugoslav art scene and provide for information from abroad. The Fund for an Open Society has supported publishing of more than a hundred outstanding books, lauched and abled more than forty cultural journals. It is clear that Funds’ interest in arts and culture is not a passing preoccupation but its permanent, strategic committment. Without this committment, the very idea of an open society would be merely an abstraction. So, Alterlmage is not only “another image” - it is rather a part of a whole in which all “images” are both possible and desirable.