Group exhibition on the occasion of the 300th anniversary  of the Sinjska Alka
Petar Barišić, Vatroslav Kuliš, Fedor Vučemilović, Nikola Vučemilović

PM Gallery, The Croatian Association of Artists – HDLU
July 30 – August 30, 2015
Opening: July 30 at 20.30 h

The Alka Tournament (Sinjska Alka) is the only remaining knights’ tournament in Europe which has been held since the early 8th century. It is held in Sinj every first Sunday in the month of August to commemorate the victory over the Turks in 1715. The game of Alka did not originate locally; it is a kind of mixture of knight games played across Europe during the Middle Ages. The Alka is a syncretism of local and global cultural heritage in terms of shaping and maintaining identity and tradition. The inclusion of the Alka in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List proves its value and importance.

The Alka is like a theatre in which roles are strictly divided, and the audience plays an important dramatic role. Only the lucky ones who have seen the Alka live have experienced the magic of this visual spectacle accompanied by a high dose of adrenaline. The contestant (called an alkar) rides his horse down the racetrack and tries to hit the central ring of the alka with his spear in full gallop. There is no modern equestrian sport that evokes medieval cavalry battles in which one can see horses at full gallop from so close.

A 300-year long tradition of commemorating a cultural event in Croatia is a unique phenomenon. The Croatian Association of Artists was founded in 1868 and in 2018 it will celebrate its 150th anniversary. At that moment it will take us exactly another 150 years to catch up with the Alka anniversary. Therefore, in the year of celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Sinjska Alka, the Gallery Governing Board has decided to open the exhibition The Alka in Zagreb 300, in honour of the Sinjska Alka, in the centre of Zagreb, Croatia, for all the ones who will not be able to go to Sinj on August 9, 2015.

The floor plan of the Croatian Association of Artists with a circular glass dome, the work of the genius sculptor Ivan Meštrović, very much resembles the alka. Spectacular events, such as the Alka, are very difficult to transform into a work of art without falling into the trap of kitsch. To see if we succeeded, come and check in vivo by hitting the centre of the alka.

Fedor Vučemilović

SUMMER WORKING HOURS:
Wednesday – Sunday: 10 to 13 and 17 to 20
Monday, Tuesday and holidays closed.

PM Gallery
The Croatian Association of Artists
Trg žrtava fašizma 16
10000 Zagreb