Category: Events

Ana Ratković Sobota
TRACE OF COLOUR
March 7 – April 7, 2024
Gallery Prsten

 

 

Exhibition opening: Thursday, 7th at 7 pm at Prsten Gallery

 

Walking along the Ganges, on the ghats of Varanasi, I observe clothes dry, wondering to what extent here in India, the leading country in the production and export of natural dyes, fabric is still dyed predominantly using eco-friendly techniques? After the discovery of synthetic dyes in the mid-19th century, natural dyes were largely forgotten and abandoned as part of archaic cultural practices. Currently, natural dyes are mostly used for colouring food, despite the pressing need to replace synthetic dyes with alternative solutions in the textile industry.

Artist Ana Ratković Sobota fearlessly explores such solutions within the medium of painting, where the experimental process becomes a crucial aspect of her work. Instead of using cotton or ecru, this time the painting canvas becomes silk, a textile hailed as the queen of textiles for its ability to intensely absorb color, strength, and elasticity. After working with the Indonesian batik technique, the artist now explores new methods of applying dyes to textiles, allowing the final result to be influenced by various external factors. Unlike the previously used batik technique, in this series, the artist exclusively uses natural dyes. These dyes are non-toxic, mostly hypoallergenic, and minimally polluting the environment by using materials from natural sources, making the remnants of the production process biodegradable. Before and during the application of natural dyes, silk requires a specific method of preparation: alum is used for adequate fixation and wetting of pigments, vinegar for additional fixation, while citric acid or sodium carbonate is used to modify pigments. The fabric is then wrapped and steamed for an hour to allow the silk base to absorb the dye. Most natural textile dyes are extracted from minerals, insects, and plants, often from roots, fruits, bark, and leaves. Red colour on textiles can be obtained from various plants, with rose madder (Rubia tinctorum) and Manjistha or Indian madder (Rubia cordifolia) standing out among them. In addition to Indian madder and indigo, Ana seeks to use exclusively varieties of plants from the local environment. Therefore, she uses marigold to obtain yellow and orange shades, hibiscus bark powder for the colour of black wine, birch bark for pink, and chokeberry powder for purple. Although most of the processes are left to results that cannot be fully controlled, in some cases, the artist attempts to influence the colour gradient and uses plants to paint reduced motifs of archetypal symbolism. Spirals, circles, and the symbol known as vesica pisces, often carrying sacred meanings, have been used from the time of cave paintings to the present day, representing significant symbolism of creation and the continuous flow of energy. The study of the energetic properties of individual shapes is precisely the focus of the discipline of biogeometry, developed and patented by Dr. Ibrahim F. Karim in Cairo, Egypt, during research initiated in 1968. Biogeometry seeks to explore the impact of specific symbols on qualitatively balancing biological energy systems and harmonising their interactions with the environment.

Ana’s depictions of landscapes have been a lasting inspiration throughout her entire creative body of work. However, in this cycle, only a completely reduced version of “energy landscapes” remains – compressed energy of nature tamed within universal symbols. Instead of depicting the landscape, the artwork becomes its symbolic essence or a kind of reflective imprint, transcending rational explanations.

With a study trip to Yogyakarta in Java, Ana Ratković Sobota intends to continue her exploration of indigenous Indonesian techniques and deepen her understanding of the application and fixation of natural dyes on textiles. The acquired knowledge will then be directed towards the application using local natural materials, incorporating elements of Indonesian cultural tradition. Beyond the realm of visual art, the vanished, reduced landscapes also point to the urgent need to transition to more sustainable ways of living, focused on reducing the destructive use of natural resources. Balancing daily activities, achieving harmony with internal and external environments, and connecting the physical surroundings with spirituality are expanded, and likely the most precious aspects of the artist’s work who boldly navigates through exploratory processes.

Sara Mikelić

 

 

 

 

The Project

CreArt (Network of Cities for Artistic Creation) is a network of European cities aiming to promote creativity and the impact of visual arts in everyday life. The participating cities are: Kaunas, Liepaja, Skopje, Aveiro, Valladolid, Lublin, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, Rouen, České Budějovice, Oulu and Regensburg. As part of the project, the Month of Creativity will take place in May 2024 – a month full of creative and cultural activities.

More information: https://creart2-eu.org/.

Conditions

  • period: May to mid-June 2024
  • expectations: artistic work, creative or cultural offers (i.e. workshops)
  • artist profile:

– born or resident in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland)

– Members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists)

– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organisation Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue»

Grant:

400 € (+350€ for materials, +400€ travel expenses)

Accomodation

Regensburg is a south-eastern city in Bavaria (Germany). It is characterized by its medieval town centre and its location by the river Danube. The artist will stay and work at the atelier oft he historical building Andreasstadel, a cultural venue close tot he river that combines a cinema, gallery and several studios. The atelier features a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area and offers plenty of space for art and creativity. The accomodation is for free.

Application

  • registration via the CreArt website (https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/)
  • upload personal portfolio
  • required documentation: CV, ID or passport, sample of artistic work, short written project proposal
  • deadline: March 31

Contact

Cultural Office Regensburg

 

Within the project:

Partners:

Supported by:

     

 

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

[Project number: 101128499]

The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

Talk between: Sarah McNulty (DK) and Deborah Hustić (HR)
in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, as part of the course Introduction to the Theory of Art, by associate professor Josip Zanki, Ph.D.
February 27, 2024, 3 pm
AKADEMIJA LIKOVNIH UMJETNOSTI
Ul. Rudolfa Kolaka 12

 

The Artists for Artists Residency Network, a two-year project (2023-2024), aims to improve the mobility of contemporary visual artists and curators, while creating greater opportunities for women in the arts. The project takes place in four European partner countries – Romania, Germany, Croatia and Austria. The project focuses on the development of new international exchanges and transcultural dialogue and provides a number of new opportunities for art practitioners of all ages, in different artistic media, with a special emphasis on women in art and gender equality. The result of the project will be increased awareness of the importance of cultural mobility at local legislative levels, but also in the general public, especially in the current (post)crisis European context, strengthening EU affiliation and connection with contemporary visual art.

The project includes: 12 artist residencies in Zagreb (HR), Mulhouse (FR), Bucharest (RO) and in Săcel, Maramureș (RO), 4 curatorial residencies in Zagreb and Bucharest, 12 conferences in Zagreb, Bucharest and Vienna and 1 traveling international exhibition , which will first be shown to the public in Zagreb (HR), and then in Vienna (AT) and Bucharest (RO).

As part of the residency, Sarah McNulty, gets to know the Croatian art scene with the aim of international connections and inviting Croatian artists to Denmark, and the residency will include visits to studios and exhibitions.

A talk between Sarah McNulty (Tørreloft, Copenhagen) & Deborah Hustić (Radiona, Zagreb) will be about how and where we co-create, on the potential of artist-run spaces, non-formal learning and non-places. Together they will discuss establishing alternative artistic communities and structures, to maintain vital and active spaces for experimentation.

They will present recent projects and collaborators, and consider in dialogue how and why we initiate improvisational collaboration and activate underutilised spaces. There will be an introduction to the founding and development of Tørreloft (Copenhagen), with a selection of artists from the program, focusing on site-intervention and textile work, often with a sense of physicality, temporality and monumental scale.

Sarah McNulty, (b. USA, based in Copenhagen) founded and curates the program Tørreloft, initiated in 2015, based on experimental forms of production, collaboration and experience for international artists. In opposition to the original clandestine drying attic, the current format at AGA Works takes place in an industrial garage, where the 4th wall is a shutter that opens to a busy street. In her own artistic practice, she primarily works with extended painting as a starting point, often installations with textiles and other materials with changing characteristics. Her work as an artist and curator explores the ecology of the existing environment, often initiating projects at neglected architectural sites in public space.

Deborah Hustić – creative consultant and technologist, senior project manager, curator, educator, media artist. Organized more than 600 workshops, conferences, exhibitions, festivals and events in cultural and tech innovation sectors. Deborah has taken part in numerous international and domestic exhibitions, festivals and conferences concerning DIY/DIWO, STEAM, new media and hacker/maker cultures, as well as on topics about development of art/tech/science education through workshops. Workshop facilitator for children, youth and grown-ups in the fields of creative electronics, design thinking, system innovation and eTextiles. Curated 36 international and domestic exhibitions in Croatia in the fields of new media and hybrid arts. Founder of Body Pixel Studio and Textil{e}tronics platform. Creative director, producer and PM of Radiona.org – Zagreb Makerspace (Association for Development of ‘do-it-yourself’ Culture). Deborah Hustić has experiences working in private sector (publishing industry), non-profit (innovation) and public bodies (international relations, EU affairs, intercultural dialogue and social inclusion). For more than a decade she has been exploring and working on sustainable models of management for media labs, hackerspaces and makerspaces. For 14 years involved in community building and managing eco systems at the intersections of creativity, education and innovation. Trained and certificated in project management, system innovation and design thinking. Educated on more than 300 workshops in the fields of media arts, innovation, project management, cultural policies (mobility, intercultural relations, EU projects), creative industries, social entrepreneurship and writing projects for EU funds. Holds MA in Comparative literature and Ethnology at the University of Zagreb.

Within the project:

Project partners:

Supported by:

  

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2022-COOP. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

[Project number: 101100309 ]

The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

 

CreArt 3.0 LAUNCHES THE FIRST AIR PROGRAMS IN VENICE (ITALY) AND KAUNAS (LITHUANIA)

 

The Network CreArt 3.0 funded by Creative Europe between 2024-2026 starts the International program of AiR with two Calls launched by Cultural institution Artkomas in Kaunas (Lithuania) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa in Venice (Italy), open to artists born or residents in the 13 cities in the partnership across Europe.

 

AiR IN KAUNAS HOSTED BY ARTKOMAS

DATES: May 6 – June 16

ARTISTS:   visual artists (we can offer acceptable conditions for a painter, a photographer or a new media artist). Participant artists:

– born or resident in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Lithuania), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic), Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany)

– Members of HDLU (Croatian Asociation of Visual Artists)

– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organisation Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue»

CONDITIONS AND GRANT : The organization will reimburse to artists travel expenses to Kaunas (up to 400 €). Studio and accommodation is free. The artists will receive a grant of 400 € + 350 € for materials.

APPLICATION: Artists should register in CreArt Intranet and upload portfolio here 

DOCUMENTATION: 

• ID or passport (scanned copy);

• A short version of your resume/CV;

• Documentation material recent and related to the project (not more then 5 pictures);

• A short written project proposal (not more than ½ of A4).

DEADLINE: 12 PM 25th March

MORE INFO

 

AiR IN VENICE HOSTED BY FONDAZIONE BEVILCQUA LA MASA 

DATES: May 27 – June 30

ARTISTS: To participate, applicants must:

– be between 18 and 40 years of age on the deadline date of this call

– born or resident in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Lithuania), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic), Oulu (Finland), Regensburg (Germany)

– Members of HDLU (Croatian Asociation of Visual Artists)

– Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organisation Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue»

Applications must be strictly individual.

Applications submitted by artist collectives will not be accepted.

CONDITIONS AND GRANT

Each artist will receive a prize of 5300€ gross. The prize awarded for the residency is to be considered all-inclusive of any expenses incurred, including the production of a work.

APPLICATION:  Artists should register in CreArt Intranet and upload portfolio here 

DOCUMENTATION: 

• Submission form

• Photocopy of a valid identity document;

• Any kind of document proving your connection with the city of the Creart 3.0 network and/or self-certification proving your domicile or residence in one of the 13 cities listed above;

• A short CV and a portfolio of a maximum of ten pages, not exceeding 10 MB in size and digital, highlighting in particular the work carried out over the last year, accompanied by a detailed CV, texts, publications and videos. The application must be accompanied by a motivational letter explaining the project to be developed in the city in relation also to the use of the prize money.

DEADLINE: 12PM 25th March

MORE INFO

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION YOU CAN CONTACT creart@fmcva.org

 

Within the project:

Partners:

Supported by:

     

 

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2023-COOP. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

[Project number: 101128499]

The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

LUKA KUŠEVIĆ, JURICA PUŠENJAK, JOSIP RONČEVIĆ
ILLUSIONS
CURATOR: FEĐA GAVRILOVIĆ
PM Gallery, Home of HDLU (Meštrović pavilion)
29.2.-17.3.2024.

Opening of the exhibition ILLUSIONS by LUKA KUŠEVIĆ, JURICA PUŠENJAK, JOSIP RONČEVIĆ curated by Feđa Gavrilović will be on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7pm, at PM Gallery (Home of HDLU / Meštrović pavilion).

In his foreword, Feđa Gavrilović emphasizes:

“ It is not hard to be disillusioned when dealing with art. It is an endeavour that interests so few people, and those who are interested are often divided into hostile factions. In contemporary, individualistically inclined society, it is very easy to relativize everyone’s efforts from the perspective of this or that theory or poetics, but in reality, everything is based solely on personal preferences (even Borges wrote in one story that “praising and criticizing are emotional reactions that have nothing to do with the quality of the work”). One wonders what is the purpose of it all and why would one engage in art at all. A disarming question.

Before us are three possible answers, by the three painters. Three possible answers to the reason for the artistic creation. (…) ”

Biography:

Jurica Pušenjak was born in Zagreb in 1996. In 2020, he completed his studies at the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in the class of Zoltan Novak. Since 2018, he has participated in several group and juried exhibitions, including the 5th and 6th Biennial of Painting at the Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Erste Fragments 16 and 19 at Lauba, an exhibition featuring the recipients of the Vladimir Dodig Trokut Award, and “Iva Vraneković – Ljubav na posljednji pogled/novac je vječan, a ljudski život je prolazan (Eng. Love at Last Sight/Money is Eternal, and Human Life is Ephemeral) at the Bačva Gallery. He also co-authored the exhibition Tartaglia Shelves at the Forum Gallery. In 2022, Jurica Pušenjak had his first solo exhibition “Heroes” at the Bačva Gallery.

Luka Kušević, born in Zagreb in 1993, completed his education at the School of Applied Arts and Design in the same city. In 2017, he earned his degree from the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in the class of Professor Zoltan Novak. Since 2018, Luka has been showcasing his artistic talent through solo exhibitions, notably at the Forum Gallery in 2018, the Matica hrvatska Gallery in 2022, and the Student Center Gallery in the same year. In addition to his solo endeavours, Luka actively participates in various group exhibitions, including Erste Fragments 16 in 2020 and 2022 and the 57th Zagreb Salon. He lives and works in Zagreb.

Josip Rončević was born in Zadar in 1991. In 2015, he completed his studies at the Faculty of Graphic Arts in Zagreb, and in 2020, he graduated with honours (summa cum laude) from the Painting Department of the Academy of Fine Arts.

He has had nine solo exhibitions, including (Izgraditi brod, MH Gallery; Doskočiti daljini, Zlati Ajngel Gallery; Učinci proljetnog pospremanja, SC Gallery; Dani radija/Radio Days, Karas Gallery) and about thirty group exhibitions, including Igra sporta i umjetnosti/A Game of Sports and Art (Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Zagreb), Erste Fragments 16 (Lauba, Zagreb), and the 35th Youth Salon (Croatian Association of Fine Artists, Zagreb), where he was awarded the “Iva Vraneković – Vladimir Dodig Trokut Award, Artists to Artists.” He was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award in the year 2023.

PREFACE

___

The exhibition will be open from February 29 to March 17, 2024

Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb

RENATA POLJAK
SONGS FOR THE SEA
Bačva Gallery, Home of HDLU (Meštrović pavilion)
29.2.-17.3.2024

Opening of the exhibition Songs for the Sea by RENATA POLJAK will be on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7pm, at Bačva Gallery (Home of HDLU / Meštrović pavilion).

In her foreword, Monika Herceg emphasizes:

” (…) The sea is peace. By the sea, ancient and vital, the mother sea, we can understand that we are but a moment, less than a moment in the vast cosmic history. Water is the possibility of life. It originated precisely in the water, in the oceans that once covered our searing and inhospitable planet. So, the sea has been there from the very beginning, it was the beginning – accompanying the first synthesis of molecules into larger molecules, the emergence of the first single-celled organisms, the connection of cells. When life emerged from the sea onto the land, the history of the land began, and then, around 1.9 million years ago, Homo erectus, the upright man, appeared. The upright man, perhaps never a wise one, separated himself from the way the planet breathes. Unaware that the story of life is much greater than man himself, we recklessly pollute and destroy even the sea, the very beginning of life. At the same time, let us not forget that the entire history of mankind and civilization is essentially a history of creation myths, where we transpose deities from one story to another, attributing divine properties to natural elements and phenomena we do not understand.

Can we turn back the clock? Can we change the story? This is what Renata Poljak is asking herself, looking for an answer through art, and all possible arsenals of art (aware that every language of creation can be understood in coexistence with others), a way not to merely rewrite an ancient story, but to make it alive through art, thus giving the Sea itself a new life, a new autonomous beginning. (…) ”

Biography

Renata Poljak has presented her work in numerous national and international solo exhibitions, film festivals, and biennials, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships and awards. Her residencies include stays at the San Francisco Art Institute, MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Art In General in New York, and Cité Internationale des Arts and Récollets in Paris. A selection of artist’s films and video works has been independently screened at the Centre Georges Pompidou and Palais de Tokyo in Paris. For years, her work has focused on exploring the phenomenon of human migration and its physical and emotional consequences, particularly in her four recent films: “Partenza” (2016), “Yet Another Departure” (2018), “Porvenir” (2020), and “Split” (2021). The last three premiered at the Oberhausen Film Festival. “Porvenir” won six awards at film festivals. Her works can be found in numerous museum and private collections.

PREFACE

____

The exhibition will be open from February 29 to March 17, 2024

Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb

 

 

 

 

 

Since December 27, 2023, Eve Woods, Irish artist and curator, has collected numerous researches in the city of Zagreb, visiting cultural sites, facilities and public sculptures. She met several artists and curators, visiting studios and alternative places to create art. She participated in exhibition openings, performances and events at universities and art organizations.

In cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, and as part of the course Introduction to the Theory of Art, by associate professor Josip Zanki, Ph.D., she held a lecture at the Academy of Fine Arts and spoke with Luja Šimunović, an assistant at the Department of Art History of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. This gave her an overview of the art ecosystem in the city and created numerous connections for future art projects.

 

Within the project:

Project partners:

Supported by:

  

Co-funded by the European Union – CREA-CULT-2022-COOP. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

[Project number: 101100309 ]

The views expressed in this announcement are the sole responsibility of HDLU and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

Info

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