Exhibition: Difference Engine XI – ALTERN_ATORS

11 April 2018

Difference Engine XI
ALTERN_ATORS
Bačva Gallery
April 19 – May 6, 2018

The eleventh edition of the travelling exhibition Difference Engine XI – ALTERN_ATORS by the Irish art collective of the same name, will open on Thursday, 19 April, 2018 at 7pm at the Bačva Gallery of the Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU).

EXHIBITION: MARTINA GRLIĆ – MEMORY AND CONFLICT

28 March 2018

MARTINA GRLIĆ
Memory and conflict
Karas Gallery
April 4 – April 15, 2018

Opening of the exhibition: Wednesday, April 4 at 7pm at the Karas Gallery

Exhibition Memory and conflict, by Martina Grlić, the winner of the HBP Award for Young Artists at the 4th Biennial of Painting last year, will be opened on Wednesday, April 4 at 7pm at the Karas Gallery (Zvonimirova 58).

A series of paintings by Martina Grlić titled Memorija i konflikt [Memory and Conflict] comprises two groups of works that are connected both by their theme and by the manner in which they explore the medium. The first group includes paintings created on the basis of archival footage from the last Day of Youth in 1987 (1) (the polyptych Lice iz gomile [A Face from the Crowd] and Vatromet [Fireworks], 2018). The second group consists of works based on archival footage showing the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Vođa [Leader], 2018), his wife Jovanka Broz (Prva dama [First Lady], 2018) and ideological memorabilia; wreaths and medals that mark the space and time of socialist utopia (Vijenac [Wreath], 2018 and Ordenje [Medals], 2018). (…)

(…) For seven more years after having been relocated to the starry crevice, the complex strategical situation of Josip Broz Tito (the power) exercised its power using symbols, commemorative festivities and inscriptions of memories and remembrance into time and space. In her series Memorija i konflikt [Memory and Conflict], the artist does not deify that time and space, but in fact shows the complete iconography of one of the potential cultures of memory. Martina Grlić acts as an artist-ethnographer,(2) recording and transforming fragments of past times that are more and more disappearing in the virtual society. In our interview she emphasised that she liked the finite nature of photography (factography) and the possibility to radically alter it through a painting. The fact that she imitates photography, as does Gerhard Richter, using a medium (painting) that is older than photography (3) is just another piece of the mosaic in her examination of the past. Within it, one can simultaneously gaze upon the starry sky and stand in a queue for a holiday- novella at Makhinjauri.

(From catalogue preface, written by Josip Zanki, PhD)

(1) The Day of Youth was a commemorative festivity from the era of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which commemorated the birthday of the lifetime president Josip Broz Tito (1892 – 1980). It also continued after his death.
(2) Cf. Foster, Hal “The Artist as Ethnographer”. In: Foster, Hal The Return of the Real. MIT Press, Cambridge MA 1996
(3) Cf. Belting, Hans An Anthropology of Images. Picture, Medium, Body. Princeton University Press, Princeton, Oxford, 2011, p. 31

Preface

About the artist

Supported by:

Working hours:

Wednesday and Friday: 9am to 3pm | Thursday: 3pm to 7pm | Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 12am
Mondays, Tuesdays and holidays: closed.

The exhibition will remain open until April 15, 2018

EXHIBITION: MIHAEL PUNTARIĆ – PAINTINGS IN SPACE

14 March 2018

MIHAEL PUNTARIĆ
Paintings in space
Karas Gallery
March 20 – March 31, 2018

Opening of the exhibition: Tuesday, March 20 at 7pm at the Karas Gallery

Exhibition Paintings in space, by Mihael Puntarić will open on Tuesday, March 20 at 7pm at the Karas Gallery (Zvonimirova 58).

(…) In his most recent work of art, Mihael Puntarić has broken entirely free from all content, context, and even expression. In the true sense of minimal art, the author strives towards the affirmation of paintings as art objects by consciously aligning with the work of authors such as Malevič, Reinhardt or the artists gathered within New Tendencies, and their comprehension of art. In this case, Mihael Puntarić practices a highly material manner of painting, i.e. constructing an art object – one that rules out symbolic and referential dimensions of painting. (…)

(…) The deliberation of reductionism present in the work of Puntarić has enabled him to deconstruct the painting as an art object, thereby generating an extension of the established approach to displaying art. His Paintings in Space invite us to stop before the said paintings/objects while bringing into question the two dimensions of a painting and the three dimensions of a sculpture exhibited in the gallery space. (…) As interpreted by Puntarić, art is materialized through conscious and consistent reduction to its fundamental constituents. All the while, his distancing from emotion and from the risk of entrapment by pathos, aims to accomplish the exact opposite – the author’s attainment of the essential conclusions reached by his predecessors in order to explore the possibility, like the ones before him, to raise new questions in art about art.

(From catalogue preface, written by Petra Šlosel)

Preface

About the artist

Supported by:

Working hours:

Wednesday and Friday: 9am to 3pm | Thursday: 3pm to 7pm | Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 12am
Mondays, Tuesdays and holidays: closed.

The exhibition will remain open until March 31, 2018

OPENING of Miriam Ferstl photo exhibition

02 October 2017

MIRIAM FERSTL

Divine light

Photography exhibition

Home of the Croatian Photography

4– 29 October 2017.

Opening: Wed, 4 October 2017. at 6 p.m.

With Divine light exhibition young German photographer Miriam Ferstl presents herself for the first time to the Zagreb public. The exhibition is the result of her field work on the islands Brač, Korčula, Vis and Hvar last year, whose center of interest are church chandeliers and candlesticks photographed from the frog perspective. Ferstl wants to encourage the observer to watch the everyday details such as often neglected and imperceptible objects from the church inventory in a completely different way: not only to take a deeper look of the surface of the objects, but also to observe it with spiritual eyes. Church candlesticks seen through Ferstl`s photographic lenses are much more then richly decorated and lavishly painted objects. They are also carriers of ancient, archaic vibrations of prayers, songs and island melodies, echoes of local stories and memories that symbolically link heaven and earth, divine and human, eternal and decaying. No candlesticks are equal, but each one is equally perfect in its own geometric regularity, symmetry, beauty and energy. Ordinary metal and glass objects on photographs reflect harmony of the spiritual center of all things, encouraging public to investigate divine under the shallowness of this world and find the light that is inside and around us. Artfully designed chandeliers have their own special attraction, which is mainly due to their richness in forms and their festive staging of the light. The concentric construction also gives them a universal symbolism and strong symbolic power. The orderly interlocking of unity and diversity can be seen especially impressively when viewed vertically from below. This is the perspective Miriam Ferstl takes when photographing the chandeliers in the Dalmatian island churches. From this perspective, the chandeliers correspond in a lively manner in a symmetrical, almost kaleidoscopic interplay of light, colors, and forms with the architecture of the church spaces. It is clear that the structure of the chandeliers is based on natural forms, as manifested in the branching of a tree, in the unfolding of a flower, or in the fragile structure of snow crystals, and not at least our idea of the order of the universe. Focusing on qualities such as the perspective change and its sensual and spiritual dimensions is the central concern of this project.

Biography:

The Munich based artist Miriam Maria Ferstl (30) studied theatre, media and German literature at the University of Bayreuth. With her work it is a matter to her to open up the eyes and hearts of the recipients for new perspectives and ideas. After working several years in the dramaturgical department of playhouse Bochum, as an dramaturg, script author and producer in the film production company Construction Film, as an editor and film maker at Bavarian broadcasting and Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen and as an actress, moderator and author on various projects, she now focuses on her interests in the fine arts. After exhibiting her project „Divine Light“ in Munich (Galerie ANAÏS), on the islands of Hvar and Brač and in Galerija Umjetnina in Split, it will now be showcased at HDLU in Zagreb.

Invitation for THE 4. BIENNIAL OF PAINTING

18 September 2017

ANNOUNCEMENT: THE 4. BIENNIAL OF PAINTING

11 September 2017

On September, 20, 2017 in Home of HDLU, popular Meštrović Pavilion, opens the fourth edition of important cultural manifestation The Biennial of Painting, which will remain open until October, 29. Through the works of 38 selected artists and 10 invited artist a cross-section of the prominent Croatian painting scene in the last two years will be represented.

Traditionally, within The Biennial of Painting, the exhibition of foreign authors is also hosted, which, according to the guest curator’s concept, represents the cross-section of the painting art scene of one of European cities (2011, “I am Berliner”, Berlin; 2013, “Vienna Calling”, Vienna; 2015, “Exporting Gdańsk”, Gdansk). This year the EXTENDED PAINTING PRAG exhibition will be hosted. The exhibition is under the curator concept of Marek Schovánek, who will represent prominent artists from the contemporary Prague art scene, including Jiří David, representative of the Czech Republic at the Venice Biennale in 2015.

NEWS

As part of program development of The Biennial of Painting, this year we will offer visitors several novelties.

Recognizing the importance of The Biennial of Painting manifestation, in agreement with HDLU, the Modern Gallery will, from October, 3 until November, 5, hold a solo exhibition of prominent painter Slavko Šahaj, in order to revaluate the worth and influence of the old masters of painting on today’s art scene.

Furthermore, as the beginning of the decentralization of The Biennial of Painting, we announce the presentation of a part of the exhibition, which will be held in 2018, from March, 7 until April, 8 in the Varaždin City Museum.

Damir Sobota, NAAN, 2017

The Biennial of Painting was established by Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU) in 2011 with an idea of presenting the current state of Croatian painting scene with an exhibition that represents a wide section of artworks from generations that actively shape it.

The Biennale follows the development and current achievements of Croatian painting scene, featuring recognizable performances and authors in the last two years. The Biennial of Painting provides the wider public with the opportunity to meet different generations, heritage and poetics employed by the painting scene in one place.

Selection committee of The 4. Biennial of Painting: Tomislav Buntak, Željko Marciuš, Melinda Šefčić, Robert Šimrak and Josip Zanki selected 38 artists to be represented on 4. Biennale of painting:

Grgur Akrap, Duga Bobanović, Viktor Daldon, Fedor Fischer, Danko Friščić, Martina Grlić, Duje Jurić, Ivana Jurić, Marija Koruga, Davor Krelja i Danica Franić (Heavenly Image Corporation), Koraljka Kovač, Ivica Malčić, Mitar Matić, Andrea Musa, Monika Meglić, Vida Meić, Marina Mesar OKO, Goran Novaković, Pavle Pavlović, Lav Paripović, Lydia Patafta, Ivan Prerad, Ana Ratković Sobota, Domagoj Rogina, Mario Romoda, Damir Sobota, Miran Šabić, Stjepan Šandrk, Bojan Šumonja i Marko Jakše, Stipan Tadić, Ivana Tkalčić, Josip Tirić, Predrag Todorović, Nataša Vuković, Eugen Varzić, Matko Vekić, Marko Zeman

and invited 10 artists: Spartak Dulić, Dalibor Jelavić, Zlatko Keser, Željko Kipke, Zoltan Novak, Igor Rončević, Đuro Seder, Robert Šimrak (Grand prix of The 3. Biennial of Painting), Miro Vuco, Anabel Zanze.

The involvement of Croatian Postal Bank as the general sponsor of The 4. Biennial of Painting has made possible to grant two monetary awards for outstanding artists: HPB Grand Prix and HPB award for young artist. At the initiative of the anonymous philanthropist, inspired by the opus of the young artist Iva Vraneković, in her memory and as a stimulus for work and production of young artists a monetary Award Iva Vraneković – artist to the artist will be given, accompanied by a prize exhibition in Gallery 3.14.

The announcement of the winners and the award ceremony, along with the promotion of the catalogue, will be held in the final week of The 4. Biennial of Painting.

SIDE PROGRAM of The 4. Biennial of Painting.:

Guided tours of the exhibition:

During Biennial, every Thursday at 5.30pm a guided tour of the exhibition will be organized. Meeting point is in front of Bačva Gallery, Home of HDLU, Trg žrtava fašizma 16, Zagreb. The tours are free of charge with presentation of the exhibition ticket.

For groups bigger than 10 visitor or outside of above written term, please send a request at martina.hdlu@gmail.com

Exhibition:

Slavko Šohaj

Modern Gallery, Andrije Hebranga 1, Zagreb

October, 3 – November, 5, 2017

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GUEST EXHIBITION

EXTENDED PAINTING PRAGUE

physical and conceptual deviations

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Jiří David, 11 tuzek, 2016

Exhibition EXTENDED PAINTING PRAGUE represents painting that has provisionally been released from its conventions, practices and institutions stands alone, with a contextualizing argument, as a form of art in and of itself. Consequently, in order to articulate painting; it must be grasped not as a practice but as an idea. Sleight of hand will bind the selections together with subtle deviations from the traditional towards expressionism and concept art. Works with non-traditional approaches to painting, works from young artists, as well as from older thus baring no time orientation, painting confronting the digital age, artists that reverse the canvas, incorporate the kinetic, collaborate on works of art, paint beyond the canvas. This exhibition is a portrait of approaches to the classic medium of painting that seeks to transcend the media and extend the general vocabulary of the medium. Narrative, image, expressive gesture and false reality are some of the many ‘ideas’ carried by the conceptually expanded vehicular medium of painting. This exhibition attempts to articulate some of these ideas.

Curator:

Marek Schovánek

Featuring artists:

Kateřina Barabášová, Josef Bolf, Jiří David, Jiří Cernicky, Krištof Kintera, Petr Pisarik, Peter Sadofsky & Dan Trantina, Marek Schovánek, Ivana Štenclová & Pavel Forman.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

EXTENDED PAINTING PRAGUE – PREFACE

Web page of The Biennale of Painting

WORKING HOURS

Opening of the exhibition: September, 20, 2017, at 7pm

Tuesday to Friday 11am – 7pm
Saturday – Sunday 10am – 6pm
Monday and holidays (and October, 8) – closed

TICKETS:

20 kn for citizenship
10 kn for students and seniors, upon presentation of valid documents;
10 kn for groups (more than five people, price per person)
10 kn for regular members of the Association ULUPH, HDD, UHA, ORIS, HULU Split, HDLU Osijek, HDLU Rijeka, HDLU Dubrovnik, HDLU Istria, HDLU Varaždin on presentation of a valid membership card;
Free for regular members of the HDLU, AICA, ICOM, DPUH, HND and students of the Academy of Fine Arts and students of the Faculty of Philosophy, direction of art history or ethnology and cultural anthropology, upon presentation of valid documents.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office HDLU during working hours of the exhibition.

Announcement: FEDOR FISCHER – Collapse

04 August 2017

FEDOR FISCHER
Collapse
Bačva Gallery, Home of Croatian Fine Artists
August, 24 – September, 3, 2017

Opening of the exhibition: Thursday, August 24 at 8pm at the Bačva Gallery

Exhibition Collapse, by academic painter Fedor Fischer will open on Thursday, August 24 at 8pm at the Bačva Gallery in the Home of Croatian Fine Artists.

At the 3rd Biennial of Painting in 2015, artwork of Fedor Fischer, with which he anticipated a great creative turn, now for the first time represented as a whole in this exhibition, got Special HPB Acknowledgement by the Award jury. That is why his solo exhibition Collapse is considered an announcement for the 4th Biennial, which is opening on September, 20 in Home of Croatian Fine Artists in Zagreb.

As noted by Josip Zanki, the President of HDLU, in the last few years, academic painter Fedor Fischer has made a big turn in his art poetics. From figurative and narrative painting built on the traditions of the German middle generation (such as works of Jörg Immendorff) and the legacy of the Leipzig school (especially Neo Rauch’s), Fischer has transformed himself into a painter who builds a painting as an object. (…) New works, which he represents in the Bačva Gallery (…) start from the materiality of the painting-object. Fischer uses the material of the canvas as something completely realistic and physical, and for the first time in Croatian contemporary art he moves boundaries and methods of painting procedures. (…) By following the footsteps of his art role models, Fischer on his Collapse exhibition, opens up new questions on how to treat paintings-objects, an idea of painting as soil, and in the end “the infinity of surface”, in which he believes as much as he believes in the painting. It is this infinity that opens up to us in the continuous circle of the Bačva Gallery.

Preface

About the artist

Sample photographs of the works

Supported by: