Category: Exhibitions
The Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) Zagreb invite you to the opening of the retrospective exhibition Picelj and Friends by one of the most prominent Croatian artists of the second half of the 20th century, Ivan Picelj. The opening will take place on Thursday, September 19, at 7:30 PM at the MSU Zagreb. This first comprehensive retrospective of Picelj’s work since his passing is organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth (1924–2011), and the exhibition is curated by Prof. Zvonko Maković, PhD. The retrospective will remain open until November 17, and during its duration, a rich and diverse accompanying program of films, educational activities, and discussions will be organized, along with numerous guided tours.
The exhibition Picelj and Friends showcases Ivan Picelj’s remarkable and extensive body of work, highlighting his innovative contributions to the field of art and emphasizing his key role on the international art scene. Ivan Picelj was a leading figure in abstract art in the 1950s and a member of the art groups EXAT-51 and the New Tendencies movement, which placed the city of Zagreb on the global map of artistic events. His works are featured in the collections of prominent museums worldwide, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, among others.
As the exhibition curator Zvonko Maković points out, Ivan Picelj is important not only as a distinguished individual and artist who, in challenging times, introduced abstract art while consciously referencing the great predecessors of the early 20th-century avant-garde, which had a negative resonance in the social and political context of that era. Picelj always linked his art with that of his close collaborators and friends. From his earliest days, Picelj aspired to collective recognition rather than individual acclaim. He was the one who established connections abroad, thereby creating opportunities for Croatian artists, not just himself, to be represented at relevant exhibitions worldwide as early as the 1950s, and in reputable galleries. Additionally, Picelj’s work demonstrated clear connections that integrated Croatian art of the 1950s into the artistic currents emerging in major, predominantly European, cultural centers of that time.
All of the aforementioned reasons are the main impetus for expanding the retrospective exhibition Picelj and Friends to include all aspects of his work, from painting to objects, as well as graphic design, encompassing posters, book design, catalogs, and magazines. Alongside Picelj’s works, the exhibition also features pieces by the artist’s friends, all of whom were prominent figures of his time: Yaacov Agam, Getulio Alviani, Hans Arp, Mihajlo Arsovski, Vojin Bakić, Vladimir Bonačić, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Ivo Kalina, Julije Knifer, Almir Mavignier, François Morellet, Vladimir Kristl, Božidar Rašica, Jesús Rafael Soto, Aleksandar Srnec, and Victor Vasarely.
Ivan Picelj’s exceptional creative work will be further highlighted through a diverse range of thematic accompanying programs at MSU Zagreb, designed for visitors of all ages. Workshops include MSU mali i veliki (October 5), intended for children aged 4 to 10 and their parents or older companions, and MSU kreARTivka (November 9), aimed at children aged 6 to 10. Additionally, there will be an exhibition of works by primary and secondary school students titled CreArtivci (November 14-17). The film New Tendencies will be screened on November 15 at 6 PM, followed by a discussion with relevant experts.
A series of lectures will also be part of the program, featuring: Prof. Zvonko Maković, PhD, the exhibition’s curator, with the lecture Ivan Picelj – Formative Years and EXAT 51 (October 3, 6 PM); Snježana Pintarić, PhD, head of the Painting Collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art, exhibition collaborator, and editor of the Ivan Picelj monograph, with the lecture Picelj’s Reliefs (November 7, 6 PM); Koraljka Vlajo, PhD, head of the Graphic Design Collection at the Museum of Arts and Crafts, with the lecture Visual Identities of Ivan Picelj (October 24, 6 PM); Bella Rupena with guest Marina Banažić, head of the Tošo Dabac Archive, with the lecture Picelj and Dabac – A Longstanding Creative Friendship (October 30, 6 PM).
Numerous guided tours for the public will be organized on Sundays at 11:30 AM, specifically on September 29, October 27, and November 17. An expert-led tour with the exhibition curator will take place on October 17 at 6 PM. Additionally, a Zagreb highlight and the last walking tour of the year, Art ex Machina, focusing on the New Tendencies movement and emphasizing Ivan Picelj’s work, will be held on October 19 to coincide with the Picelj and Friends exhibition.
For all information about the Picelj and Friends exhibition, please visit the website: piceljiprijatelji.hdlu.hr.
28 August 2024
IVAN FIJOLIĆ
ARMY OF NO GOOD
Bačva Gallery, Home of HDLU (Meštrovićev paviljon)
4.9.-6.10.2024.
On Wednesday, 4.9.2024. Ivan Fijolić opens his solo exhibition entitled „Army of No Good”, at 7 pm in at Bačva Gallery (Home of HDLU / Meštrović pavilion).
In her foreword, Marina Đira emphasizes:
„The exhibition Army of No Good by Ivan Fijolić brings together, in one space, the sculptures that the artist has created over the years. He has thoughtfully selected them, emphasising both his early works (e.g., Duel, 2002) and more recent ones (e.g., Mišo, 2022). The sculptures are arranged frontally, in a somewhat threatening manner, ready for any sudden confrontation. However, this is far from a typical army where individual qualities of an individual are often lost in the uniform rhythm of the collective.
Fijolić’s volunteers resemble those last-resort options in action movies, called upon in desperation when it turns out they are humanity’s only hope. These are always individuals embodying the best of everything, yet together they seem irreconcilable, torn between their egos and the fight for a greater cause. Transpose this concentrated Hollywood scenario to sculpture, dilute its plot over more than twenty years of Fijolić’s professional engagement, and the action film can be experienced as a fast-forwarded journey of a sculptor’s growth, defined by all the insights gained through constant confrontation with form. In this film, the (anti)hero becomes the sculptor, and the army becomes the evolving sculptures he sets before himself as a kind of polygonal challenge. And he masters them, transforming them into a rich sculptural arsenal for the future.”
Biography:
Ivan Fijolić was born in Zagreb (1976), where he graduated from the School of Applied Arts, earning the title of metal designer. In 2004, he graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in the class of Professor Miro Vuce, and art history methodology under Professor Emil Robert Tanay, earning the title of professor of art education. He completed his postgraduate doctoral studies in sculpture in 2016, defending the theoretical part of his doctoral thesis, The Role of the Pedestal in the Derivate of Pop-Art Sculpture with Memorial Sign, under the mentorship of Professor Peruško Bogdanić and Professor Žarko Paić. Since 2010, he has been employed at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he is the holder of the course in sculpture, as an associate professor. He has been actively engaged in artistic activity since 1999. Fijolić has had over 30 solo exhibitions, including six abroad (Maribor, 2002; Italy, 2004; Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2008; Serbia, 2013; Macedonia, 2014). In total, he has participated in more than 70 group exhibitions. He has also created ten public sculptures (Vrsar, 1999; Czech Republic, 2003; Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2006; Krapina, 2010; Sljeme, 2011; Sculpture Alley, Zagreb (temporary), 2014; Sinj, 2015; Technical Museum, Zagreb, 2015; Duga Resa, 2016; Glina, 2019), and has participated in two international sculpture workshops (Vrsar, 1999; Czech Republic, 2003).
He is the recipient of one of the three equivalent awards for artistic work at the XII Triennial of Croatian Sculpture, Glyptotheque, Zagreb (2015), the award for the best set design in the play Cyclops (Euripides) at the 16th JPFU Festival, Serbia (2011), the award for the work Hopscotch (Labin) at the 37th Mediterranean Sculpture Symposium (2009), the award for his thesis work Duel by the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2004), and the Rector’s Award for the exhibition Check your head out at the Vladimir Nazor Gallery (2001).
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The exhibition will be open from September 4 to October 6 2024.
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
Working hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 11.00 – 19.00
Mondays and holidays closed.
23 July 2024
SAVE THE DATE
PICELJ AND FRIENDS
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
Opening: September 19, 2024
HDLU and MSU are marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Picelj – a leading figure in 1950s abstraction and one of the most prominent Croatian artists of the second half of the 20th century; a member of the artistic groups EXAT-51 and the New Tendencies movement, who put Zagreb on the global art map. The exhibition Picelj and Friends, curated by Zvonko Maković, presents the artist’s extraordinary oeuvre, highlights his innovative contributions to the field of art, and underscores Picelj’s key role on the international art scene. The exhibition also features works by his friends, notable artists: Getulio Alviani, Hans Arp, Vojin Bakić, Vladimir Bonačić, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Ivo Kalina, Julije Knifer, Almir Mavignier, François Morellet, Vladimir Kristl, Božidar Rašica, Jesús Rafael Soto, Aleksandar Srnec, and Victor Vasarely.
Photo: Damir Fabijanić
25 June 2024
MELINDA ŠEFČIĆ
FRAGMENTATION
2.7.-23.7.2024.
KARAS GALLERY
On Tuesday, 2.7.2024. Melinda Šefčić opens her solo exhibition entitled Fragmentation, at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).
In their foreword, Tena Razumović Žmara emphasize:
In her new work, Melinda Šefčić addresses the issue of identity — me in my own body, and the assimilation of the individual within a new living environment — my body in the world. The universal perception of a woman who is no longer young but not yet old, who often finds herself in a kind of limbo. The light-heartedness and fun of youth are gone, and wisdom is only beginning to emerge. What to do then? Which direction to turn to, where to go, which principles to follow?
Biography
Doc. Melinda Šefčić, DFA, was born in 1986. In 2006, she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, majoring in painting, and in 2012, she graduated with a master’s degree in painting in the class of Prof. Zoltan Novak. In May 2018, she earned her doctorate in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in the artistic-scientific field on the topic “The Rehumanization and Re-Aestheticization of Hospital Space – An Example of the Artistic Solution for a Hospital Ward”, under the mentorship of Prof. Svjetlan Junaković and Prof. Vera Turković.
She has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, both in Croatia and around the world, including Italy, Portugal, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, India, Poland, Germany, France, and the USA. She has participated in numerous art festivals and residency programs, during which she has carried out many artistic interventions in public spaces. She is the author of over 20 art projects focusing on the aestheticization of hospital and prison spaces, and around 40 murals. She has also authored numerous research papers on the aestheticization of prison and hospital spaces in Croatia.
She has been a member of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) since 2011 and the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association (HZSU) since 2014.
The exhibition will be open during the period from 2. to 23.7.2024.
Working hours of Gallery Karas
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
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http://karasarthub.eu
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
18 June 2024
MATIJA ČOP
IN THE MEANTIME
Bačva Gallery, Home of HDLU (Meštrović pavilion)
25.6.-25.8.2024.
On Tuesday, 25.6.2024. Matija Čop opens his solo exhibition entitled In the Meantime, at 7 pm in at Bačva Gallery (Home of HDLU / Meštrović pavilion).
In her foreword, Lea Vene emphasizes:
“The site-specific installation In the Meantime is created in the space between Matija’s earlier works in the medium of soft sculpture and new exploration of steel frameworks, which are now oversized and merged with soft membranes in a radical gesture of synchronisation with the circular space of the Bačva Gallery.
At the core of Matija’s approach is manual work, which implies respect for the given modular restrictions but, at the same time, freedom from predefined matrices in the very process of constructing living forms that now react to newly introduced metal compositions. Manual work also leads to slowing down and adapting to the fingers and hands that precisely intertwine each building element of these soft organisms. (…)”
Biography:
Matija Čop (b 1987) is an artist living in London. His work encompasses sculpture, painting, and printmaking.
Čop’s practice explores the transformative potential of “translation” as ideas, structures, and their component materials pass between encapsulating frameworks.
Čop’s visual language constructs itself from selected unit elements which are iteratively combined, reconfigured, and dissolved in accordance with self-contrived, project-specific logics. The resultant works invite reflection on tensions between order/disorder, manufacture/craft, and unit/system.
Čop completed his MA at the Royal College of Art, London, in 2017. His work is held in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and the Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb. He exhibited at the Textile Art Biennial 2021 in Kranj, Innovative Costume of the 21st Century in Moscow, and Future Fashions in Eindhoven.
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The exhibition will be open from June 25 to August 25, 2024
Visual identity: ivanklis.studio
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
28 May 2024
IVAN OŠTARČEVIĆ
VAMPIRE BALL
4.-25.6.2024.
KARAS GALLERY
On Tuesday, 4.6.2024. Ivan Oštarčević opens his solo exhibition entitled Vampire Ball, at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).
In their foreword, Antonela Solenički i Petar Vranjković emphasize:
“Oštarčević’s work reflects deep dilemmas and paradoxes of the human condition, raising questions about our ability to change and survive. Through the symbolism of skulls, the artist reminds us of the transience and fragility of human life while simultaneously exploring our attempts to remain relevant even after our own extinction. These themes are classically associated with philosophical reflections on existential fears, the search for meaning, and the pursuit of immortality through the creation and preservation of culture.
With Vampire Ball, Oštarčević affirms human immutability and inertia, creating a kind of time capsule filled with human vanity and efforts to survive and outlive both their own and future times. Dystopian thoughts about future times nonetheless suggest that it is time to look at the here and now – our present becomes our future unless significant changes occur. It is up to the observer to decide whether Vampire Ball is merely satire or a real possibility of a broken tomorrow.”
Biography:
Illustrator, graphic artist, painter and muralist born in Zagreb in 1990, where he enrolled and completed his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, at the Department of Art Education. He graduated in September 2015 and is a member of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) and the Alpbach Club Croatia, and is represented by the Kolekcionart platform.
He has exhibited in nineteen solo and several group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, including the Painting Biennale, Triennial of Sculpture, Triennial of Graphic Arts, and the Karas Gallery. He participated in the Croatian Association of Fine Artists’ residency in Leipzig and is active on the exhibition scene. His most recent solo exhibition was held at the Kamba Garage titled “Song of the Century.” Due to his active involvement in mural painting, he has participated in various Art Park programs, painted at Lauba during the “Non-Aligned” in 2020, at the “Zen Opuzen” festival, and in February 2019, he painted a mural in the Remetinec prison as part of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists’ project “Revitalization of Prison Space with Art.”
The exhibition will be open during the period from 4. to 25.6.2024.
Working hours of Gallery Karas
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
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http://karasarthub.eu
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
With the exhibition CreArtivci, held at the Karas Gallery from April 30 to May 2, 2024, the first in a series of educational programs within the European project Creart 3.0. was successfully completed.
The work of the students from the 16th Gymnasium, created under the mentorship of the artist Marko Zeman.
The CreArt Educational Program is part of the European project CreArt 3.0 and aims to improve collaboration between local schools, cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations, and independent professionals and companies in the cultural and creative sectors. The program builds and strengthens intergenerational connections, creates a network for cultural education exchange, and encourages future participation of school children in the cultural life of the city. Over the course of 3 years, the program will involve 76 schools in the partner cities of the project, more than 4,500 students and teachers, and 47 artists.
The work of the students from Matko Laginja Elementary School, created under the mentorship of the artist Natalija Borčić Peuc.
Some of the works by the students of Marija Jurić Zagorka Elementary School, created under the mentorship of the artist Monika Meglić.
This year, HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists) has connected its educational program with the 7th Biennial of Painting, which for 14 years has positioned itself as the only national visual arts event dedicated to documenting the scene and shifts in the medium of painting. In its inaugural edition, 6 schools participated (Ivan Merz Elementary School, Matko Laginja Elementary School, Marija Jurić Zagorka Elementary School, XV Gymnasium, XVI Gymnasium, Classical Gymnasium) with more than 120 students and 6 teachers. The program consisted of guided tours through the Biennial of Painting along with an educational booklet with tasks and workshops conducted in schools under the mentorship of artists from the 7th Biennial of Painting, including Natalia Borčić Peuc, Monika Meglić, Valentina Supanz Marinić, Iva Zagoda, Marko Zeman, and Marta Živičnjak.
The work of the students from Dr. Ivan Merz Elementary School, created under the mentorship of the artist Marta Živičnjak (left), and the work of the students from the Classical Gymnasium, created under the mentorship of the artist Mihaela Rašica (right).
Mia Matijević Akrap conceptualized educational booklet under the supervision of the Teaching Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb, Prof. Sonja Vuk, Duje Medić designed it, and by early January, the booklets were ready for use, followed by guidet tours for elementary and high school students.
The works of the students from the XV Gymnasium, created under the mentorship of the artist Valentina Supanz Marinić
The final result, and the culmination of this year’s educational program, was the exhibition of student works created during the workshops.
PARTICIPANTS:
Schools: Matko Laginja elementary school, dr. Ivan Merz elementary school, Marija Jurić Zagorka elementary school, Classical Gymnasium, XV. Gymnasium, XVI. Gymnasium
Artists: Natalia Borčić Peuc, Monika Meglić, Mihaela Rašica, Valentina Supanz Marinić, Marko Zeman, Marta Živičnjak
Professors: Sanja Černko Delerue, Tamara Galović, Anamarija Jukić-Ivandić, Zoran Kakša, Maja Marović, Lahorka Rožić
Students: Ante Alerić, Gabrijela Antonić, Marta Arnaut, Marija Bakmaz, Katja Barbarosa, Silvija Bašić, Jakov Beloša, Teuta Biškup, Luka Bokolić, Lucija Brajković, Domenica Brkić, Katarina Brkić, Ema Brzica, Matko Brzica, Ana Buneta, Marta Buntak , Dov Cvetković, Alan Čaldarović, Andrija Deković, Klara Dodić, Lara Đureš, Filip Felja, Julija Ferenčak, Ema Gazić, Lori Giljević, Duje Gligora, Nicol Gogić, Svebor Graonić, Lorena Grgat, Nikola Gvozdenović, Laura Hajduk, Dina Halužan, Helena Han, Lana Hižar, Ana Husak, Jakov Ivanda, Pavla Ivšinović, Iva Jakopović, Mihaela Jambrešić, Tina Jelaković, Luči Jogušt, Nicole Jozić, Ana Jukić, Ana Jurić, Franceska Jurmić, Ivan Jakov Jurović, Roza Kajs, Marko Keser Slavković, Lara Kette, Andrej Kević Janković, Lucija Kanižaj, Jakov Kitarović, Franka Kokot, Hana Kos, Maja Kresonja Jembrih, Robertina Krupa, Ivona Kučiš, Domagoj Kuliš, Ivan Leko, Iva Lovrić, Ema Lujo, Luka Marenić, Stella Margetić, Maro Maričević, Lovro Marić, Dominik Marunić, Mihael Marušić, Juraj Matek, Tin Matešin, Melani Matić, Petra Mazarević, Dora Meštrović, Ana Mihoci, Tina Mimica, Marta Mlinar, Noa Nadali, Juraj Najdek, Franka Nikolaci, Lovro Panović, Marko Pažin, Alan Peštalić, Maša Pećarina, Antonia Periček, Katarina Petrović-Poljak, Paula Pilić, David Petar Pleština, Elena Plušćec, Ivor Prelogović, Luka Primorac, Kan Priselac Novačić, Ema Rašić, Mila Ravlić, Hana Sabljić, Zola Sarnavka, Marina Slaviček, Karla Smolić Ročak, Klara Stambolija, Max Šenjug, Ela Šiklić, Enola Špoljar, Mark Štritof, Margita Šurina, Iva Šušak, Nikša Šutej, Mia Tabaković, Maksimilijan Tanšek, Sofija Taraba, Mirko Tišljar, Dora Tomić Babić, Dejan Torbica, Nikša Tunguz, Anja Vačevski, Teo Valčić, Laava Magdalena Vatsel, Mia Vernik, Karla Vrdoljak, Paula Vučković, Iris Vuković, Vito Zadro, Maša Žilavčić, Mark Živković, Nina Živković
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CreArt is a network of 13 medium-sized European cities with the aim of exchanging experiences and good practices for the promotion of contemporary art, through a permanent transnational mobility program for emerging artists, curators and cultural workers, in order to maximize the economic, social and cultural contribution that creativity can make to local communities (#stringing_together). At the same time, CreArt 3.0 is pushing the boundaries (#pushboundaries) beyond the visual arts, empowering other artistic practices such as performing arts or music, and new collaborations with an NGO based in Lviv have also been initiated to support Ukrainian artists. Participating cities are: Kaunas, Liepaja, Skopje, Aveiro, Valladolid, Lublin, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand, Rouen, České Budějovice, Oulu and Regensburg. The project includes 45 residency programs in 15 European cities, more than 39 public events to celebrate the European Month of Creativity in 13 cities from the network, 13 educational programs to strengthen creativity and knowledge about contemporary art, 18 Street Art festivals, 10 annual festivals in galleries in 9 cities and 6 European conferences and study visits.
Organizer:
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.
SUMMER WORKING HOURS PRSTEN GALLERY, BAČVA GALLERY AND PM GALLERY (Home of HDLU)
Tuesday – Sunday: 9am – 12pm / 4pm – 8pm
Mondays and holidays closed.
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