Istria is home to numerous museums and galleries showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the region and presenting the work of contemporary Croatian artists. Additions to the existing number of cultural institutions are undeniably a welcome thing, and it's always nice to announce the opening of another home of the arts.
Mon Perin Art House is about to open in Bale later today, reports Novi list on May 6th 2017. Its 1000 m2 of space make it the largest art house in Istria whose main goal will be to promote the most distinguished artists coming from Istria and Kvarner. The opening will be accompanied by an exhibition of paintings and sculptures made by Eros Ćakić, Bojan Šumonja, Fulvio Juričić, Đanino Božić, Robert Pauletta, Naser Hamza, Tea Bičić, Maria Ćurčić, Igor Eškinja, and Marina Orlić.
The most impressive thing about the new art house is its location: the new sales gallery is set up in the Soardo-Bembo palace, a gorgeous fortified structure built in the 16th century that boasts a Gothic-Renaissance facade restored in 2012. The palace is listed among the 30 most significant monuments in Croatia and is managed by the Italian Community in Bale who decided to repurpose one part of the building.
"We wanted to whole castle to be an art house, so we adapted one part for gallery purposes in collaboration with the local tourism board. Apart from the artworks displayed in the gallery, visitors of the castle can see a valuable collection of our medieval carnival costumes, made in the famous Venetian atelier Marega and designed after the original versions that belonged to the members of the Bembo family", said Martina Poropat, head of the Italian Community in Bale.
The Mon Perin Art House will be open all year long. The opening ceremony is accompanied by a live show of the Nola band from Pula, marking the start of the cultural manifestation "Spring & Summer of Mon Perin" that will fill the streets of Bale with entertaining events in the coming months.
Image source: Istria Culture
