The photos are inspired by folk legends and were shot on Krk and in Podravina.
Nin, the town of old Croatian rulers, is hosting an exhibition of photos of Croatian mythical creatures shot by ethnologist Iva Lulić. The esteemed and award-winning photographer is known for her beautiful shots of supernatural beings in “caught in reality.” Her photos are inspired by Croatian traditions, myths and legends, and were shot for this exhibition at locations on the island of Krk and in the Podravina region, reports Večernji List on August 22, 2018.
“There is no editing, each photo is given a lot of attention. To find an appropriate location, we sometimes had to travel 300 kilometres, often in very difficult conditions,” says Lulić, whose project has been in the works for years. It was necessary to film the people who had agreed to be “mythical beings,” often in very difficult weather, in the rain and the cold.
“The exhibition is not just meant for children. Believe it or not, adults are equally as impressed, especially grandmothers and grandfathers. The photos illustrate the stories which they heard from their grandparents and which have been told for centuries,” says Lulić.
“Once upon a time, Podravina was a mythical location, filled with a variety of creatures who featured in the tales told by the imaginative people. In Bilogora's forests, elegant and mysterious fairies were hiding, while witches used to call for frost and hail. Locals were sometimes visited by the Devil himself.”
On the island of Krk, the author worked in the natural surroundings of the island, in the forests, vineyards, olive groves and fields of the central part of the island, on the rocks and pastures, in the Bašćanska Valley, the caves, the northeastern steep part of the coast, in bays, on pebble beaches, in early Romanesque churches, old castles...
In Podravina, some of the photographs were taken in the rural archaic surroundings, in old houses and cottages, yards and gardens.
The exhibition will stay open for two weeks.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Frane Šarić).
