August 26, 2022 – Meet Antonio Horvat, aka Jones Wire. Having developed an interest in Photoshop, and then digital art, this young graphic designer now regularly creates and sells works of art and has developed an interesting visual identity to go with his alter ego. His Instagram looks professional and artistic, his art has a retro-futuristic vibe inspiring a pleasant, cosy feeling. At least that is the beauty that the eye of this beholder sees. Read all about him, learn about the process, and appreciate his art with us.

Tell us about Jones Wire, what you do, and what inspired the name.

I create digital collages, which basically means combining different images to achieve one that can convey multiple messages or a story. The name Jones Wire comes from a play on words that have a special meaning for me. The name Jones can also mean an appetite or lust for something, in this case, art, and personal expression, while the word Wire in American colloquial speech denotes a lack of self-control in terms of inspiration and work. Sometimes I can work on collages for days, and sometimes I don't have any ideas for days.

How and when did you start, and where did the inspiration come from?

The world of collage attracted me recently after graphic design became monotonous. Projects I did for other people, unfortunately, lacked personal expression. Some works are based on my dreams, thoughts, and films, and some are inspired by the music I listen to.

What was it like to start such a business in Vukovar? What were the main challenges?

Currently, I still do digital collages as a hobby, and my main source of income is my full-time job from home.

Are you satisfied with how your business is developing? What is your outlook for the future?

I'm happy with my personal progress as far as collage design goes, but I also have a couple of digital collage artists who helped guide me on how to do the skin and avoid some rookie mistakes. In the future, I would like to do this full time and I would like it to become my job. I would like to expand my scope of work into albums, book covers, and commissioned paintings.

What opportunities exist in our city and region?

As for work, I wouldn't know because I have been working from home, for foreign companies, or I have been doing work with foreign clients. As far as art is concerned, I think that in larger cities there is an advantage due to the ease of connecting with various mentors and meeting new people at art events, even though these days everyone is relatively connected via the Internet, so living in a smaller city does not pose a challenge for learning about my current work.

Are you connected with other artists in town, what's the scene like?

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who does this kind of art here. Due to a lack of connections which are important in this business, I try to use all resources, in my case the Internet, for promotion.

Finally, tell us something about life in Vukovar. What do you like most, what would you say to potential visitors?

Everything is close at hand and life is slower than in other parts of Croatia, which suits me. I would recommend everyone take their time, walk along the Danube and go on a walk through the times visiting the Water Tower, Eltz Castle, the City Museum, and the Vukovar Baroque Centre. Discover that this city is so much more than meets the eye. Of course, everyone should also try the top Slavonian food and Vukovar beer.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - Croatia's economy grew at a rate of 7.7% in the second quarter of this year, compared to the corresponding period in 2021, and the rate accelerated after 7.0% in Q1, according to the first estimates released by the national statistical office (DZS) on Friday.

This is the fifth quarter in a row for Croatia's GDP to rebound since the corona crisis, which shows the country's strong recovery from that crisis.

Strong growth in the April-June 2022 period is based on the rise in almost all the components of GDP.

"Household consumption increased in real terms by 7.7% in the second quarter of 2022, mainly due to an increase in turnover from catering services, transport services, and retail trade," the DZS says.

"In the second quarter of 2022, the export of goods and services recorded a significant growth in real terms, of 41.9%, while the import of goods and services recorded a growth of 28.6% in real terms."

Gross fixed capital formation rose 5% on the year, after a 7.9% increase in Q1.

In the second quarter of 2022, government spending decreased by 2.2% in real terms.

Croatia's growth faster than EU average

"Seasonally adjusted quarterly GDP increased by 2.0% compared to the previous quarter and by 7.8% in real terms compared to the same quarter of 2021."

Croatia's growth sees a higher rate than the EU average.

Eurostat has recently reported that in Q2 2022, the economy in the 27-strong European Union increased 0.6% from the previous quarter and 4% compared to Q2 2021.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - The central events of the month-long salt festival in Ston on the island of Pelješac will be held this weekend.

Thus tours of the saltworks and programmes about salt mining are on the agenda. 

Visitors can enjoy traditional products and attend handicrafts fairs. They can taste local wines, honey and olive oil.

"Wine, Salt & Jazz Night" event will be held on Friday.

Also, the festival features 40 local vine growers, wineries, family farms, restaurants and taverns, and shellfish producers of the whole peninsula to enable visitors to enjoy delicious local dishes,  delicacies, and favorite wine Plavac mali.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - Croatia has registered 851 new cases of coronavirus infection and 17 related deaths in the past 24 hours, the national COVID response team said on Friday.

There are 6,921 active cases in the country, including 580 hospitalised patients, 22 of whom are on ventilators.

A total of 4,343 people are self-isolating.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Croatia on 25 February 2020, 1,210,431 cases of the infection have been registered and 16,639 people have died as a consequence.

To date, 59.59% of the total population, or 70.87% of the adult population, have been vaccinated.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who on Thursday said that Croatian households are paying ten times lower prices of electricity than the market price, explained on Friday that before the war in Ukraine, a megawatt hour of electricity cost €57, only to now rise to nearly €600 on the market.

This means that the price of electricity supplies bought on the market by the state-run HEP power provider is tenfold higher than last year, while households are still paying the electricity bills as if electricity prices had not gone up, and this exemption of households from paying the market price is owing to the political decision of the Croatian government, Plenković said in Rijeka today.

Being a state-run company, HEP will have to take a lot of burden on its shoulders, he added.

The concept of the government's relief measures will distinguish three categories, the PM said.

It is important to make sure that energy bills for households will not become untenable for them. We have been making efforts to this end for several months, he added.

The second category will be electricity users in the public and nongovernmental sectors, such as pre-school institutions, schools, colleges, hospitals, and civil society associations.

"As for the third category, the enterprise sector, we will make a difference between small, medium-sized, and big companies. It is not the same to provide aid to a hairdresser or shoemaker or to assist a big company such as INA," said the premier.

Therefore he underscored the importance of calibrating a set of measures aimed at alleviating the situation caused by energy price hikes.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - Commenting on the death of journalist Vladimir Matijanić, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday that everything should be investigated, but there cannot be any insinuations that someone is being protected, adding that Health Minister Vili Beroš's could not be held responsible.

The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) asserted today that Matijanić was killed by the state and the system and demanded the dismissal of Minister Beroš, but Plenković, speaking to the press while visiting Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, did not wish to comment on the case because he did not see the statement and only knows what was presented by an expert commission and health inspectorate at a press conference.

The HND called the inspection report shameful and demands a thorough investigation, while Plenković added that regardless of what the commission and inspectorate said, the State Attorney's Office (DORH) and police would deal with the case ex officio.

Asked if Minister Beroš was responsible, Plenković assessed that what the commission presented "is much more informative for those who want to read and listen than what had been read so far."

He added that he was sorry that a young man died, but when asked if this was a shame for the healthcare system, he replied that everything should be investigated.

Responding to claims by reporters that Beroš could have dismissed those responsible, Plenković asked if journalists were now taking justice into their own hands.

"In a legal and democratic state like ours, you know who is responsible for what. There is a ministry, a health inspectorate, and an expert commission. And there are other bodies that may look at the same facts from a different angle. Whether that will be the same or not is yet to be seen. I don't know that, nor you or your colleagues," he said.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - The Ministry of Health said on Friday it respects the right of individuals and institutions to have a different view of the same event and to criticise the expert opinion on the illness and death of journalist Vladimir Matijanić, but it cannot accept the distortion of obvious and provable facts.

Responding to claims by the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND), the Ministry also "strongly rejected putting the whole case and actions by health employees into the context of political games by some political parties, which have been heard lately."

Earlier today, HND demanded the dismissal of Health Minister Vili Beroš, judging his behaviour as scandalous and shameful, as well as the work and results of a commission that investigated the circumstances surrounding Matijanić's death.

The Ministry said that it performed its duties according to the competencies prescribed by law and that it had provided the public with important facts related to the case, presenting the findings and opinions of the expert commission in an appropriate manner.

It recalled that a complete report on Matijanić's death was presented at a press conference at which the media had an opportunity to directly question all members of the expert commission and staff involved in treating Matijanić.

ZAGREB, 26 August, 2022 - Economy Minister Davor Filipović said on Friday that Croatia's Okoli underground gas storage facility will be 90% full by 1 October, as planned.

He recalled that the government had allowed the state-run energy company HEP to take a €400 million loan to make sure that the Okoli facility received sufficient amounts of gas, as planned.

During his visit to Rijeka, Minister Filipović explained that Croatia's annual consumption of gas is up to 2.9 billion cubic metres. Croatia can satisfy those needs thanks to Okoli's capacity and the Krk LNG terminal, he added.

Commenting on gas supply distributors, some of which have failed to procure gas supplies in a timely manner, Filipović said that the government would try to help them, too.

Asked by the press about the situation in the Petrokemija artificial fertiliser producer, affected by high gas prices, and the possibility that high prices of fertilisers could spill over to the agricultural sector, Filipović said that currently there were no problems concerning the provision of artificial fertilisers, according to the information he had.

As for business in Petrokemija, you should ask the majority owners in the company, INA, and the Prvo Plinarsko Društvo, the minister told the press.