September 28, 2021 - The Tisja Kljaković Braić exhibition titled "Monument to a Living Person" is honouring two decades of Braić's humorous, open and simple art. Authored by Frano Dulibić, the exhibition will be displayed at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery until October 12.

The beautiful seventeenth-century building of Klovićevi Dvori in Zagreb's Upper Town (Gornji grad) is a piece of art itself. However, as this seventeenth century Jesuit monastery became one of the most known and respected art galleries in the whole country, you can expect plenty of art inside too.

If you have doubts (or you trust the statement completely and you want to enjoy some visual eye-candy), hop over to the venue at Jezuitski Trg 4 (Jesuit Square 4), for the monographic exhibition ''Monument to a Living Person'' that will be on until October 12.

The author of the exhibition is the art historian Dr. Frano Dulibić who gathered and displayed the work of the iconic Croatian painter Tisja Kraković Braić.

"Tisja Kljaković Braić has been part of the art scene for the last twenty years. After twenty years of dedicated work, there are many reasons to present the artist through a compilation of her best and most characteristic artwork. The exhibition at the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will present her work from its initial phase of art brut painting, as well as her lyric, poetic paintings, sculptures, and drawings,'' Bulić said when explaining the motive of his display, as is written on Klovićevi Dvori's official website.

TCN readers may recall an interview with Kljaković Braić back in 2020 as she authored a book of caricatures on Dalmatian life entitled ''ONI'' (They).

Scene from the "Monument to a Living Person" © Galerija Klovićevi dvori

''ONI'' are not left out in this exhibition either, and twenty years of Braić's work has made her art noted for its simple lines and shapes that gaze at you with openness, brazenness, honesty, and humor. It has been rated as primitive but certainly not in a bad way, quite on the contrary, due to effective ''waking up'' seen as a response from onlookers.

''With her primitivism, Tisja builds on many artistic paragons, from Paul Klee to Alberto Giacometti and Jean Dubuffet, who left significant marks on the art world. Nowadays, due to negative cultural implications, the art world seeks to avoid the term ''primitivism'' and appropriately replace it. At this point, the inevitable question arises: what is it in primitivist art forms that lures contemporary artists towards it, in a time of so many different art movements and ‘…isms’ passing us by?

The answer lies in an aspiration for disassociation from the frantic chase after something new and yet unseen, and an association with what is original, archetypal, primordial, and uncorrupted, that is, with the age when everything began,'' concludes Dulibić. Valentina Bach is the curator of this exhibition which is located on the first floor of Klovićevi Dvori. The gallery is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 – 19:00.

Learn more about Croatian Art Galleries in Zagreb, Dalmatia, Istria & Slavonia on our TC page.

For more about art in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 28, 2021 - The Zagreb Subversive Festival 2021 will present movies and discussions on alternative, progressive solutions to burning global issues throughout October.

After the iconic Kino Europa (Europa Cinema) in Zagreb's centre closed down (despite huge support for it to remain, as well as protests), many cultural festivals that called the venue their home weren't sure where they would continue their cultural programmes.

However, many programmes successfully moved on, and the Zagreb Subversive Festival is no exception. The 14th edition of this progressive culture event is making a return to Zagreb and will last from October 3-23.

The Tuškanac Cinema, the Cultural Informative Centre (KIC), the Prosvjeta Serbian Cultural Centre (SKD Prosvjeta), and the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography joined forces to host the programme. Additionally, the online Volimdokumentarce.net (Ilovedocumentaries.net) programme will live stream online for those unable to attend the events in person.

''The Zagreb Subversive Festival 2021 is a multi-disciplinary platform inside which political theory and film join forces to shake up the status quo, identify the aesthetic of resistance and nurture a more radical approach to film, theory, and practice. We're interested in the potential transformation of our neoliberal daily lives, and the role art and culture could play in this endeavour,'' writes the official website of the Subversive Film Festival.

The festival began back in 2008, marking the 40th anniversary of 1968 global protests, and since then, it has evolved into one of the most important progressive festivals in the region. The festival is split into two sections: The Subversive Film Festival and the Subversive Forum.

The film part showcases movies that deal with topics of social injustice, social change, women's and minority rights, LGBTQ+, student and workers' issues and movements, as well as post-colonial heritage. The screenings also have a competitive nature due to the ''Wild Dreamer'' Award for the best feature, documentary, and short film categories.

The Subversive Forum portion of the festival holds conferences that present ''tools for the deconstruction of the offered normalised story about the world'', as well as the articulation of a possible alternative reality and its foundation.

Noted international movie directors, philosophers, social scientists, and activists such as Oliver Stone, Toni Negri, Slavoj Žižek, Michael Hardt, and many others have attended and participated in the Zagreb Subversive Festival over the years.

The 14th edition has a central topic, ''A Post-COVID Democracy: The Ethics of Fight and Solidarity Poetics'' and thirty movie titles are confirmed for the programme, which will be filled with exhibitions, lectures, and discussions that will stretch throughout the month of October.

Learn more about Zagreb in our TC guide. 

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 27, 2021 - In honour of Ban Jelačić, the Jelačić Days manifestation will present both this important protagonist from Croatian history as well as the town of Zaprešić.

Back during the times of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the title of ''Ban'' was a noble title appointed by the monarch, and that person served as viceroy to the Croatian territory. Out of many people to earn the privilege, perhaps nobody is more known and loved by the Croats than Josip Jelačić.

This is particularly great for Zaprešić, a lovely town located (give or take) about 20 kilometres from Zagreb. The official day of Zapruđe is the same as Jelačić's birthday; October 16. In honour of both Zaprešić and the historic personality of Jelačić (who is buried in the town), Zapruđe is the host of Jelačić's Days.

''The central programme of this manifestation is the interactive play called ''A Moment of Memory with Ban''. The unique journey begins with the fun thematic Jelačić train that returns all visitors from the Zagreb Railway Station back to 1849 to the ranch of Ban Josip Jelačić,'' reads the Zaprešić Tourist Board website.

''The goal of Jelačić's Days manifestation is to tell the story of Ban Jelačić as one of the most important persons from Croatian history and revive the historical space of the New Jelačić Palace. With a rich cultural-educational-entertaining programme, we wish to attract as many tourists as possible to come and get better acquainted with Zaprešić,'' the Zaprešić Tourist Board site added.

The aforementioned New Jelačić Palace has been rated by the Zaprešić Tourist Board as a unique monument of cultural and historical heritage.

''Back in 1855, Ban Jelačić built the neo-Gothic chapel of St Joseph on a meadow next to the Palac, when, back in September of 1855, his nine-month-old daughter Ana suddenly died in Bohemia, her body was laid to rest in a vault inside the chapel. Later, the remains of Ban Jelačić (16th May 1859) and his brother Antun (1875) were buried inside the same chapel. When in 1991 works began on the restoration of the chapel, the remains were temporarily moved to Zagreb's famous Mirogoj, and in 1992 they were finally laid to rest in the renewed family vault,'' explains the Zaprešić Tourist Board.

This attractive tourist destination is relatively new, and TCN wrote about it in 2018.

After the aforementioned play detailing Jelačić's life, the rich programme will present an abundance of handicrafts, antiques, workshops, and agricultural products from local manufacturers.

Ban Jelačić (born on October 16 1801 in Petrovaradin, today's Novi Sad in Serbia) was most noted for suppressing the national revolution of the Hungarians in 1848 which wasn't problematic only for the Austrian crown, but for Croatian national interests too, as the Hungarians and Croats didn't really have mutual interests (quite on the contrary).

Whether celebrating Jelačić's birth or death (as TCN covered in May), Ban Jelačić remains a well-remembered person from Croatia's rich and often tumultuous history. Whether in Zaprešić or in Zagreb, whose main square named after Jelačić, he remains the beating heart of the city's daily dynamics.

Learn more about Croatian Politics and History since 1990 in our TC guide.

For more about history in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 25, 2021 - The 2021 European Languages Day was celebrated at the Franciscan square in Varaždin. Pupils presented souvenirs honoring Germany and the German language.

'Gore gore gore gore' (hills burn worse up there) is one of those sentences that show how weird but cool the Croatian language can be. Add interesting phrases to the equation, and you can understand why Croatians are proud and want to preserve their language.

But Croatians also respect other languages too.

As reported by the Varaždinske Vijesti website, September 25 marked the European Day of Languages.

Under the motto "Deutsch ist Nah!" Varaždin's Franciscan square saw five Varaždin elementary schools, the Varaždin high school, and ten schools from Varaždin County celebrate the event with a suitable program.

„Given that we as teachers recognized the importance of multilingual education, we decided to shed light on the German language, which is important for Varaždin County, both because of geography but also for the economy. In teaching, we address communicative approach and active, vocal communication and active usage of the German language which is very significant in our area“, Vidovec Elementary school German language teacher Lea Lesar Dolenc told for Varaždinske Vijesti.

Dolenc is the initiator of the project that is run along with the European Culture Circle EKULT Association for the popularisation of the German language. The program that lasted from 10 AM to 1 PM saw the presentation of souvenirs with symbols of the Federal Republic of Germany made by the pupils from participating schools.

Apart from German, as former British Ambassador Andrew Dalgleish noted for TCN, Croatians speak English very well too.

When it comes to language learning in Croatia, apart from various courses and private schools, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FFZG), part of the University of Zagreb, is the most pristine high-education facility that educates its students to be translators. As well as understand various languages and cultures that tag along with lingual expressions. Additionally, FFZG is the home to Croaticum.

„Croaticum – Centre for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language is the oldest and largest institution engaged in teaching, research, and description of Croatian as a second and foreign language. It is part of the Department of Croatian Language and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb, the largest Croatian academic institution specializing in social studies and humanities. Croaticum is renowned for its tradition, expertise, and knowledge“, says the Croaticum website, an institution founded back in 1962.

Commemorating the learning of second languages by celebrating the European Day of Languages is now a twenty-year-long tradition, as it was founded in 2001.

„Throughout Europe, 800 million Europeans are represented in the Council of Europe's 47 member states, and all are encouraged to discover more languages at any age, as part of or alongside their studies. This stems from the Council of Europe’s conviction that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent. Therefore, the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg, promotes plurilingualism in the whole of Europe“, explains the European Language Day website.

Learn more about Varaždin in our TC guide.

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 24, 2021 - The Iron Age Danube Route Magazine which was recently presented is now available online for free reading to better present the first cultural route in Croatia acknowledged by the European Council.

With the Iron Age Danube Route getting recognition as a cultural route by the European Council earlier in 2021, the Iron Age Danube Route Association continues to promote this valuable, educational, scientific, and tourist site in eastern Croatia.

As Zagreb's Archaeological Museum website informed its visitors, the first issue of the Iron Age Danube Route Magazine (written in English) has recently been presented, and you can download and read it as a PDF file.

The magazine's intention is to present the Iron Age Danube Route.

''We start with the basics by briefly explaining what the Iron Age was and then we go on to explain the route itself. After that, we invite you to follow the route by meeting the institutions and people behind the entire endeavor. Then you can check out our activities during this year (one little tip: it works even better if you check out the fresh information on our website),'' says the Archaeological Museum on its website.

The topics that will present how things were along the Danube back during the Iron Age include prehistoric landscapes, customs, and even gastronomy.

''The Iron Age Danube Route magazine — and indeed the route itself — not only wishes to demonstrate that the Danube of the Iron Age had an extremely interesting past but also seeks to ensure that it also has a future — a future you're all invited to share. Join us as readers or join us as tourists, if you wish. And who knows, one day, you might even think of joining us as partners. But whatever role you do reserve for yourself, two things are certain: first, you'll be most welcome, and second, there's no better way to start your journey than by continuing reading this magazine. We hope you will enjoy it!'' wrote Sanjin Mihelić, President of Iron Age Danube Route Association, in the magazine's editorial letter.

As TCN previously wrote, the European Council granted the culture route certificate to the Iron Age Danube Route, which stretches through Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Germany, and Slovenia.

That certificate is important as it enhances the overall visibility of the site, allowing the public to become better informed about the area and enriching the overall Croatian cultural and tourist offer, creating new opportunities for business, scientific and educational purposes.

The Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, the Centre for Prehistoric Research, Kaptol County, Papuk Nature Park, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb are the founders and partners of this international project that allows Croatia to learn more about its past while creating new opportunities for today's and future generations.

Did you know the Croatian Hero City of Vukovar is located along the Danube river? Learn more about it in our TC guide.

For more about Croatian history, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 23, 2021 - The Sisak earthquake photo exhibition titled "Between Two Waitings" by Miroslav Arbutina Arba shows the horror of the 2020 earthquake in Sisak through documentary photos with an artistic touch.

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake on December 29 that severely damaged Petrinja and Sisak has traces which haven't faded as repairs and re-construction are still very much needed, and the Sisak earthquake photo exhibition will surely highlight the stark reality of post-earthquake life.

With Prime Minister Andrej Plenković promising earlier in September to accelerate post-earthquake reconstruction, a return to normal life in Sisak (architecture-wise) is yet to happen.

Meanwhile, as suffering is known to produce art, citizens of Zagreb (who also are not strangers to earthquakes) can closely observe the damage Sisak went through at Zagreb's Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU). In honour of European Heritage Day (September 18), MSU is hosting the Sisak City Museum by presenting the exhibition ''Between Two Waitings'' by famous Sisak photographer Miroslav Arbutina Arba. The exhibition opened on September 20, and it can be viewed until October 10.

The showcased photos which are part of the Sisak earthquake photo exhibition are a product of Arbutina being hired by the Culture Ministry to document the damage caused to cultural heritage for the purpose of evaluating the damage and producing documentation. As TCN reported earlier, the quake damage to cultural heritage in Central Croatia is estimated at €640 million.

''Arbutina gave a significant contribution to reconstruction efforts after the earthquake. His photos are, first and foremost, a witness to what happened, but with a clear artistic context. Photographing for the sake of documenting damage, he also found other motives that a regular observer does not notice. These motives, although they may exist in the documentary context, are nonetheless part of the same mosaic,'' wrote Vlatko Čakširan of the Sisak City Museum, who is also the curator for the exhibition on the MSU website.

''Those who haven't experienced this catastrophe probably think that losing your house is the worst thing, but it isn't. To me, the worse thing was expecting another new earthquake, that time of uncertainty between the two strikes,'' said Arbutina explaining the name of his exhibition.

Arbutina was born in Sisak on January 5, 1959. He took an interest in photography in the '80s when he got a Russian camera, a Lubitel, as a gift. Like many people in Sisak, he worked in a local ironware factory until he decided to try his hand at making a living solely from photography, taking industrial photos for brochures, etc.

During the Homeland War, he started working for various newspapers and other agencies. Enrolled in various projects (such as ''How Fish See Us'' where he took underwater photos of fish and plants in the Kupa river), his work received various rewards, and he moved from digital photography to experiment with the older technics of photography.

Learn more about Croatian Art Galleries in Zagreb, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia on our TC page.

For more about art in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 23, 2021 -The Dubrovnik-Bulgaria Connection stretches through centuries. A lecture by the Ivo Pilar Social Research Scientist Vinicije Lupis reveals some interesting details on their shared art and history.

Connections between Dubrovnik and Bulgaria date back to as early as the 13th century. These connections weren't just in a common, political sense, but also in the sense of art and cultural exchange, as noted by Georgius Bulgarus, a Bulgarian blacksmith that stayed in town back in 1218. 

This fun fact is the opening of an invitation from the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute to free up your schedule on September the 23rd for a lecture on the connection between Dubrovnik and Bulgaria by Vinicije B Lupis. The event starts at 19:00 at the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute's Dubrovnik location, at the address: Od Kaštela 11.  

Vinicije B. Lupis graduated in history and archaeology back in 1992 as well as in art history and theory in 1995, both times at Zadar University. Along with his MA on Ston's liturgy silver (1998) and his Ph.D. on the topic of the skull relics in the reliquary of the Dubrovnik Cathedral (2004), Lupis began his professional work in 1992 as a conservatory archaeologist in Split and then moved to work in Dubrovnik's Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.

''Since 2007, Lupis has worked for the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute, and from 2008 on, he has been the Head of the institute's Dubrovnik location. He has published hundreds of scientific papers and several books on the topic of sacral heritage, the art history of Dubrovnik and Boka Kotorska (Montenegro). He is the editor of multiple magazines and almanah's, and as an outside associate of the Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), he gave his contribution to documentary series on Dubrovnik's history and heritage,'' reads the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute on its website. 

With the lecture being held in Croatian and as such not being very accessible to non-native-speakers, its worth noting some of the interesting key facts about Dubrovnik and Bulgaria that will be the subject of Lupis's lecture.

Lupis analyses the Renaissance painting of the Lady with Christ from the St. Kevork Armenian Church in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He dated the picture to be from the beginning of the 16th century and connected it to the Dubrovnik painting circle (which is additionally interesting since this painting is the first renaissance painting in all of Bulgaria). The same church also holds the Engolpion (a medallion with an icon in the centre worn around the neck by Orthodox and Eastern Catholic bishops), which is close to the Dubrovnik-style of production at that time. This is just one example of Dubrovnik's influence on Bulgarian artistic heritage. 

''The (Bulgarian) National gallery in Sofia holds the work of Croatian painters from the Dubrovnik area such as Vlaho Bukovac and Mato Celestin Medović. Dubrovnik as a place of inspiration is especially important for Bulgarian painters such as Bencho Yordanov Obreshkov and Mario Zhekov. Zhekov, the most significant Bulgarian marinist, painted an entire series of Dubrovnik landscapes,'' explains the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute.

This should come as no surprise as the City of Dubrovnik, throughout its history, nurtured relations with various kingdoms and states. These include, as noted by the online edition of Croatian Encyclopedia, the then-Croatia, the Venetians, the Normans, and many others. Dubrovnik also became an independent republic, and history remembers the state for its great diplomacy ( which is valued by Croatian diplomats even today) and for abolishing slavery as early as 1416.  

As TCN previously wrote, the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute's scientists also made excellent connections with the Slovakian science community and explored the history of relations between the two countries. It has also since expanded its connection in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Montenegro with regards to the ethnic Croats of Boka Kotorska.

Learn more about Croatian Art Galleries in Zagreb, Dalmatia, Istria & Slavonia on our TC page.

For more about history in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 22, 2021 - The Močvara Handcraft Fair organized by Udruga Avokado introduces the public to the handcrafted jewelry, cosmetics, and products of local artists while promoting an alternative, eco-friendly lifestyle.

Močvara nightclub in Zagreb, right on the Sava embankment (with Trnjanski Nasip bb being the address) is known for decades of supporting alternative art and culture, from music (punk-rock, metal, indie, and the most obscure electro-music extravagance), to theater, literature, circus, and more. As TCN wrote a couple of years ago, the venue hosted Žedno-Who pre-Party with a performance of an established Canadian musician Marc Demarco. In recent years Močvara opened more space to handcraft and Do-it-yourself culture (DIY).

In that spirit, the venue hosts a Handcraft Fair this Sunday, September 26, from noon to 6 pm, and the entrance is free of charge. 

The event is part of the Močvara Living Room (Močvari Dnevni Boravak) program, happening mostly once to twice a month. 

The fair will offer visitors handcraft jewelry, herbal food, drinks, clothes, toys, and cruelty-free cosmetics.

So far, the event's Facebook page has presented five local exhibitors that will showcase and offer their work to the visitors. 

Free Goats is a new project with the „aim of visually expressing completely personal perception of everyday observations“. The various themes are united by stylish simplicity, and visitors can see and buy stickers, original drawings, and smaller dimension prints. Most of the work, as the project description points out, is made on recycled paper.  

Resin+Metal handcraft jewelry is inspired by the everyday woman (from red lipstick to a girl in cleats).

Tallulah's Workshop is a vintage-inspired female collective making scrunchies and hair bands in various patterns and with floral decorations.

Dangerous Beats, a long-time producer and percussionist, recently shifted to tie-dye T-shirts and alcoholic ink.

Last but not least, Jelena lončarić's handcraft jewelry comes in all sizes, shapes, and colors. 

With these five local artists confirmed, the event page points out that participation applications are still open until September 24. Just like the entrance to the event, participating in showcasing your work is also free of charge, but you have to send a mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to apply.

Udruga Avokado Avokado (Avokado Association), promotes a vegan diet and ecological sustainability. 

With the aforementioned space for alternative arts and lifestyles, Močvara's Handcraft Fair is one more event that connects local artists with the public and gives space to less conventional expression.    

Learn more about Zagreb on our TC page.

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 21, 2021 - Zagreb Design Week 2021 in partnership with the Netherlands promises a rich program to celebrate resilience.

From Austrian architecture in the center, 20th century hard but beautiful brutalist buildings, and modern contemporary buildings from the beginning of the 2000s, Zagreb is a lovely city design-wise.

And with the new edition of Zagreb Design Week (ZGDW), there is no better place for designers and design lovers as the event started on September 21 and will continue to September 26.

„The theme of Zagreb Design Week 2021 is Resilience. The topic reflects on the specific circumstances that have marked our lives in the past two years. Pandemics, isolation, earthquakes, fear, and insecurity, have prompted us to address resilience. We want to look positively into the future, take the opportunity to change things, build better, more stable, more sustainable, greener, more humane, smarter things and systems, which will help us become more resistant to all the disturbances in the future“, says the Zagreb Design Week official website.

This year's edition is significant with several venues in Zagreb (such as the Museum of Arts and Crafts, Botanical Garden, Museum of Contemporary Art, Planet, Kvazimoda, and Buqele House of Fashion), but also in Velika Gorica too in Mediteranart venue.

Exhibitions, lectures, music programs, and parties are the motive to go. Both for learning and having a good time.

This year's edition is also special due to the Netherlands being a country partner.

„The concept of ‘Dutch Design’ has become known all over the world. It started in the 90s when the movement and brand of Dutch Design took off as a reaction to the traditional design culture of that time. Characteristics of this now iconic movement are the conceptual, experimental, and innovative approach, often with a humorous twist. Led by designers Hella Jongerius, Marcel Wanders, Jurgen Bey, and Tejo Remy, they paved the road for a more unconventional approach to design.“, ZGDW explains the importance of this year's partnership.

This year, just like before, the best designers will be rewarded in one of six categories: Textile and Fashion Design, Product Design, Social Innovation Design, Digital Communication Design, and Interaction Design, Interior Design, and finally, Graphic design.

Learn more about Zagreb on our TC page.

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 18, 2021 - The Jasmina Krajačić Closeups exhibition looks at our identities and criticises consumerism in a visual dance of colours and geometry. The exhibition can be seen from Sept 23-28 at Galerija Siva in Medika, Zagreb.

Pop Art playfulness filled with colours and details is a recognisable signature of Jasmina Krajačić. This Zagreb-based artist was born on July 26, 1968, and after graduating from the Applied Arts School in Zagreb, she moved to the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, where she earned her degree in 1992.

Her contemporary work, which takes an obvious interest in geometry and design, has taken a lot of its influence from England's punk movement and pop culture. 

Krajačić's newest exhibition, entitled ''Closeups'', is set to be held at Galerija Siva, and its opening is scheduled for September 23, at 20:00, and the exhibition will last and be available to the public every day apart from Sunday from 17:00-20:00 all the way until September 28. The Jasmina Krajačić Closeups exhibition includes portraits, pop art recycling, and the transformation of original photos. These photos are both of famous people (such as David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Debbie Harry from the band Blondie, and more), of unknown people and also Krajačić's own self-portrait.

Invitation to the Closeups exhibition © Jasmina Krajačić  

Tatjana Bezjak, a Croatian sculptor and writer, wrote a review of Krajačić's work which is going to be featured in the upcoming exhibition. She rated Krajačić's sixteen portraits as playful, attractive, full of colours, and invitingly cheerful. At first, Bezjak points out that these attributes are disturbing, but they bring out calm inside of us when we look at these close-ups and decipher some of the messages behind Krajačić's work ourselves.

David Bowie © Jasmina Krajačić

''Close-ups are a look in the mirror, in the face of contemporary society, a society of consumerism and spectacle, deranged values and identity crises. Close-ups do not differ by the status, success or popularity of those in the portraits. Whether we belong to the anonymous crowd or to the shiny world of fame and celebrities, with commodities and identities, all of us are deceiving ourselves, without exception. While the invisible hand relentlessly serves new needs and practices, moving some final goalpost, some ultimate fulfillment is always further behind the horizon. It is almost impossible not to reach it, again and again“, writes Bezjak.

Amy Winehouse © Jasmina Krajačić

Blondie © Jasmina Krajačić

The criticism of the neo-liberal paradigm and constantly chasing profit consumerism is evident even in the name sof Krajačić's pictures. Titles that will be showcased in the exhibition such as ''Buy Passion'', ''Buy Patience'', ''Buy Empathy'', ''Buy Eternity'', ''Buy Wisdom'', ''Buy Dignity'', ''Buy Fearlessness'', ''Buy Affection'', accompanied by the eye-candy-like geometrical game of circles and colours, constantly force us to challenge our own identities.

The question posed to our identities is not necessarily difficult to answer with a simple yes or no, because of sheer complexity, but rather because it is a question we don't want to answer honestly: Are our identities genuine or bought?

Learn more about Croatian Art Galleries in Zagreb, Dalmatia, Istria & Slavonia on our TC page.

For more about art in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.