Category: Events
06 October 2025
CREART 3.O. / KARAS+KVART
DANYIL MERKULOV & PETAR VRANJKOVIĆ
TEMPORARILY ABANDONED SPACES
9.-24.10.2025.
KARAS GALLERY
This years’ Karas+kvart residency program brings intertwined works by Croatian transmedial artist based in Barcelona, Petar Vranjković and Ukrainian sound artist and musician based in Berlin, Danyil Merkulov together.
The residency began intensely with prior meetings, brainstorms and open discussions which looked at the topics of spaces, its functions and liveability. Once in Zagreb, artists quickly started to notice the complex relations of private and public spaces, physical and digital extensions, the city’s beauty and collective neglect of in-between spaces. In this context, Karas Gallery courtyard was chosen as it illustrates Zagreb’s modernist architecture, which pays special attention to shared and public space, as well as urban planning, but nowadays, the same are often out of its original function, sometimes abandoned, other times just forgotten. This type of “opposition”, or better said, two-sides of the same, is the driving force in the processual sound piece.
“Temporarily abandoned spaces” is an exploration of dualities that shouldn’t be seen as contrary, nor exclusive, but rather co-existing and leaving enough room for a re-write. Therefore, the central artwork is a soundscape that records and brings the slow and abandoned reality of the courtyard to the gallery, serving as an intangible reminder of the spaces we wish not to confront. The soundscape, though, isn’t a fixed “place” nor a static gesture, but rather it opens itself towards further meanings, including the ones which will be gathered through the public program, further exploration and reflection of the living and vivid spaces of its close neighbourhood.
PROGRAM
Soft launch of the still-in-process project
Thursday, 9th of October at 6pm
Come and hang, listen and share
Contact mic workshop (w/ Tin Dožić)
Wednesday, 15th of October at 10am
Make your own contact mic and listen to usually secluded sounds. Apply via karas.hdlu@gmail.com as there is a limit
Reli po galerijama
Friday, 17th of October, from 5 to 10.30pm
Participate in the manifestation Reli po galerijama and visit us at the closing, as we are preparing an ambient DJ session
Field recording / Favorite places*
Saturday, 18th of October at 10am
The workshop will be held by artists-in-residency and is intended for children (10 years and up). Translation to Croatian is provided, as well as all the equipment. Apply via karas.hdlu@gmail.com as there is a limit
Opening of the layered soundscape
Tuesday, 21st of October at 6pm
Come and hang out and listen (some) more
*In case of large interest, there is a possibility to organise another workshop (for kids and/or grown-ups), just let us know.
Stay tuned!
Karas Gallery working hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 2 – 7pm
Saturday: 10am – 2pm
And if you want to meet the artists, join us at the gallery on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 5 and 7pm.
About the artists
Danyil Merkulov
As an Ukrainian artist based in Berlin, I create music that crosses borders between electronic sound, visual art, and live performance. My goal is to connect Berlin with other European creative hubs through collaboration, touring, and residencies. I believe in building sustainable networks that allow artists to share ideas, strengthen communities, and grow together.
Petar Vranjković
Petar Vranjković (b. 1997) is a transmedial artist and researcher who uses objects from archives, photography, video, printmaking, and design in his research– and artistic–based processes. He is interested in shaping memories and the idea of storytelling through artistic narratives. One of the central themes of his work is the intimate history of the individual, which is an interpretation of the heritage, tradition, and culture of a community and time.
Within the project:
Partners:
Co-funded 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]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
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.
26 September 2025
The City of Lublin is opening a recruitment process and inviting artists from the CreArt network to apply for a 4-week artistic residency in Lublin, from November 5 to December 6, 2025.
CITY OF LUBLIN
Lublin is a medium-sized city in eastern Poland. It is a thriving scientific and cultural center. Considered a city at the crossroads of Eastern and Western culture, in the past it had an international character, with a large Jewish population living here. Lublin is home to numerous cultural institutions, museums and galleries, as well as non-governmental organizations that animate cultural life. There are large festivals such as Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, Night of Culture, East Of Culture – Different Sounds and others. Lublin is competing for the title of European Capital of Culture 2029.
WARSZTATY KULTURY (WORKSHOPS OF CULTURE)
Warsztaty Kultury is a local government cultural institution of the city of Lublin, established in 2009. The institution conducts long-term development and education programs based on a community of Lublin cultural operators and recipients, working together and supporting each other. The institution is located at 5a Grodzka Street and 7 Grodzka Street in Lublin’s Old Town.
The mission of Warsztaty Kultury: “We are the heart and mind behind a variety of open and non-standard activities in Lublin. Our programming focuses on promoting the practice of “active culture”. We enthusiastically support and implement long-term development plans based on a sense of community among Lublin’s cultural operators and recipients, acting together and supporting one another. We create culture that is modern, interactive, interdisciplinary and innovative.
We cooperate with artists and institutions from Poland and abroad. We have developed highly efficient methods of cultural education, management and animation. The everyday application of modern technologies in cultural education and in the promotion of cultural heritage also form the core of our mission.
We also organize the four largest summer festivals in Lublin: Night of Culture, East of Culture – Different Sounds, Carnaval Sztukmistrzów and Re:tradition – The Jagiellonian Fair. All of them are rooted in Lublin’s history and traditions, have become an integral part of the city’s cultural landscape and activate the local community”.
More info:
https://warsztatykultury.pl/pl/
https://www.facebook.com/WarsztatyKultury/
CREART AiR PROGRAMME
Within the framework of CreArt 3.0, the city of Lublin and the Warsztaty Kultury launch a residency for 2 artists of younger generation, one from Lublin and one from the CreArt network. Artists in residence will have a mentor to help them to establish in the city (information on cultural institutions, events, useful places…), for their presentation to the artistic community in the city and support in the development and presentation of the project. The last week will be spent putting together a small exhibition, open studio or performance so the residents can share their final works (selected by the mentor and the organization) with the citizens of the hosting town and have some foreign feedback.
RESIDENCY DURATION: 4 weeks
RESIDENCY DATES: November 5 – December 6, 2025
WHO CAN APPLY?
- Artists of younger generation born or residing in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), Regensburg (Germany), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland).
- Members of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists).
- Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue».
We invite artists working in any field of art – regardless of medium, discipline, or form of expression (e.g., visual arts, music, literature, theater, dance, performance, interdisciplinary activities). A university degree in art or documented artistic achievements demonstrating equivalent competences are required.
Applications must be strictly individual. Applications submitted by artist collectives will not be accepted.
Proposed activities must be site-specific – meaning they must be directly linked to the context of the location and public space. We are interested in projects that involve the temporary capture of space, creating new ways of experiencing the city and its surroundings.
GRANT AND CONDITIONS
- Artist fee of 700 EUR/gross (to be paid up to 21 days after the residency).
- Production cost (if needed) of new artwork(s) up to 500 EUR/gross.
- The Organizer will cover travel expenses (round-trip plane ticket from any CreArt city (or the closest airport) to Lublin or Warsaw) and provide accommodation and meals (2 meals per day) for the artist coming from the partner city.
- For the local artist one meal per day will be provided.
- The artists will sign a contract with City of Lublin before the start of the residency.
- The artists must have a European health card or equivalent.
- On the last day of residency, artists are required to submit a brief narrative report that will include title, description of the project, objectives and graphic dossier (minimum 10 pages in English).
DOCUMENTS
The following attached documentation is required in a single PDF document:
- Identity card or passport (scanned).
- Any kind of document proving you connection with the partner city of CreArt network.
- A short version of your resume/CV (one A4).
- Portfolio of works and artistic activity (maximum 10 pages i 10 pictures, links can be included).
- A site-specific project proposal (max. one A4) with a description of the concept and method of interaction with the public space. This document should also contain a list of technical needs and other relevant technical details, which can help the organization to understand the project.
Evaluation criteria
We will pay particular attention to projects that:
- engage in creative dialogue with public space and its users,
- propose temporary interventions that change the way a place is perceived,
- address current social, cultural, and environmental challenges.
APPLICATION
- The online application form is available here: https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/ (artists should register first and then upload portfolio in this link).
- In case of any problems applying, you can send your application by e-mail to: creart@fmcva.org, with the subject line: open call Lublin.
- Deadline: applications should be sent by 12th October 2024.
Only complete and timely applications will be considered. Artists will be selected by a jury of Lublin contemporary art professionals from Warsztaty Kultury. The committee is not obliged to provide reasons for its decision. The shortlist will be published on the CreArt website. The participation in this call implies the acceptance of these bases, and the artists selected should include a reference in all their future communications that they have been selected to participate in the CreArt Artists in Residence program in Lublin, project co-funded by the European Union – Creative Europe program.
In case of any questions, please contact: creart3.0@lublin.eu.
Within the project:
Co-funded 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]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
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.
24 September 2025
TONKA MALEKOVIĆ & SOPHIA FREIDHOFF
COMPOSITIONS OF FLOW
1.-12.10.2025.
MEŠTROVIĆ PAVILION PROGRAM
ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM IN ZAGREB
We continue the Meštrović Pavillion Program with solo exhibition of Tonka Maleković and Sophia Freidhoff – COMPOSITIONS OF FLOW, which will open on Wednesday, October 1st at 7PM at Ethnographic Museum in Zagreb (Trg Mažuranića 14). The exhibition remains open until 12.10.2025.
In her foreword, Martina Miholić emphasizes:
The project is based on a two-year research of migration movements in the Danube region, carried out in collaboration with scientist Sophia Freidhoff, and through an interdisciplinary approach it intertwines artistic practice with the methodology of social sciences. Compositions of Flow investigates the interwoven effects of migration on both social and individual levels, addressing diverse groups affected by migration, and connects symbolic, geographical, cultural, economic, and phenomenological aspects with the aim of encouraging dialogue on an empathetic level and shifting the understanding of this complex phenomenon.
The video installation Compositions of Flow (2023) invites viewers to look from Regensburg’s historic Stone bridge toward the Danube, where water streams past a massive pier—suggesting motion and change while the pier itself remains firm and stable. This visual metaphor articulates the inner tension and ambivalence many migrants experience when contemplating the decision to leave their homeland – how their lives change, to what extent they improve, and which alternatives remain open. The installation, inherently site-specific, strategically links the historic bridge, a symbol of transition and movement, with Maximilianstraße, the main pedestrian and traffic axis of the contemporary city, underscoring the ways in which migration generates and reshapes the dynamics of urban space. Project participants actively contributed to the installation by donating or lending personal items – suitcases symbolizing transition, travel, and the baggage of life – which were later transposed into the video format.
Biographies:
Tonka Maleković is a visual artist and a planner of socio-spatial transformations toward sustainability. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and at RWTH Aachen University. Since 2003, she has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions, received several awards and grants, and participated in various artist-in-residence programs. She is a co-founder of Loose Association, the City at the Second Glance project, and the outdoor gallery for ephemeral interventions LiberSPACE. Maleković often works collaboratively, creating site-specific, participatory actions and temporary installations in public space. In her projects, she reassembles existing contexts to uncover hidden narratives.
Sophia Freidhoff holds a master’s degree in eastern european studies and a bachelor’s degree in history, classical philology, and southeast european studies from the university of regensburg. She has lived and studied in Romania and is currently based in Erfurt, Germany, where she works as a Counselor on Labour and Employment Rights for EU migrants. Her research interests include migration and the freedom of movement in the EU, and in 2023 she co-conducted in collaboriation with the artist Tonka Maleković a sociological study on labor migration as part of the socio-artistic project Compositions of Flow.
Organizer
Partner
Supported by
Realizes as a part of: AiR Interventions 2023, donumenta e.V. Regensburg
Special thanks to the organisation Novi prostori kulture
19 September 2025
A site-specific intervention by Nora Turato on the façade of the Meštrović Pavilion, also the artist’s largest work realised in Europe, represents a strong and consistent response to the central theme of the 60th Zagreb Salon of Visual Arts, Choreography for the Finish Line, organised by HDLU and curated by KUĆĆA collective, and a monumental finale of the artist’s pool7 series which has begun a year ago with a mural of the same name at Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna and the exhibition I Hear You, I Hear You at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The series focuses on physical forms of expression: voice, gestures, and non-verbal communication that transcends language.
On the rim of the Meštrović Pavilion, which is closed for a complete renovation from 2025–2026, Turato inscribes a raw vocal expression Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!. The installation is accompanied by an audio recording that can be heard once a day, precisely at noon. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! is a universal, primal expression that evokes the origins of language, as well as a reflexive human reaction. The installation spatially draws upon the pavilion’s circular architecture, creating a range of diverse visual and auditory experiences. The sound is activated periodically, akin to a ritual, making the voice present in the space. With this gesture, Turato symbolically positions the future renovated exhibition space of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) as a place for play, risk, and openness, further engaging both visitors and casual passers-by.
This intervention also marks Zagreb-born, Rijeka-raised and Amsterdam-based Nora Turato’s first solo exhibition in Zagreb, opening on Saturday, 11 October 2025, and running until the end of January 2026.
Opening event:
October 11, 5 p.m, Oris (Street Kralja Držislava 3)
Free entrance
Photo: El Hardwick
Nora Turato (born 1991 in Zagreb; raised in Rijeka, Croatia, lives and works in Amsterdam) explores the instability of language and its performative nature. From a range of articles, conversations, subtitles, and advertising slogans encountered daily, she constructs visual-linguistic compositions through video works, installations, books, murals, and spoken-word performances. In her work, political discourse and pop culture coexist equally, reflecting synchronisations in social relations and consumer mentality. Turato’s visual language is marked by bold typography and her expressive handwriting, which extends across surfaces like rehearsal notes or an artist’s sketchbook. This personal trace evokes a disappearing intimacy in the era of digital communication. In her hands, language becomes a mirror of culture: fragmented, rootless, intense. Nora Turato has had solo exhibitions in leading cultural institutions worldwide, including the ICA in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Secession in Vienna, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Mudam in Luxemburg, International Centre of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana, Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto, and Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. She has also participated in the Performa Biennale, Post-Capital, and INFORMATION (Today).
Photo:
- Juraj Vuglač
- Vanja Babić
- Vanja Babić
The Home of the Croatian Visual Artists building, also known as the Meštrović Pavilion, is one of the key achievements of modern Croatian architecture. The conceptual design for the building was done by the prominent Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. This impressive, modern rotunda with colonnades and a spacious hall was designed for various exhibition purposes and is today considered a unique example of modern architecture. The building was inaugurated in 1938 with the exhibition Half a Century of Croatian Art. However, due to its central location and monumental appearance, its function quickly changed; by political decision during the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), it was converted into a mosque (1941–1944), and after World War II, the Museum of the Revolution (1945–1990). Each repurposing brought spatial interventions: from a concrete dome and minarets (architects Zvonimir Požgaj and Stjepan Planić) to the radical transformation of the interior carried out by Vjenceslav Richter. In the 1990s, the building was returned to artists, and in the 2000s, the first renovation began according to Andrija Mutnjaković’s design, which started to restore the building to its original form. Today, as the Meštrović Pavilion, the building is a recognisable symbol of the city of Zagreb, and a space for numerous contemporary artistic programs and exhibitions.
With Turato’s intervention, the Croatian Association of Fine Artists particularly aims to emphasise that the building, despite its turbulent past and various uses, was built as and will remain in the future a space for exhibiting contemporary visual art.
At the beginning of 2025, HDLU commenced the long-awaited comprehensive and energy-efficient renovation of the Meštrović Pavilion, based on the project by architect Saša Randić. The aim is to restore the building’s original state while incorporating improvements that will meet the needs and technical requirements of a contemporary gallery space. The completion of the works is expected by the end of 2026.
Organiser Croatian Association of Fine Artists
Producer Ivana Andabaka Vujičić, director of HDLU
HDLU management board Tomislav Buntak, Josip Zanki, Ida Blažičko, Fedor Fischer, Vida Meić, Romana Nikolić, Tomislav Hršak
Curators of the 60th Zagreb salon of visual arts salona KUĆĆA kolektiv
Design Nora Turato
Design adaptation Duje Medić
Artist’s assistant Marta Perović, Turato studio
Public relations Inesa Antić
Production assistents Nika Šimičić, Martina Miholić
Special thanks Kia Tasbihgou, Sam de Groot, Kunsthalle Wien
Contact hdlu@hdlu.hr, +38514611818
Supported by the Zagreb Tourist Board, the City of Zagreb’s Office for Culture and Civil Society, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Oris House of Architecture, company Belina, and media partner Večernji list.
05 September 2025
LAURA STOJKOSKI
STADIUM
10.-25.9.2025.
KARAS GALLERY
On Wednesday, 10.9.2025. Laura Stojkoski opens her solo exhibition entitled Stadium at 7 pm in Karas Gallery (Ulica kralja Zvonimira 58).
In her foreword, Monika Sinković emphasizes:
“This exhibition is based on the idea of creating a unique space where art and football converge, two spheres that shape identities and communities in different yet deeply interconnected ways. The gallery is transformed into a place that evokes the atmosphere of a stadium, conveying the dynamism, passion and sense of togetherness that characterise football culture. (…)
The exhibition invites us to reflect together on how the collective energy of the stadium is translated into artistic expressions, and how new forms of understanding culture and community emerge in this transition.”
Biography:
Laura Stojkoski (1998, Zagreb) is a student of Art Education, majoring in Sculpture, under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Vojin Hraste at the Art Education Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. Her work centres on the exploration of collective identities and their interrelations, while her artistic practice is focused on the exploration of colour in sculpture. She has participated in group exhibitions and is a three-time recipient of the Rector’s Award.
The exhibition will be open during the period from 10.9. to 25.9.2025.
Working hours of Karas Gallery
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4pm – 8pm
Tuesday, Saturday 10am – 1pm
On Sundays and Mondays closed.
___
http://karasarthub.eu
Organizer: HDLU
With the support of: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb
18 August 2025
THE PROJECT
CreArt (Network of Cities for Artistic Creation) is a network of European cities aiming to promote creativity and the impact of visual arts in everyday life. The participating cities are Aveiro [Portugal], Ceske Budejovice [Czech Republic], Kaunas [Lithuania], Liepaja [Latvia], Lublin [Poland], Oulu [Finland], Skopje (north Macedonia) ,Rouen and Clermont-Ferrand [France], Valladolid [Spain], Venice [Italy], members of Croatian Association of Fine Artists [HDLU] and Ukrainian artists thanks to cooperation with the Lviv Art Council ‘Dialog’.For more information: https://creart2-eu.org/
THE CITY
Regensburg is a south-eastern city in Bavaria (Germany). It is characterized by its medieval town centre and its location along the Danube River. The city has around 179.000 inhabitants. Being a University town, many young people live in Regensburg, which makes it both modern and traditional at the same time. Well-known landmarks include the Stone Bridge from the 12th century and the Gothic cathedral with its twin towers. The winding city centre, the many charming cafés and the colourful houses exude an Italian flair in the heart of Bavaria, which is why Regensburg is also known as the ‘northernmost city in Italy’.
ACCOMMODATION
In October 2025, the City of Regensburg’s Cultural Office is launching a new program: RAiR – Regensburg Arts in Residence.
As part of the new program, the city of Regensburg is now offering two new charming studio apartments in a historic house in the heart of Regensburg’s old town. Located directly on the Stone Bridge and thus along the Danube River, the studio apartments offer plenty of space for art and creativity in unique surroundings. Numerous galleries and studios are located in the immediate vicinity.
The studio apartments are newly renovated with a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom as well as a living and working studio area. Artists with families are welcome to apply, as the Cultural Office is aiming to ensure a child-friendly environment.
Accommodation is paid by the City of Regensburg.
EXPECTATIONS
The artist is free in their artistic work. They are welcome to engage with the city of Regensburg, e.g. in a participatory way. During the residency, an artist talk takes place. The residency will end with a final exhibition in the public space “neunkubikmeter”, a temporary place for art, culture and unconventional ideas. For more information: Stadt Regensburg – Veranstaltungen des Kulturreferats – neunkubikmeter
ARTIST PROFILE
Artists of younger generation:
- Born or resident in one of the cities in the project network: Kaunas (Lithuania), Liepaja (Lithuania), Skopje (North Macedonia), Aveiro (Portugal), Valladolid (Spain), Lublin (Poland), Venice (Italy), Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen (France), České Budějovice (Czech Republic) and Oulu (Finland)
- Member of HDLU (Croatian Association of Fine Artists)
- Ukrainian artists through our collaboration with Public Organisation Lviv Artistic Council «Dialogue»
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- There are two studio apartments available
- Period: 20th October to 14th December
- Grant: 1000 € per month (+ refund up to 400 € for material and production costs, + refund up to 400 € for travel costs)
APPLICATION
- Registration via the CreArt intranet (https://creart2-eu.org/open-calls/)
- Upload personal portfolio
- Required documents:
- CV
- Copy of ID or passport
- Sample of artistic work
- Short written project proposal
- Deadline: 1st September 2025
CONTACT
Cultural Office of Regensburg
- Contact person: Brenda Schleier
- Mail: schleier.brenda@regensburg.de
- Telephone number: +49 941 507 2416
Within the project:
Co-funded 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]
Project is co-financed by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
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.
10 July 2025
Aleksandra Saška Gruden and Željko Beljan
WE ARE WITH YOU!
9.7.–2.8.2025.
Veselov vrt Gallery, Komenskega 8, Ljubljana, Slovenia
On Wednesday, July 9 at 7 PM, the exhibition We Are With You! by Aleksandra Saška Gruden (SLO) and Željko Beljan (HR) opened at the Veselov vrt Gallery (Komenskega 8, Ljubljana, Slovenia).
The project continues a previously initiated international reciprocal collaboration in partnership with the Ljubljana Fine Artists Society (DLUL), which began in 2024 with exhibitions of Slovenian and Croatian artists at the PM Gallery in the Meštrović Pavilion in Zagreb and the DLUL Gallery in Ljubljana. The new phase of collaboration includes the newly opened exhibition, with a reciprocal exhibition planned in Zagreb in 2026. The exhibition curator in Ljubljana is Sarival Sosič.
“New sculptural achievements are placed in relation to the exhibition spaces, but are primarily material-temporal modulations that imply the variability of matter, and thus of form, as a striving toward continuous movement – or, in the case of the presented visual project by multimedia artist Aleksandra Saška Gruden and Croatian multimedia artist Željko Beljan, a striving toward image effects with a strong emphasis on dialogue.
The exhibition at Veselov vrt Gallery is titled We Are With You! and represents an extremely adaptable artistic constellation, as it can be freely extended or shortened, expanded or displayed, and can even be integrated into many different concepts.”
(From the preface, written by Sarival Sosič)
Artist Biographies:
Željko Beljan (1984, Vukovar) graduated from the Department of Animated Film and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 2021. In his artistic practice, he focuses on the phenomenon of handcraft and its position in contemporary artistic practices, exploring textiles and handcraft techniques as an artistic medium. In doing so, he investigates the relationship between handcraft and amateur, hobby-based involvement in sports, with an emphasis on audience participation and involvement in the realization of the works. He was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award in 2023 and is an alumnus of the WHW Academy, class of 2022. Since 2011, he has participated in a significant number of group exhibitions in Croatia and the region, and has held several solo exhibitions, including: Project Arkade (MSU, Zagreb, 2023); Unresolved (Šira Gallery, Zagreb, 2022); Guest (Prostor, Split, 2022; Tratinska 64 – CIMO, Zagreb, 2021); Three Corners Penalty (Football field of Marijan Elementary School – Culture Hub Croatia, Split, 2022; Žitnjak Studios, Zagreb, 2022); Truth is a Forgotten Memory (in collaboration with Rebecca Merlić, Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb, 2022); Benjamin Beljan: Željko (Garage Kamba, Zagreb, 2022); Benjamin (CEKAO Gallery, Zagreb, 2022); Myth, Embroidery and Vuteks (NMG@Praktika, Split, 2020; Karas Gallery, Zagreb, 2020); Cartoon Core (Siva Gallery, Zagreb, 2018; Inquiry Inc., Osijek, 2016).
Aleksandra Saška Gruden graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. Since 2006, she has held the status of an independent cultural worker. As a multidisciplinary artist, she works in the fields of sculpture, spatial installations and interventions, video, performance, photography, scenography, and drawing. Her work addresses themes such as the human body and its limitations, the relationship between the private and the public, the intimate world of the individual, the image of women in contemporary society, and cultural heritage. She regularly exhibits in Slovenia and abroad (Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, Serbia), through solo and group exhibitions. She is the author of numerous public installations in Slovenia (Grosuplje, Kranj, Celje) and abroad (Austria, Croatia). She is the recipient of the second prize in the Emzin Slovenian Photography of the Year competition, the third prize for video at the Man–Monument exhibition (Velenje), and the Designers Society of Slovenia Award (2016) for the project Zidnice (EPK Maribor). She often collaborates with other female artists (Nataša Skušek, Saba Skaberne). She has led numerous sculpture symposiums and exhibition programs (Video Dinner and Showcases), the MFRU festival, and discussion series (Tea Party for Art, O:MIZA). She also works as an art critic and is the President of the Artistic Council of DLU Ljubljana.
The exhibition is open from July 9 to August 2, 2025.
Gallery opening hours:
Tue – Fri: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sat: 10 AM – 1 PM
Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays
Supported by:
MEŠTROVIĆ PAVILION CLOSED DUE TO RENOVATION
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