An exciting look at an iconography of the city

If interested in what Zagreb once looked like, which were its landmarks, or what made it different to other European cities, one must visit Zagreb’s Modern Gallery. It is here that the large exhibition, “An iconography of the City”, will reveal popular city motifs as seen from the perspective of the most significant local artists of the 20th century. This iconographic exhibition will be open until April 4th.

At the end of February, a large exhibition, “An Iconography of the City”, was opened at the Modern Gallery. This iconographic exhibition displays popular urban motifs of Zagreb, as well as other European cities, reflected in the view of the most significant artists of Croatian modernism. It is a multimedia exhibition that features a total of 150 works which, through an iconographic method, represent the most popular motifs of Zagreb reflected in paintings, drawings, photographs, posters, on film, or interdisciplinary – in literature and in music. Each representation tells a new story about Zagreb; its markings and the synergy of urban features, from streets and squares, boulevards and bridges, interiors and parks, promenades and the periphery, to social and political themes, entertainment and sport, pastime, and children’s play… Displayed in this environment are works by the most significant artists of Croatian modernism, from the Munich circle from the beginning of the 20th century, to social realism and the beginnings of abstractionism in the mid-20th century.

The exhibition has been organized in a total of 12 halls, which is an indication of the collection’s size, and contains an array of anthological works by great Croatian painters: Miroslav Kraljević, Josip Račić, Milan Steiner, Milivoj Uzelac, Marijan Trepše, Krsto Hegedušić, Oton Postružnik, Ljubo Babić, Vladimir Becić... And this is but a small selection of the artistic opus by the great names of national art from the first half of the 20th century.