New incentive: Art installation “Imagine” as a strong antiwar message

The art installation “Imagine”, displayed in front of the Croatian National Theater, returned to its city – Zagreb, after being displayed abroad.

The art installation “Imagine” has been displayed in front of the Croatian National Theater. It is named after John Lennon’s evergreen which carries a strong antiwar message of peace.

This is a work of Croatian conceptual artist Vladimir Dodig Trokut. He was accompanied by gallerist Miloš Glavurtić, who worked on it for more than five years.

A massive gun in a three-meter-tall black cage symbolizes war, murder and violence. The installation carries a strong message of peace, perhaps stronger and more important today than ever.

The “Imagine” installation was jointly presented by the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb and the Zagreb Tourist Board.

During the opening, Iva Hraste Sočo, manager of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb, highlighted that the installation is an antiwar initiative and a timeless message of peace, adding: “There is no doubt that ‘Imagine’ will catch the eyes of Zagreb citizens, tourists passing through our city as well as the audience with whom, through shows and art programs, we give thought to and point to similar deviations in the society.”

During the setting up of the installation in Zagreb, Martina Bienenfeld, the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, added: “Calling attention to these topics – and most importantly – their embodiment through art is important not only for the society in general but also for tourism as peace is the major prerequisite for any social and economic activity. In this respect, the support of the Zagreb Tourist Board for these projects is essential, as our goal is to convey a message indicating the presence of some other life and social values, besides the beauty of the destination itself.”

Vladimir Dodig Trokut (1949–2018) is a renowned conceptual artist and one of the most significant and complex figures of the Croatian contemporary art scene. His installation “Imagine” was, after its premiere in 2020 at the Bačva Gallery of the Croatian Association of Artists in Zagreb, displayed at the Triennial of Sculpture in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, and at the peristyle of Split in 2021 as well as at the Vienna’s Albertina last year.

It will be displayed in the area next to the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb until May.