“Abstraction: Modern and Contemporary”

As of mid-April until June 24th, the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will feature an exhibition of representative works by seven of Croatia’s most important abstract painters of the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, titled “Abstraction: Modern and Contemporary”.

As of mid-April until June 24th, the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will feature an exhibition of representative works by seven of Croatia’s most important abstract painters of the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, titled “Abstraction: Modern and Contemporary”.

The most important Croatian abstract painters, Edo Murtić, Ivan Picelj, Vladimir Kristl, Ivo Gattin, Julije Knifer, Ferdinand Kulmer and Ljubo Ivančić are the stars of the latest exhibition at Zagreb’s Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, titled “Abstraction: Modern and Contemporary”, which can be viewed until June 24th.

The exhibition presents Croatian abstract painting from the 1950s and early 1960s. Instead of showing a general overview of this segment of art, the exhibition organizers decided to present only the representative works from the large opus of seven key artists. It was their works and names that helped bring Croatian abstract painting of the time closer to the western European and American context of highly modernistic abstract painting based on works by greats such as Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman and others.

The exhibition begins with a series of post-war works by Ljubo Ivančić, known as “works on a black background”, whose story of the crisis of man and crisis of consciousness is more relevant today than ever. The exhibition continues with works by Ivo Gattin and goes on to several exceptional and always popular works by Edo Murtić. These are abstracts dating back to the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “Brown White” and “Stopped Sound”.

Vladimir Kristl is also featured through several of his works, from geometry to white-on-white, while the other aforementioned artists are also presented through a similar principle of the diversity of their pieces.

Apart from representing the most important works by key artists, this exhibition also examines the history of abstract art itself, its significance as well as influence on contemporary art. Apart from the aforementioned artists, visitors can also view works by seven more contemporary Croatian artists. This was done in an attempt to make a parallel comparison between the older and newer works. Among them are works by Ivana Franka, Igor Eškinja, Zlatko Kopljar, David Maljković, Toni Meštrović, Damir Očko and Ana Opalić – also eminent artists who represent the Croatian contemporary scene in a modern international context.