Zagreb's Museum of Contemporary Art is currently running a parallel exhibition of works by two of Croatia's most notable artists of modern times, selected from its own archive.
Julije Knifer and Josip Vaništa were artistic contemporaries and collaborators (of a sort) in the 20th century. Alongside other artists and art theoreticians, they formed the avant-garde Gorgona Group collective, active from 1959 to 1966.
This group was unconventional in that it was not based on a particular style nor did it have a platform or manifesto behind which it stood. Instead, it was conceived as a collective of kindred spirits in which each member had complete creative and stylistic autonomy.
The group’s most public-facing activities were exhibitions at Zagreb’s long-gone Studio G and the publication of the so-called ‘antimagazine’ Gorgona, where each issue featured was made up entirely of one artist’s work.
Julije Knifer was an abstract artist whose pieces largely focused on a meander, a geometric style formed from a continuous line – though this was certainly not the only form his creations took, as the prominently featured self-portrait series demonstrates. The striking artworks were created with a variety of techniques, from acrylic and oil to print and collage.
Josip Vaništa was stylistically difficult to pin down. The painter often produced strikingly simple pencil sketches, alongside paintings and physical installations, as well as a considerable body of essayistic texts.
Vaništa had the distinct honour of being the last artist for whom the revered literary icon Miroslav Krleža posed in a series of sketches but he was also able to produce paintings with a distinctively faded colour palette.
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, Avenija Dubrovnik 17
When: Until May 12, Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
Admission: €6 for both Julije Knifer & Josip Vaništa exhibitions