Just opened at Zagreb's Meštrović Pavilion, the annual Youth Salon is the largest national exhibition of visual artists aged 35 and under in Croatia.
This year’s central theme, Pao sat u bunar (Time Fell Down the Well), explores the relationship between people and time, specifically challenging the dominance of structured time and the concept of living in relation to clocks and watches. Curated by Lovro Japundžić, the show aims to highlight that more creative relationships are possible, and questions the measuring of the various human and non-human rhythms – if they can be measured at all.
The Youth Salon was first held in 1968 and has since displayed the works of more than 3,500 artists, a platform to launch new names onto the cultural scene both domestically and internationally. This year, just north of 50 more artists have been added to the tally as things.
Also part of the programme, beginning on May 22 and running until June 16, is the Situacija (Situation) exhibition, a more loose showcasing of artists’ work without a centrally defined theme and offering a more freeform exposure of the perspectives of young visual creatives in Croatia. Visitors will find artists presenting their take on the real world, and its challenges, through both societal and introspective lenses, and perhaps come across the output of future big names in the scene. This part of the programme will be held across three locations: the Archaeological Museum (Zrinjevac 19), Gallery AMZ (Pavla Hatza 6) and the Art&CeRZe gallery (Kneza Mislava 11).
Finally, the Venientes portion of the Salon, held at the Galerija Putolovac (Ilica 112) from May 17-29, will display the work of students who have been awarded by the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts for excellence during their studies.
For more information about Zagreb's Youth Salon, see here. Croatian Association of Young Artists, Meštrović Pavilion, Trg Žrtava fašizma 16. Open until June 16 Tue-Sat 11am-7pm. Admission €6, cash-only.