Croatia's first crowdfunded photography museum will open its doors in early August 2018. The Image of War Photography Museum on Hebrangova Street 4 collects some of the most vivid photographs taken during the country's War of Independence 1991 – 1995, showing several aspects of the period, with images of soldiers set next to those of civilians caught up in the conflict.
Paid for by members of the public, the project has been produced with the co-operation of several other museums, not least the War Photo Limited gallery, which is something of an institution in Dubrovnik. New Zealander Wade Goddard first came to Dubrovnik as a photographer during the siege of the city in the early '90s. Affected by what he saw and keen to broaden the public's understanding of war, in 2003 he opened War Photo Limited, exhibiting moving war photography from Croatia and around the world.
In the Zagreb museum, alongside the work of well-known photographers such as Peter Turnley, Dragoljub Zamurović, Ron Haviv, Christopher Morris, Romeo Ibrišević and Matko Biljak hangs images captured by members of the public and shared through the campaign’s social media pages. The first exhibition Up Close and Personal: War in Croatia will be a harrowing look at the Croatian War of Independence in over 100 photos across two floors. The exhibition's official opening is in September.
