23.4.2018
The exhibition of HT awards for the Croatian contemporary art was opened in the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) in Zagreb on 20 April. It has been presenting a cross-section of new artworks for 11 consecutive years. This edition will present the work of 36 male and female artists. The Cultural Places app is available to the visitors for the first time to enable them to walk through the exhibition with a guide on their smartphone.
Snježana Pintarić, Nevena Tudor Perković, and Nina Išek Međugorac
"Against the backdrop of the previous practices, we believe this concept is very good, as every year we gain deep insight into the Croatian contemporary art scene. We are delighted with the fact that artists of all generations and those using different modes of artistic expression have been showing their interest", noted Snježana Pintarić, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and President of the Expert Committee of the Exhibition, during the opening of the 11th exhibition of HT awards for the Croatian contemporary art.
Moreover, during the opening of the exhibition, Nina Išek Međugorac, Director of Corporate Communications in Hrvatski Telekom, pointed out that throughout the years of their co-operation, the Museum of Contemporary Art and HT had been brought together by their love of creativity.
"We are aware that investment into creativity is imperative for the achievement of progress in our society. HT, as the frontrunner of digitalisation in Croatia, has been investing for years into the strengthening of the Croatian artistic and cultural scene. Over the past 11 years, the value of investment implemented into the Croatian culture exceeded HRK 35 million, whereas over HRK 13.5 million was invested in the project entitled 'HT Award – MSU Zagreb'. It is important to highlight this year’s innovation – the Cultural Places app, a unique platform that connects all the museums, galleries, and cultural events both in Croatia and in the world. The app is intended to provide the visitors of this exhibition with a unique guide and ensure a comprehensive user experience", stated Nina Išek Međugorac.
Upon downloading the app to their smartphone, at the entrance to the Museum the visitors will receive a password and will hence be able to walk through the exhibition with a comprehensive guide describing every work of art.
Nevena Tudor Perković, Head of the Development of Culture and Art Sector at the Ministry of Culture, opened the exhibition, stating that she was delighted with the fact that creativity was yet again at the centre of attention. "Investment into culture and art is certainly a requirement and an obligation both of the state and the public finances. Nevertheless, a more significant cultural development is impossible without the support of the donors, patrons, tourism, and business entities and actually all of us as members of this society", stressed Tudor Perković.
The exhibition is the result of the co-operation between the Museum of Contemporary Art and Hrvatski Telekom. It is simultaneously also a competition, and it includes the biggest and one of the most important awards for creativity in contemporary visual arts in Croatia. This has been confirmed also by the figures – during the past 11 years, over 2,500 artworks have been submitted for HT award competition, of which 371 artworks have been exhibited thus far, including also this year’s exhibition. Moreover, 30 artworks have been awarded and purchased for the growing Collection of HT Award – MSU Zagreb, whereas 10 male and female artists have been granted the Audience Award, which is not a purchase prize and is intended to provide an incentive to the artists during their future work. In addition, the successful co-operation between the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) and HT was marked with last year’s joint launch of the first digital museum in Croatia: artt.hr, a web platform that integrates the best artworks by contemporary artists who have applied for the competition HT Award – MSU Zagreb during the last 11 years.
The 11th exhibition saw a total of 236 artworks submitted. The international Expert Committee (comprising of: Snježana Pintarić, M.Sc., Director of MSU and Museum Advisor, as well as the President of the Expert Committee; Katrin Bucher Trantow, Chief Curator in Kunsthaus in Graz; Alenka Gregorič, Curator, Head of Mestna galerija Ljubljana and Galerija KC Tobačna 001; Alem Korkut, BA in sculpture, Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb; and Ana Škegro, Curator in MSU (in the absence of Ivana Kancir, Senior Curator in MSU)) selected 33 artworks, which, in addition to 3 invited artists, totals 36 artworks exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Arts Zagreb.
Concerning the medium of artistic expression used, the largest number of this year’s works are video works – a total of 7, followed by 6 photography cycles, as well as a significant number of installations and multimedia installations. As opposed to the previous exhibitions, the 11th exhibition presents a larger number of paintings, as well as drawings, graphic artworks, ambience art, a piece of audio work, and a performance. The range of the topics addressed is very wide as usual, and, according to the member of HT award Expert Committee and the author of the exhibition set-up, Ivana Kancir, the selection is vast.
"The selected works express attitudes about the present moment from the social, private and public, cultural, economic, and artistic aspect through different media and thematic units. They include critical comments on both local and global social problems, as well as on politicised society and ecological phenomena. The authors look around and face artistic and cultural heritage, question their positions, and analyse their roles, looking for their own place in the sun. A strong need to look back has perhaps been more emphasised than during the previous years, not only through a selection of the medium of expression, but also through the topics addressed. A specific resignation shows after the devaluation of cultural, economic, and basic human values in a world in which the short-term and the transient have been emphasised", noted Kancir.
The audience will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition until 13 May, and the admission is free. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, the international Expert Committee will select three out of 36 artworks: first prize worth HRK 75,000, second prize worth HRK 45,000, and third prize whose value reaches HRK 40,000. The purchased artworks will be included in the MSU holdings or the Collection of HT Award – MSU Zagreb.
Fourth prize, the Audience Award, worth HRK 10,000, will be granted upon the closing of the exhibition to the artwork that has received the largest number of votes by the visitors.