On September 16th 2015 I am opening an exhibition with ceramic artist and a dear friend of mine Mladen Ivančić, in gallery of Croatian Association of Applied Artists (ULUPUH) in Zagreb.
The exhibition deals with the modern understanding of Mediterranean traditions related to food and crafts, and plays with the notion of invented tradition that is largely present within the concept of the Mediterranean diet today. Through dialogue between the two materials and techniques we created a narrative that combines factual, authentic tradition with the fictional tradition: an imaginary narrative of what tradition actually is and how fragile is its authenticity. We wanted to show an imaginary future scenario deriving from the Croatian crafts tradition in broadest sense – from the table culture, to agriculture, hunting, fishing, and games.
While each of us was working with his favourite raw material, at some point we have come to a conclusion that wood and ceramics have become inseparably connected through history. The antique wooden ships transported their cargo in clay jars, wooden tables in inns were set with ceramic plates and jugs, a medieval fortress were largely constructed of wood. And without fire the items presented in the exhibition could not been either developed or used. That is why the building blocks of this exhibition are wood, ceramics and fire. Some exhibited objects invoke the tradition of preparing food outdoors. Perhaps this is one of the last relict of customs that today belongs primarily to the memory.
Photographs by Martin Gustavsson and Jadranka Hajduković.
