Criticism

Not by chance, the Split Salon 2018, which is nearing its end, touches upon themes of nostalgia and memories of days that are no more, of forgotten and reawakened memories, of artists we no longer encounter, but, here we stand before their visual works which are still imbued with wondrous suggestiveness today. This is an exhibition that curator Tonći Šitin prepared at the Multimedia Center… read more

This year, Split's most important artistic event, the Split Salon, opened grandly and stylishly. After a long series of years with an elitist approach to organizing the Salon, where only selected artists were invited, this time with fresh faces on the organizing team of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists, under the presidency of Vice Tomasović, and under the guidance of two... read more

Division as the core idea of the exhibition concept conveys the antagonisms of a divided society, and the 'bombardment' with the quantity presented and displayed is akin to the daily indiscriminate serving of information. Split Salon is an event that has been taking place in Split since 1969. However, this year's Split Salon is exceptional in many ways. For starters, unlike in previous years, the space... read more

This year's 39th Split Salon, which was held in November in the cellars of Diocletian's Palace, Galić Salon, Kula Gallery, and public spaces in the city, aimed to provide an insight into the state of the contemporary art scene in Split. With over one hundred and thirty exhibitors, the Salon quantitatively covered a large part of the production, but it crystallized a series of problems and questions as the most important... read more

The curatorial team consciously took on the role of non-selectors on this occasion, which prompts reflection on the guidelines of exhibition practices in general, given that selection provides a form of legitimacy for curatorial activity. This year's 39th Split Salon presented itself to the public on November 5th with an opening ceremony in the cellars of Diocletian's Palace, which was attended by an exceptionally large number of visitors, which is normal with... read more

Statistics wanted this year's Split Salon not to be successful. Namely, among the members of any association, whatever it may be, you can find a minority with an aversion to new and fresh perspectives, while the majority is "normal" and doesn't venture beyond the predictable horizon of expected behavior. This is somewhat the case with artists as well. Therefore, the 39th Split Salon had to be bad, because its main ambition was to invite as many people as possible... read more

The 39th Split Salon has arrived at a time when numerous dilemmas regarding the meaning of culture (from multiculturalism to a range of other characteristics, whether material, spiritual, intellectual, emotional...), a new understanding of image and the visual turn, and research into well-known theories of social identities that contribute to new understandings of culture, remain unresolved. The results are devastating for those who... read more

The colonization of Split by tourists and the 'Roman legion' raises the question of to what extent Split has left room for culture, in its filtering of all city activities towards tourism. The Split Salon, an event held since 1969, has adopted a biennial rhythm in the last 15 years. This year's salon is held in the premises of Diocletian's cellars, the Kula Gallery, Galić Salon, as well as... read more

The invitation from HULU to be part of the curatorial team for the 39th Split Salon surprised me, both pleasantly and unpleasantly. Pleasantly, because in a way it was an honor and a recognition of my artistic work to date, and unpleasantly due to the very idea of judging and „evaluating“ the work of my colleagues. My consent, besides the new challenge, was also influenced by the composition of the curatorial team. Dalibor is a seasoned professional with a „surgical“... read more

We have seen another edition of the Split Salon, an exhibition that has been in a constant state of transformation since its inception, relegated to history. Created in 1969 as a departure from the ideologically driven, celebratory May Day exhibitions, and with the aim of strengthening the quality and recognition of the Split art scene beyond local boundaries, it initially succeeded in achieving its goals, only to be forced by circumstances on several occasions... read more

The vibrancy and contrast created by the souvenir stalls immediately next to or in front of the exhibition, in a way, visualize the division implied by the exhibition's title. A lot, or nothing, is expected from the largest and longest-running art exhibition in Split, which was founded more than 40 years ago, especially if one knows its history and takes into account the various socio-cultural and political landscapes that have shaped it… read more

39th Split Salon – Representations of Split, Basements of Diocletian's Palace / Salon Galić / Atrium of the Art Gallery / Kula Gallery / Public Spaces of the City of Split, November 5-30, 2015. An important part of the exhibition is its documentary and archival section – alongside the exhibition, and as part of it, video interviews with Split artists and curators were shown. This year's theme... read more