Not by chance, the Split Salon 2018, which is nearing its end, touches upon themes of nostalgia and memories of days gone by, of forgotten and reawakened recollections, of artists we no longer encounter, but instead, here we stand before their artworks that are still imbued with wonderful suggestiveness today.
It's about an exhibition curated by Tonči Šitin prepared at the Multimedia Cultural Center titled “Forgotten Artists Back on Stage,” and it brings together works Jakova Budeš, Zlatan Dumanić, Lucija Jelovac-Rizzi, Maxim Krstulović i Ivice Tolić. All of them former members of HULU, formerly HDLU, mostly born between the two world wars (only Dumanić after him), personalities so different that they were united by their devotion to art and a fantasy that was always above reality, illusion above truth, a reality no less real than what was happening around them.
Isolation note
It is interesting that the mentioned artists, as well as many others from our city, have not received greater attention, they do not have monographs or retrospective exhibitions, and their spiritual portraits remain unknown to us. Šitin, in addition to a concise biography, attempted to highlight the characteristics of the macrocosm and artistic aspirations, the construction of individual rhythms and the visual expression of each of the mentioned artists.
In addition to numerous visitors, a large group of students and professors from the School of Fine Arts, and students from the Faculty of Philosophy and the Academy of Arts in Split caught our attention. They visited the exhibition and were surprised by the unusual organization. Namely, besides curator prof. Šitin and the president of HULU Vice Tomasovic, members of the artists“ families were included with selected works, who, after a professional presentation of the work, spoke about intimate moments from the painter's life, experiences that have retained their freshness after so many years, about some special ”journeys out of everyday life" or those that touch upon the ethics of the heart. The story that particularly impressed was Natasha Krstulović, recalling some faded images of her father, Maxim, whom she and her brother Thomas They didn't even get to know him because he died young. It took a lot of courage in sorrow and the shadow of death to listen to those who spoke well of her father, about whom the children knew little or nothing.
The memories of those who grew up with a father or grandfather are different, like Load i Ognjena Budeše, daughter and grandson of the favorite painter, Ranka Tolića, Who, as an academic painter, could dive into the essence of Father Ivica's work, Krešimir Jelovac, who lived with his mother, Lucia, until the end of her life, as well as the young Lorenza, who met numerous fantasies of Father Zlatan Dumanić, whose work he so enthusiastically dealt with Lucija Marin. What made this interesting group undoubtedly stand out was curiosity, like that hidden force that drives people.
Our ‘pituri’
In the atmosphere of sacred silence, the interest in artists whose work so quickly won everyone's hearts was reminiscent of rapid emotional and intellectual growth, it was only necessary to find a way to stimulate thought in those capable of it. Undoubtedly, Prof. Šitin knew how – conversations, louder comments, the evident register of sensitivity and connotations of this unique happening echoed through the hall like gentle music that effortlessly and tirelessly spreads vibrations of the secret good. In front of each painting, young pupils and students try to grasp the spirit of a certain era and awaken in themselves a sense of fleeting time; this is not just passive absorption of the presented content, but a new paradigm for participating in the creation of a freer and richer life. If this is all – as one would say A. Danto, the well-known postmodern art critic and philosopher – just entertainment and a moment to beautify human life, let them also be bridges of friendship, understanding, and tolerance. Art is often a driver of social change. It gives strength to political and social breakthroughs.
Finally, there is no forgotten past in art; it is all one river that carries us forward... even when they differ in temperament, circumstances, and the cruelties of life, our “painters” are connected by common gatherings, similar in their loyalty, love, and faith in painting. Their good works are connected to the senses, the body, consciousness, and they make the world change. These are great lessons that students, we believe, feel not only consciously but also physically, in their emotions, and in their self-awareness, and in the need for the world to change.
This exhibition as part of the Split Salon showed that the past and the artists within it are not a burden of time, but of prejudice, and therefore, for every future Salon, conditions should be created for the thoughtful integration and discovery of forgotten artists because this proves our identity, invigorates the imagination, and fulfills the dreams of those who often left us too soon.
The exhibition is open until December 15th every afternoon, hurry so that the “forgotten” painters don't slip away from you again!
Renato Kragić
