Creative workshops accompanying the exhibition “Atelijeri Žitnjak – From Periphery to Centre”

Workshops for children aged 6 to 15 will be held on Saturdays from 11 am to 12.30 pm.

Registration required via email: artionica@gkd.hr

The second exhibition in the series dedicated to artists’ studios is titled “Žitnjak Studios: From the Periphery to the Centre.” The space of the former Žitnjak Primary School was transformed into 13 studios, which were assigned to artists in 2003. In 2004, they established the Art Organisation, and in 2005, the AŽ Gallery was founded. Permanent members create programmes, and in 2007, they launched an international artistic exchange with artists from Düsseldorf. An important aspect of the gallery is the Open Studios Days, which are thematically structured. In 2010, they introduced the Periphery Centre programme, which included presentations of projects, screenings of films and videos, panel discussions, concerts, and various artistic actions. In the same year, 2010, the AŽ Gallery was included in the list of respected gallery spaces in Croatia, marking an important recognition of the quality of their programme. All these events and recognitions are significant because it is important to remain present and visible given their location on the periphery. This exhibition will showcase works by 21 artists: Marko Ambroš, Antonija Balić, Neven Bilić, Boris Cvjetanović, Hamo Čavrk, Boris Greiner, Dražen Grubišić, Alem Korkut, Dora Kovačević, Vladimir Meglić, Kata Mijatović, Hrvoje Mitrov, Zoran Pavelić, Predrag Pavić, Vesna Pokas, Frane Rogić, Hrvoje Šercar, Nikola Šimunić, Mirjana Vodopija, Fedor Vučemilović, and Vlasta Žanić.

1. GRAPHIC WORKSHOP – Drypoint Etching

14 December 2024: 11:00 – 12:30

Since Hamo Čavrk was the initiator and first manager of the Art Organisation (2004), our first workshop will be dedicated to his creative work. The boundless graphic spaces of Hamo Čavrk are “studded” with networks of lines that rapidly traverse or “cut” unknown paths, with various positions opening up his drawings.

TASK: Our thoughts and feelings, our inexhaustible imagination, everything experienced and not experienced, everything known and unknown, invented and imagined, we seek, wander, sometimes stray off the path, even though everything has long been mapped out… The line of our trajectory is irreversible because we are always striving to discover new spaces. Let artistic creative curiosity free us in the exploration of the unfulfilled journeys of Čavrk’s Carta Incognita. With pencil on paper, we will freely and intuitively draw lines, thus uncovering the network of our dreams, eternal wandering, searching, and questioning whether we are on the right path, whether we should stop and rest a bit, or if uncertainty and curiosity will lead us further into the depths of the wilderness.

Hamo Čavrk graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. He worked in the workshop of Antun Augustinčić (1966–1979). In 2007, he earned a master’s degree in graphics from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, including the Order of Danica Hrvatska with the image of Marko Marulić (1994). He was a professor at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka from 2007 to 2015. In addition to graphics and sculpture, his artistic work extends to graphic-light objects, video projections, and installations. He currently lives and works between Zagreb, Rijeka, and Mali Lošinj.

2. BATIK WORKSHOP

21 December 2024: 11:00 – 12:30

Batik is the art of decorating fabric with wax and dyes, and it has been practised for centuries in many parts of the world, including China, Japan, India, Indonesia, South America, and Europe. The word batik comes from the Javanese word tik, meaning “dot.” Batik is usually made on fabrics such as cotton, silk, linen, or hemp, but it can also be applied to other materials. To create batik, selected areas are covered with hot wax to reserve them, then dye is applied, and the parts covered with wax do not absorb the dye, retaining their original state. A simple batik may involve only one layer of wax and one colour, but this process of waxing and dyeing can be repeated several times if necessary to create more complex patterns and designs. After the final dyeing, the wax is removed.

TASK: Even when I think we’ve explored all the techniques, it turns out there are more than we can imagine. We are always excited to discover a new technique in our workshops, even though we sometimes approach these challenges with fear, wondering if we will succeed, thinking it seems complicated, and seeking help and explanations… Academic sculptor Antonija Balić, whose works we will see in this exhibition, will answer all our questions, and everything will become clearer. Her works should inspire and encourage our own creativity.

Antonija Balić graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, and in 2017 she received her doctorate from that academy. Since 2009, she has been employed at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb. She has exhibited in eighteen solo exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions both domestically and internationally. She has received several awards and recognitions for her artistic work. In 2022, she launched the Artfulness approach to artistic activities in education and the corresponding international conference. In 2023, she founded the publishing house Palabritas, specialising in publishing books on artistic creativity.

3. PAINTING WORKSHOP

18 January 2025: 11:00 – 12:30

Two works of art by academic sculptor and graphic artist Dora Kovačević are on display at the exhibition. These are two large-format tapestries: The Garden of Eden and the Wind. In 2009, the artist began a cycle of large tapestries which she continued with the Garden of Eden exhibition in Šibenik in 2010.

TASK: The Garden of Eden tapestry will be our inspiration for painting our imaginary garden of paradise, which doesn’t have to be the garden of paradise of Adam and Eve, but a wild landscape of various bushes and trees, where we can see birds of paradise with colorful feathers, where we can rest on a handful of pillows or maybe still a place where only angels enjoy… We will think about what kind of garden of paradise it would be – where we can feel joyful, happy, carefree and loved unconditionally.

4. TIE DYE WORKSHOP

25 January 2025: 11:00 – 12:30

The TIE DYE technique is a modern name for the ancient methods of dyeing textiles, which are based on reserving certain areas of the fabric by means of tying, sewing and folding before dyeing. This technique can be used to create various and interesting patterns that often resemble geometric shapes. Inspiration for this technique can be found in the rich traditions of Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, African and South American cultures. The process is simple and allows you to create enchanting combinations of colors and patterns through a short and exciting creative activity.

TASK: The tie dye technique is ideal for working with children, but also for joint workshops for parents and children, where through the creation of unique objects in the field of applied art, the experience becomes special. Some parents will probably want to express themselves creatively together with their child, so we would be very happy if you could join us in this ancient decorating of fabric that dates back to 4000 year BC.

5. MOSAIC WORKSHOP

1 February 2025: 11:00 – 12:30

The works of painter Vladimir Meglić will be the inspiration for our creations. At the exhibition, in addition to the paintings, we can see that the artist also made mosaics. Mosaic is a painting technique in which multicolored small pieces, usually in the form of regular or irregular cubes of stone, colored glass or glazed ceramics are pressed into a soft base of fresh plaster or cement. Mosaics are used to paint walls, floors or vaults in buildings with different purposes: most often these are temples, churches, palaces or some other public buildings.

TASK: Back in 2007, we were learning how to make a beautiful mosaic at the Marc Chagall exhibition. We are glad that thanks to “Atelijeri Žitnjak” exhibition, we once again have the opportunity to make mosaics. We will use a wooden base on which glass cubes are glued. We will stack the blocks in different ways to build the shapes we envisioned. The shapes will be stylized because the character of the cubes requires it. We will notice that the mosaic is best when viewed from a distance, because then the cubes merge into one complete, playful, flickering surface.

6. DRAWING ON PIGSKIN

8 February 2025: 11:00 – 12:30

You may be wondering why we will use leather, specifically pigskin, for this workshop. As you walk through the “Atelijeri Žitnjak” exhibition, you will come across works by the artist Hrvoje Šercar, who drew on leather with a strong sense of line, rhythm, and composition.

TASK: This will be our first time working on pigskin, or for that matter, any kind of leather. The artist used ink, and we may also use Posca markers alongside the ink. We could draw domestic animals, birds, rural houses, or barns—motifs typical of a countryside setting.

MORE: Hrvoje Šercar was a painter and draftsman (Zagreb, 1936 – 2014). From 1959 to 1993, he worked as an illustrator at the Miroslav Krleža Lexicographical Institute in Zagreb. He was a draftsman who combined the mythical and historical, creating imaginative and whimsical motifs that align with surrealistic fantasy. On paper or leather, often of irregular shape, he depicted figures from folklore, literature, and the Bible. A special group within his works consists of fantastic views of Istrian and Dalmatian towns, carried on the backs of unusual animals. He published several graphic portfolios and also engaged in graphic design and book illustration.

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It is important to remember that even in ancient times, animal skin was used for writing in many civilizations (e.g., in Mesopotamia and Egypt), but it is believed that the method of making parchment was perfected in Pergamon during the Hellenistic period in the 2nd century BC. It was also used in the Middle Ages for codices, and up until today, it is used for bookbinding, making documents, diplomas, etc. In Croatia, documents and books were written on parchment during the Middle Ages, mostly produced in monasteries. Glagolitic priests wrote books on parchment as late as the 18th century.

7. IMAGINATIVE OBJECTS IN SPACE WORKSHOP

15 February 2025: 11:00 – 12:30

The last workshop before closing of the “Atelijeri Žitnjak” exhibition will be devoted to creating an imaginary square decorated with one or many sculptures or interesting objects. We can model them after sculptures/objects by sculptors Neven Bilić, Hamo Čavrk and Alem Korkut.

TASK: We will build a settlement with several small squares from cardboard, cardboard rolls and wooden waste material. We will make objects from various plastic pipes, wire and wood in order to refine this space.

We also organize workshops for kindergarteners and schoolers every working day except Monday! Previous registration is required at: artionica@gkd.hr

Workshops for adults are still held every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Text: Liljana Velkovski
Museum advisor, museum educator, Artionica workshop manager