Situated between Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc, the socialist country of Yugoslavia (1945–91) was notably open to international influence and enjoyed broad cultural freedom. Within it, the Croatian capital of Zagreb sustained a unique artistic scene through the mid-20th century. Founded in 1954, the Gallery of Contemporary Art in Zagreb established itself early on as a place of experimentation and support for contemporary artists. This presentation marks an important collaboration between that institution, now the Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, and MoMA.
Featuring significant artworks borrowed from the museum in Zagreb alongside MoMA’s holdings, this gallery highlights the work of the artist group Gorgona, active from 1959 to 1966. Gorgona’s members—comprised of artists, art critics, and curators who led their own independent and successful artistic lives—engaged in a system of absurd and nihilistic activities in the form of self-organized exhibitions, writings, and everyday actions. Josip Vaništa, the group’s founder, wrote in 1961, “Gorgona seeks neither work or result in art.” Spotlighting one of the rare female voices in 1960s Zagreb is an installation in the adjacent room by Ljerka Šibenik. Šibenik’s innovative engagement with space marked a radical new path in Croatian art.
Organized by Ana Janevski, Curator, Department of Media and Performance, with Rachel Rosin, Curatorial Assistant, Departments of Drawings and Prints and Curatorial Affairs.
