Street lights

Medvedgradska street

Inside the tram

 

I bring you today one photo from the Zagreb tram. It is my everyday reality -  a common transportation from home to work and around the city. Sadly, it is not too efficient but there are not many alternatives. And the number of cars has increased to the point that it is becoming unbearable. We need a new public transport policy immediately!

Green...

Croatian national theater

An artist and a poet

I've been visiting several exhibitions lately and I must say it is one of the things I really enjoy doing! Few days ago I went to see the exhibition called ''Vlado Martek: Poetry in Action'' which was held at the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery.

In this post I want to introduce to you Vlado Martek (born in 1951.) - one of the most important Croatian contemporary artists. He is not formally educated to be an artist, but he graduated literature and philosophy on the Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and that's what, in my opinion, helped him become such an influential and productive artist. Along with his art works he also writes poetry and often combines this two activities. As he once wrote: ''Taking pen in hand is always an act of honesty.''

Love for Zagreb

Povrh starog Griča brda
kao junak lijep i mlad,
smjele glave, čela tvrda,
slavni stoji Zagreb-grad.
Živ ponosit
Jak prkosit,
Kad slobode plane boj.
Tko tu klik'o nebi:
'Slava, slava tebi,
Zagreb-grade divni moj'

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August Šenoa is one of the most important Croatian writers who lived in 19. century. He was a true Zagrepčan, born in 1838., lived in Zagreb whole his life and at the end died here after some health problems after the Zagreb Great Earthquake in 1881. He was born in Vlaška street - a famous old street where I took this photo. I must say I really love it!

Renaissance time...

Andrija Medulić also known as Andrea Schiavone was a famous Croatian Renaissance painter and etcher who lived in the first half of the 16. century. He was born in Zadar (Croatia) but mainly worked in Venice (Italy). He was one of the representatives of the Mannerism style and he influenced young Titian and Tintoretto. This sculpture is placed on the Zrinjevac as an honour to this great man.

Flaming sky!

For some especially beautiful moments in life one just has to get up early!

View of the mountain Medvednica

Is it love?

Oktogon passage

Rhythm...

Croatian national theater

It makes you think...

Yesterdays photo was from the exhibition that I went to see the other day. It is, apparently, about one great Croatian artist - Josip Vaništa - and his work in the Gorgon group and post-Gorgon time from the 1961. till today. Josip Vaništa is 86 years old man and still very lucid and full of life! I recommend visiting this exhibition in Zagreb Gliptoteka (Glyptotheque) in Medvedgradska street, not far away from Zagreb main square. The exhibition is open till the 31st of January. Definitely a must see!

Josip Vaništa / Gorgona

''The Gorgon had a distinctive dimension, it wanted to be free from time, from places and things. In its time the reality progressed to the absence. My part was to work on the void. The Gorgon was for me the important thing in life that comes from outside.'' Josip Vaništa*, 1988.

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* Josip Vaništa is one of the most important Croatian artists of the 20th century. He was part of the Gorgon - group of artist who all had one aim, to shift the boundary between art and ordinary life.

Skating!

This winter city government decided to install an open skating rink which is not a bad idea but... as always on a wrong location. It is on a Zagreb main square with several other objects and constructions so that the square looks too crowded and unpleasant. Much better decision would be to place it on a different square or any meadow in one of many parks. I will never understand the governments need to put everything on the main square!

Snow at Dolac

It was snowing today again and the temperature was low! But what else should we expect in winter, no?! I took this photo at Dolac - main city open market just few meters from Zagreb main square. Dolac was designed by Croatian architect Vjekoslav Bastl between 1926. and 1930. It is consisted of two parts, an open part at the top and the closed, sort of underground, part at the bottom. I must show you once how the market looks colorful and lively during the day!

January 2011 theme day: Photo of the year 2010

So, I decided to follow the CDP tradition and chose one of my photos for the Theme Day as the best photo of the year 2010. I must say it wasn't easy pick and I was torn between putting visually and aesthetically interesting photo or one with the best story behind it or importance for Zagreb. And this one is a sort of a compromise - visually attractive but with a big controversy behind the whole project of the building. Also, I'm going to brake up one CDP rule and give you a bonus photo to help you see a little bit more of what I was photographing here.

And just one more note, it was one of my first posts back in April. ;)

Also, click here to view the thumbnails of all the participants in this Theme Day.