The exhibition of sculptures in stone and bronze by artist Pero Jelisić was opened by Mimara Museum director Tugomir Lukšić, with welcome addresses from CHF director Marin Knezović, academician Vladimir Paar and Mr Jelisić.
The Croatian Museum Association was the organiser of the jubilee 10th Night of Museums under the moniker “Inventions and Discoveries – Nikola Tesla, A Universal Mind”. The event continues on the theme of last year’s event, which aimed to reaffirm the great figures of Croatian culture, art and science. This year’s Night of Museums was organised by the Croatian Museum Association in collaboration with museums across Croatia, the City of Zagreb, Zagreb’s Technical Museum, the City of Gospić in Tesla’s native Lika region, the Museum of Lika in Gospić and the Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre in the village of Smiljan as the chief partners.
The Croatian Heritage Foundation took part in the Night of Museums for the first time ever with an exhibition staged at the Mimara Museum. “Tesla” is an exhibition of sculptures in stone and bronze by Pero Jelisić of which the CHF is a co-organiser and that is again, after 2006, open to visitors in Zagreb. The exhibition was staged by the head of the CHF department for emigrant heritage Ljerka Galic. Mimara Museum director Tugomir Lukšić formally opened the exhibition. On hand to welcome the many who turned out for the event were CHF director Marin Knezović, academician Vladimir Paar and Mr Jelisić.
The artist, Tuzla native Jelisić (1939), graduated from Zagreb’s Academy of Fine Arts in the class of professor Frano Kršinić, and continued his post graduate studies in the Master’s Workshop in Zagreb of professor Vanja Radauš. He has been a member of the Croatian Association of Artists since 1965. He is the recipient of a number of national awards for sculpture and his works are to be found in Austria, Italy, Germany, the USA and Spain. The Jelisić exhibition is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla and was staged in 2007 at Rijeka’s Filodrammatica hall by the SKD Prosvjeta association of Rijeka. Jelisić prepared the Tesla exhibition for three years and presented some twenty works – portraits, busts and medals inspired by Tesla and the work that is characteristic of his vision. He referenced more than just the Tesla anniversary as Tesla has been for him a permanent source of inspiration for may years. The repeat homage to Tesla in 2015 speaks volumes to this effect.
Also available at the Might of Museums event at the Mimara Museum were branded articles produced by the president of the Nikola Tesla Association – Genius for the Future Dragica Mihajlović and innovative infrared images of Nikola Tesla by Jana Žiljak Vujić.
The 2015 Night of Museums programme kicked off January 30th with a grand opening at Zagreb’s Technical Museum with a presentation of the life and work of Nikola Tesla and an interactive networked virtual reality application by the Ericsson Nikola Tesla company, a partner of the 2015 Night of Museums. Featured at the opening and broadcast to the courtyard of the Technical Museum were parts of a play about Tesla performed by actors of the Puppet Factory (Tvornica lutaka) and the Izvor choir. VIDEO
Speaking at the opening were Technical Museum director Markita Franulić, Night of Museums head Dubravka Osrečki Jakelić, assistant minister Vesna Jurić Bulatović on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and deputy mayor of Zagreb Sandra Švaljek on behalf of the City of Zagreb. See the guide to the Night of Museums.
The first Night of Museums in Croatia was staged in 2004 at six locations in Zagreb. The number of visitors continues to grow, with over two million over the past nine years. Last year saw a record 360 thousand visitors to over two hundred locations. The popular event was staged this year at 101 Croatian towns and cities and at Fojnica and Gorica in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Text by: Diana Šimurina-Šoufek: Photos by: Hina
