The CHF exhibition is the premiere Zagreb showing of the posters and book covers by this prominent designer. This presentation of one of the leading young graphic designers in Serbia will be open to the public in February and March.
Posters Non-Posters, an exhibition featuring the works of Darko Vuković, opened at the Croatian Heritage Foundation on 28 January. This is the first time this prominent designer is exhibiting his work, posters and book cover pages, in Zagreb. The exhibition will be open to the public in February and March.
A native of Novi Sad, Darko Vuković (1971) earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in graphic arts communication at the Novi Sad Academy of Arts, where he has lectured for the study course as an associate professor since 1997. In 2011 he began to collaborate with the Academy of Arts in Osijek as a visiting professor. To date he has designed over sixty theatre posters working, above all, with the Novi Sad Youth Theatre, the Subotica Popular Theatre, the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek, the Croatian National Theatre in Split and the Split Youth Theatre.
Tomislav Žigmanov, the director of the Institute for the Culture of Vojvodina Croatians was on hand to address the gathering. Also joining art buffs and other guests at the CHF event were Katarina Hinić on behalf of the State Office for Croatians abroad and Mišo Munivrana, representing the parliamentary committee on Croatians abroad. Art historian Barbara Vujanović spoke of Vuković’s work and his achievements as an artist.
The exhibition was declared open by CHF director Marin Knezović. He noted that this exhibition of posters by Darko Vuković was significant. It brings to light a segment of the culture among Croatians in Vojvodina that is abreast of the current cultural trends, he noted, adding that Vuković was, moreover, very far removed from any notions of insularity and restriction, and is both ingenious and provocative—not simply for the sake of ingenuity and provocativeness—but as an integral element of a thoughtful idea and aesthetic concept. This exhibition is important, not only as a presentation of the artistic endeavour of one author, but also as a signpost for future activity, of a more courageous and open policy towards the culture of Croatians abroad.
The exhibition opening was moderated by Marija Hećimović, who heads the CHF Croatian minority communities department.
Vuković is considered one of the leading young designers in Serbia, and his name is in particular associated with poster design, the “most artistic” of all designer forms. He is the recipient of numerous recognitions and awards, including the UPIDIV grand prize at the closing exhibition of students of the Academy of Arts visual arts department in the graphic design category (1996); first prize at the Forme 15 visual identity competition (1998); the Sterijino Pozorje prize of the 9th exhibition of theatre posters in the project poster category (1998); the special award conferred by the Užice Popular Theatre for his poster for a staging of Per Gynt (2000); the first and third prizes at the 10th exhibition of theatre posters in the frame of Sterijino Pozorje in the category of project poster and implemented posters (2001); the grand prize of the Subotica Popular Theatre competition for posters for the Europeans and Totek stage plays (2001); first prize at the 9th Sterijino Pozorje poster exhibition in the implemented posters category (2004); and first prize in the visual identity competition for the Novi Sad Salon (2007). (dšš)