A few months after his solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in Dubrovnik (Growing up), Zoran Šimunović is the guest of honour at the National Museum of Zadar with the exhibition Pink. Eleven of his works can be seen until 5 May 2024.
Until May 5, The National Museum of Zadar presents “Pink”, a solo show by Croatian artist Zoran Šimunović, who is represented by the Artistics gallery. Among the works on show are two monumental diptychs (Growing up 11 and Growing up 12, 180 x 290 cm each) that welcome visitors into the exhibition space and immerse them in the artist’s visual universe: bright colours and a repertoire of shapes halfway between abstraction and figuration.
Eight more paintings are hung side by side, forming a monumental installation 4.50 m wide. These large-format oils on canvas, dating from 2020 to the present day and belonging to various series, find their unity in the recurrence of certain motifs: toys, fruit, furniture, plants… In these objects that belong to the artist’s memory and daily life, each viewer can find familiarity and emotional value.
They are combined to abstract geometric shapes and architectural-like sketches formed of lines and semi-transparent surfaces. The first impression is one of visual chaos, yet perfectly controlled by the placement of the colours and their dialogue on the canvas.
Occasionally, the presence of a horizon line reinforces the composition. But there is no intention on the artist’s part to compose a landscape: everything is organised on a single plane, a bit like in a dream where each protagonist (person or object) is perfectly identifiable while the setting in which the scene is being played out is barely sketched out.
The eye is absorbed by the expanse of the canvas, moving through this motley repertoire – at once intimate and symbolic. Zoran Šimunović’s world may seem chaotic, but it is by no means tormented. On the contrary, his paintings convey a sense of cheerfulness, giving the viewer positive emotions and conjuring up happy memories. Pink (which gives the exhibition its name) and, more broadly, the bright colours of the painter’s palette, participate to this joyful experience.
A light box and a video complete the exhibition tour, providing an insight into the artist’s latest experiments in digital art.
About the artist :
Zoran Šimunović (1984, Nuštar) is a Croatian artist who lives and works in Osijek, Croatia. In 2008, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Široki Brijeg and graduated in 2013. He is currently curator of the Slavko Kopač Gallery at the Vinkovci City Museum, an activity he carries out alongside his personal artistic production. He has exhibited in galleries and museums in Croatia, Italy, Austria and Hungary. His works are included in the public collections of four Croatian museums. In 2012, he won the Sony Award with co-director Svetislav Cvetković for the short film Knjiga.
Zoran Šimunović: PINK
National Museum Zadar, City Lodge Gallery
From April 16, 2024 to May 5, 2024
