Difficult circumstances forced the inhabitants of the “island” and the coast to catch and eat goldfinch and similar small birds that have delightful song and call. To exterminate large quantities of rare birds with a beautiful song and appearance was of course a matter of complete necessity, and such instances are difficult to forgive except in cases when it is inevitable. Fortunately, such desperation and hunger are long ago forgotten, and the inhabitants of the “island” became rich and entered the sphere of the opposite extreme, luxury and mass tourism. Mass tourism has changed the situation of many of the residents, so those who were until recently forced to eat goldfinches (…) to survive, are now charging a fortune for their sheds and garages.

“With these birdcages (‘kebe’) I am introducing us to an alternative world in which the goldfinches, now that they too are well-off, have started renting their own cages for the season. Regularly touring with a traveling theater, I encountered various living conditions while staying in different apartments and accommodations. From these examples, and by documenting the form of interiors inspired by real places, I transferred my experiences into stylized dioramas inside the birdcage.”

Kristijan Popović graduated from “1. Tehnička škola Tesla” and has enrolled in 2020 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb for the undergraduate degree in sculpture, which he still attends in the class of  professor Neven Bilić. Since 2018 he has participated in a series of art/scenography projects for cultural institutions such as ZKL, HNK Varaždin, Moruzgva Theatre, Max Teatar, Histrion Acting Company, Kerempuh Satirical Theatre, KMD Dubrovnik, &TD, and film and theater department of the Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has participated in several group exhibitions in places such as: Gallery Putolovac, Gallery Bačva, Gallery Apoteka in Vodnjan, Gallery SKC in Rijeka, Klub kocca in Split, a student exhibition in the extension of MSU as part of the “Pusta Zemlja” project. He actively participates in cooperation projects of the academies such as: Music and stage projects – Igor Kuljerić: Animal farm in Lisinski, “Pusta zemlja” by Kristina Grubiša at MSU, Opera “Amfitrion”. In 2022. he was awarded the rector’s prize and 3rd place of the “Ivan Kožarić Award for Young Artists” of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition will be held on March 14, 2023 in the premises of Lauba’s cafe Beznaziva, starting at 7 p.m.!

See you.