The seminal installation Measure of the Sea by academic sculptor Stjepan Skoko, conceived and realized for the presentation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 60th anniversary edition of the Venice Biennale in 2024, will now be presented to the Zagreb and Croatian audience as part of the eponymous exhibition opening on 28 January in the Octagon of the National Museum of Modern Art (NMMU).

At the Venice Biennale, Measure of the Sea was spatially adapted to the courtyard and portico of Palazzo Zorzi. The curatorial and organizational framework of the project was led by Marin Ivanović, then Commissioner of the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Director of the Museum of Modern Art in Mostar, supported by a team of local art historians—Vladimir Filipović, Toni Barać, and Dinko Baković.

Stjepan Skoko’s Venetian success—certainly to be echoed by the Zagreb presentation—represents a rare and compelling example of addressing complex issues of identity, culture, climate, and politics. Rooted in a specific geographical context, the work transcends its origins with remarkable ease, avoiding declarative dryness or pathos. Through thoughtful reflection, intuitive insight, a sovereign artistic gesture, and masterful command of form and meaning, it rises naturally and effortlessly to the level of universal and global inquiry.
This is emphasized by Branko Franceschi, Director of the National Museum of Modern Art, curator of the Zagreb exhibition of Stjepan Skoko, and Commissioner of Croatia’s presentation at this year’s Venice Biennale, where—within the same venue, Palazzo Zorzi—a spatially and conceptually specific ambient installation by Dubravka Lošić will be presented.

Stjepan Skoko (born 1959 in Grab, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Croatian academic sculptor and full professor. He graduated in Sculpture in 1986 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where he studied under Professor Vjekoslav Rukljač. He is Head of the Sculpture Department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Široki Brijeg and has played an active role in the development of artistic and cultural institutions within the University of Mostar.
Skoko has held 27 solo exhibitions in Croatia and abroad and has participated in more than 30 group exhibitions. He is the author of numerous sculptures permanently installed in public spaces, and his works are represented in museum and private collections. In 2024, he participated in the 60th Venice
Biennale, presenting the project Measure of the Sea in the National Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. His work has been the subject of critical essays and scholarly texts by art historians and critics, and is included in major publications and anthological surveys, notably Destination Art by Amy Dempsey, published by Thames & Hudson.

The exhibition Measure of the Sea by Stjepan Skoko, presented at the Octagon of the National Museum of Modern Art, was realised thanks to the financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the University of Mostar. It is accompanied by a bilingual catalogue in Croatian and English, featuring an introductory text by Branko Franceschi, published by the National Museum of Modern Art.

Photo: (left) installation view of Measure of the Sea by Stjepan Skoko at Zorzi Palace (Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina) at the 60th Venice Biennale; (2) detail of the installation Measure of the Sea; (3) Measure of the Sea installation at the Octagon of the National Museum of Modern Art / Photo: Luka Mjeda

Sponsor: Dual Concept Ltd.
The exhibition will be open to the public until 8 March.