Ana Opalić
Edita, Petrova Street, Zagreb, 2000.
black and white photo, paper
whole with frame: 68 x 64 cm
photo: 39 x 39 cm
MG-7011
Ana Opalić (1972) graduated in TV and film recording from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb in 1997. In 2003, she represented Croatia at the 50th Biennale in Venice with photographer Boris Cvjetanović.
She portrays family members, friends, and even animals in numerous photographic series in their natural habitats. The photo shows a close friend and fellow artist, Edita Schubert (1947 – 2001), whose thirty-year artistic activity is characterized by a constant need to explore different artistic media. At the same time, Opalić records a moment frozen in time and a story of resilience and defiance of social restrictions.
By positioning the subject in the manner of classic portrait photography, she reveals a shared awareness of the photographic process. At the same time, her work goes beyond mere documentation as it explores the complexity of identity and stereotypes through intimate portraits. Through the lens, she confronts the dichotomy of acceptance and discrimination, emphasizing the diversity of identities and the importance of self-expression amidst the background of entrenched stereotypes, especially towards the LGBTIQ+ community. With her work, Opalić invites viewers to face prejudices and accept the richness of human experience, going beyond the boundaries of stereotypes.
Text: Marta Radman curator of the National Museum of Modern Art © Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti, Zagreb