The exhibition The Magic of Painting: Magical Realism, Metaphysics, opening on May 7, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Vjekoslav Karas Gallery in Karlovac, is the second in the 2025 series NMMU on Tour.
This exhibition transcends strict stylistic classifications, spanning from the early 20th century to the present. It follows the captivating magic of painting, uniting elements of magical realism, metaphysical art, and the surreal.
Museum advisors Lada Bošnjak Velagić and Željko Marciuš from the National Museum of Modern Art are the curators and authors of the exhibition concept. For the Karlovac presentation, they have selected forty-four works from the museum’s rich collection, featuring masterpieces by leading figures in Croatian painting—such as Ferdo Kovačević, Josip Račić, Milivoj Uzelac, Vladimir Becić, Vladimir Varlaj, Krsto Hegedušić, Ivan Lacković Croata, Miljenko Stančić, Ferdinand Kulmer, Zlatan Vrkljan, Željko Kipke, and others. Complementing these are three conceptually resonant works by Karlovac-based artists Ljudevit Šestić, Višnja Ercegović, and Alfred Krupa, on loan from the Museum of the City of Karlovac.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an informational leaflet and an educational program. Activities will include guided tours with worksheets for high school students, as well as tours and creative workshops for primary school children.
The exhibition is on view through June 15, 2025. It is realized through an inter-museum collaboration between the National Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the City of Karlovac. With this exhibition, the NMMU continues its cycle of phenomenological presentations launched in 2022, allowing its collection to remain accessible to the public during the renovation of the museum’s main building.
The exhibition was made possible through the financial support of the City of Karlovac, the own funds of the Museum of the City of Karlovac, and the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia