SANDRA VITALJIĆ

Sandra Vitaljić  was born in Pula in 1972.  She took her master’s degree at the Academy of Performing Arts, Film and TV in Prague (FAMU). Currently she is ABD in the doctoral course of the same institution, having specialised in the history and theory of photography.  She is employed as associate professor at the Cinematography Department of the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb.

Her works are placed in the permanent display of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb and in the collection of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka.  She was awarded the following scholarships:
in 1997, ArtsLink at The Ansel Adams Center for Photography, San Francisco,CA
in 2006-2007, a Fulbright at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions:

• 2010. Infertile Grounds, Galerija Makina, Pula, Croatia
• 2010. Infertile Grounds, Modul memorije-Hanikah, Sarajevo, BiH
• 2009. Infertile Grounds, Galerija Karas, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2009. Latent image, Kino Valli, Pula, Croatia
• 2008. Galerija Photon, Ljubljana, Slovenija
• 2007. Latent image, Galerija Lang, Samobor, Croatia
• 2004. Live on CCTV, Fotogalerija Kic-klub, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2004. Faces, Galerija Foto kluba, Split
• 2003. People and Places, Galerija Prozori, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2002. Faces, Galerija MMC LUKA, Pula, Croatia
• 2002. 10 women, Moderna galerija, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2001. Proud To Be Croat, Galerija Josip Račić, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2000. People And Places, Galerija MAK, Sarajevo, BiH
• 1997. Studio galerije Forum, KIC, Zagreb, Croatia
• 1993. Private Photos, Jungman Galerie, Liberec, Czech Republic

Group exhibitions (selection):

• 2010. T-HT Award, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2008. New Photography - Portrait, Savinov likovni salon, Žalec, Slovenia
• 2008. We are here - Museum of Contemporary Art Istria, Galerija Milotić, Pula, Croatia
• 2007. 42. Zagrebački salon, Velesajam, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2007. RIT Grad show, Galerija RIT, Rochester, New York, USA
• 2007. Nude in Croatian Photography 1865.- 2006., Galerija Lang, Samobor, Croatia
• 2006. Nude in Croatian Photography 1865.- 2006., Month of Photography Bratislava, Slovakia
• 2006. Reflection in a Mirror - Selfportrait in Croatian Photography, Galerija ULUPUH, Zagreb, Croatia
• 2005. Photonic Moments - Salon fotografije jugozapadne Evrope, razne galerije, Ljubljana, Slovenija
• 2005. 39. Zagrebački salon, Dom HDLU, Zagreb
• 2005. Preko sedam mora i sedam gora, Umjetnički paviljon, Zagreb
• 2003. IMAGERIE: Umjetnost i moda, Muzej Revoltella, Trst, Italija
• 2003. Much Too Much, Umjetnički paviljon, Zagreb
• 2002. The world  will never be the same again, Contemporary Croatian Photography and Video, Kunstwerk Loods, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 2002. Arhiva, Galerija ULUPUH, Zagreb
• 2001. International Female Photograpy Exhibition, Galerija Matice hrvatske, Zagreb
• 2000. Lice grada, Galerija ULUPUH, Zagreb
• 1999. 1st Photo Stock, Galerija MAK, Sarajevo, BiH
• 1998. Lesbian Connexions, Amsterdam, Nizozemska
• 1997. Hrvatska fotografija, Umjetnički paviljon, Zagreb
• 1996. Start-Cilj, Tehnički muzej, Prag, Češka
• 1995. Int. Exhibition of New Generation Photographers, Galerija Kapelica, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• 1994. FAMU-fotografie, Lichtensteinski Palac, Prag, Češka
• 1989. 21 salon mladih, Umjetnički paviljon, Zagreb

Organizer and/or Selector:

• 2008. Mlada američka fotografija, Galerija Prsten, Dom HDLU, Zagreb
• 2008. Photonic Moments, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana- selektor hrvatskih predstavnika za međunarodnu izložbu fotografija u sklopu Mjeseca fotografije u Sloveniji
• 2007. Troubled Islam: short stories from troubled societies, Zijah Gafić, Galerija ULUPUH,Zagreb
• 2006. Odraz u zrcalu -autoportret u hrvatskoj fotografiji, Galerija ULUPUH, Zagreb

 

Artist statement

On Infertile Grounds series, 2009.

The photographs from the Infertile Grounds series are marked by trauma, historical events and human experience. The locations in the photographs are not just beautiful landscapes but sites that have strong symbolism due to their historical context and the fact that they have, in one way or another, formed the national identity of Croatia. Woods, fields and rivers are part of folk tales and myths, but have also become part of a rhetoric legitimizing political systems and ideologies. The meaning of many events and sites have changed due to altered circumstances, regardless of the fact that the place, even with human intervention, has remained the same, bare and similar to other places where nothing important has ever happened.

Some places are well known and everyone in Croatia, or in the region, will bring a whole range of general knowledge and media interpretations to their reading of the photographs. Other sites have only recently been discovered, although the executions took place after the World War II. Under communism, these events were not talked about, and they were not investigated until the 1990s. Research is still being obstructed and no one has ever been held responsible for these crimes.

Although the bodies are not visible in the photographs, they are present in the pictures and in our everyday lives. The actual number of victims on all sides has always been manipulated and used for political purposes.

The events of WW II were repeated in the recent bloody war in ex-Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Old victims were revived in political speeches calling people to arms. During this war, all sides committed crimes and each country is having difficulties coming to terms with this fact. The photographs also show places that will never be marked by a memorial, thus making the photo the only reminder.

The title of the Infertile Grounds series refers to our inability to face the ghosts of the past and move on. Instead, we are stuck in the same vicious circle of mutual hatred and accusations.

Contact

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