1

VICE TOMASOVIĆ: EX NIHILO

Za Jonu, sunce malo /

For Jona, the Little Sunshine

EDITED BY / UREDNIK:
ANĐELKO MIHANOVIĆ

ŠIBENIK, 2018.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS /
SADRŽAJ

4 Introduction /
Uvod
Anđelko Mihanović

6 Artist’s Statement
Vice Tomasović

8 A contribution to the study of the cycle Ex Nihilo /

U prilog poznavanju ciklusa Ex nihilo
Anđelko Mihanović

20 Surreal Worlds of Phantasmagoric Characters /

Nadrealni svjetovi fantazmagoričnih likova
Renata Busatto

24 Every Living Thing /

Sve živo
Mladen Lučić

32 Ex nihilo (nihil fit)

Draženka Jalšić Ernečić

40 Prima materia
Igor Gržetić

46 Cosmogony /
Kozmogonija
Lana Beović

50 Out of Nothing /
Iz ničega
Morana Matković

54 Out of Nothing /
Iz ničega
Petar Grimani

58 Witty Imagery and the Title of the Chief /

Duhoviti imaginarij i titula poglavice
Ivan Dorotić

3
 INTRODUCTION
Anđelko Mihanović
Ex nihilo is a painterly cycle that
Vice Tomasović was working on for
the past several years. He exhibited
it in museums and galleries in
Zagreb, Pula, Dubrovnik, Varazdin,
Koprivnica, Omis and City of
Krk. Since this may be the series
of artworks that made the most
impact in art scene in Croatia,
among artists, curators and art
historians, an opportunity appeared
for contextualization of the cycle
in the frame not only of his artistic,
but also professional life, since
we are talking about the period in
which Tomasovic was appointed
to the position of the president
of Croatian Association of Visual
Artists and the manager of the
association’s exhibition program,
primarily at the gallery Salon Galic
and at the exhibition venue in the
basements of Diocletian’s palace in
Split. As the president, he opened
the association to the great number
of members and the association
made a great turn and many steps
forward. In addition, the Almissa
Open Art Festival, that is directed
by Tomasovic, continued growing
into a renown national brand,
with international guests and
possible international appetites.
Therefore, we are dealing with an
artist with noted managerial and
organizational, but also curatorial
skills: recently in collaboration
with Julia Tomasovic he realized
a curatorial project for the multi-
medial exhibition Post-literacy in
Gallery AZ in Omis (26.10.2017.
- 09.11.2017.). With regards to his
art, he is a multi-medial artist in
the literal sense of the expression:
he paints, sculpts, creates videos,
installations and performance art.
4
The cycle Ex nihilo is one of the
project on which, as it is stated
above, he has worked several years,
and that has been studied by art
historians, curators and artists such
as Lana Beovic, Igor Grzetic, Mladen
Lučić, and Morana Matkovic.
Besides these, this publication
comprises also an interview that
the artist gave to Ivan Dorotic for
Vizkultura, where he talked not
only about this painterly cycle
but also about the period in his
professional life which coincides
with the artworks. Finally, it is
important to mention that Ex nihilo,
besides the exhibitions that are
accompanied by essays used in this
publication, was displayed under
the title “Horror vacui-Ex nihilo“
within the program of the Gallery
Karas in the Gallery Prsten (19.5.-
5.6.2016.) and under the title “Every
Living Thing“ in the organization of
the Croatian Association of Visual
Artists of Istra (17.6.-4.7.2016.) in
galleries Luka and Mul in Pula. These
exhibitions were not accompanied
by additional essays. To conclude,
as the reader may see in the
following texts, Ex nihilo is not only
a pictorial, artistic project, but also
an intellectual quest focused on the
universal questions, very important
in the context of the relationship
of science, industry and genetic
engineering today.
 UVOD
Anđelko Mihanović
Ex nihilo serija je slika je na kojoj je
Vice Tomasović radio posljednjih
nekoliko godina i koju je izložio u
muzejima i galerijama u Zagrebu,
Puli, Dubrovniku, Varaždinu,
Koprivnici, Omišu i Gradu Krku. S
obzirom da se radi o seriji radova na
kojima je Tomasović dosad možda
najduže i najintenzivnije radio, te
je ovaj ciklus ostvario primijećene
rezultate među stručnom
publikom, umjetnicima, kustosima
i povjesničarima umjetnosti na
nacionalnoj razini pružila se prilika
za kontekstualiziranjem ciklusa
unutar šireg okvira Tomasovićeva
slikarstva, ali i profesionalnog
života općenito, s obzirom da se
radi o periodu u kojem je postao
predsjednik Hrvatske udruge
likovnih umjetnika – Split i voditelj
izložbenih djelatnosti udruge,
prevenstveno u Salonu Galić i
podrumima Dioklecijanove palače.
Tomasović je, uzgred budi rečeno,
strukovno udruženje izravnije
otvorio brojnom članstvu te je ista
doživjela veliki zaokret i počinila
mnoge korake naprijed. Osim toga
i Almissa Open Art Festival, čiji je
Tomasović ravnatelj, nastavio se
kvalitetno razvijati i rasti u jedan
prepoznatljivi brand u ovom dijelu
države, s međunarodnim gostima
i potencijalno međunarodnim
apetitima. Dakle, radi se o
umjetniku s očiglednom razvijenim
voditeljskim i organizacijskim
sposobnostima, ali i onim
kustoskim (op.a. nedavno je u
suradnji s Julijom Tomasović
potpisao kustoski koncept za
uspjelu multimedijalnu izložbu
Post-pismenost u Galeriji AZ u
Omišu (26.10.2017. - 09.11.2017.).
Što se tiče njegovog umjetničkog
5
izričaja posebno, radi se o
multi-medijalnom umjetniku u
doslovnom značenju izraza: stvara
slike, skulpture, video radove,
instalacije i radi performanse.
Ciklus Ex Nihilo jedan je od njegovih
projekata na kojem, kao što stoji
poviše, radi nekoliko godina i koji
prate stručni tekstovi Lane Beović,
Igora Gržetića, Mladena Lučića i
Morane Matković, koji su uključeni
u ovu publikaciju. Osim toga je u
publikaciju uključen i razgovor s
Ivanom Dorotićem koji je autor
vodio za portal Vizkultura, koji ne
govori samo o slikama već govori i
o trenutku u kojem je isti nastajao.
Naposljetku je važno napomenuti
da je Ex nihilo, osim na izložbama
koje prate korišteni tekstovi, a koje
su spomenute u knjizi, bio izložen
pod naslovom „Horror vacui – Ex
nihilo“ u sklopu programa galerije
Karas u Galeriji Prsten od 19.5. do
5.6.2016. te pod naslovom „Ništa“  u
organizaciji Galerijskog centra
Varaždin od 10.10. do 20.10.2017..
u navedenom Galerijskom centru.
Ove dvije izložbe nisu imale
posebne predgovore. Ono što je
također zanimljivo jest što se ovdje
radi zaista o autorovu ne samo
umjetničkom, već intelektualnom
istraživanju, što je moguće iščitati
kroz tekstove koji slijede.
 ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Vice Tomasović

On the painting ex nihilo one can The background of the painting is a

see the creation of the first man, a plain grey color that represent the
pile of thinking stones. First words nothingness form which paradox-
coming out of human mouth were ically life flourishes. At the first
names of animals our predecessor glance it may seem, because of the
uttered swimming in the dispersion shoul of fish, that the scene is under
of living beings. The great universe the surface of the sea, but if we look
in which we exist came out of closely, we can see different animals
nothing and organized into a simple belonging to land, sea and air. The
matter that with time came to be man in the centar of the painting
even more complex, beyond reason. is distinguished from them with
A long time ago on earth there was his dimensions, with his central
nothing but stones, and today one position and with his features, that
can see the explosion of life. Our actually make him not resemble
body is created from the materials a human being. He is only a type
from the surface of this planet. We of embryo, an amorphous pile of
are all planet Earth. earth divided into two parts, two
creatures.
This painting is conceived as an
artwork in which the viewer is
drowned, and that is why it is
important to see it in person, in full
size. The central figure (human) is
the protagonist of the painting only
if one looks at the painting from
afar. As one gets closer to the paint-
ing, the central figure becomes the
one he or she concentrates on, and
the circular movements of the shoal
of fish takes one’s attention to other
fragments on the canvas, not letting
him or her to keep looking any de-
tail too long. The painting is based
on a version of incomplete simetry
where one side is more concrete,
more dense than the other, more
dispersed side, and that may lead
the viewer to the false conclusion
that something is missing, some-
thing that the observer may unsuc-
cessfully search for with his eyes.

6
 ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Vice Tomasović

Na slici ex nihilo vidimo prvoga Pozadina slike je bezlična siva boja

čovjeka u nastajanju, nakupinu sti-
jena koja misli. Prve riječi proizašle
iz ljudskih usta bile su imena živo-
tinja koje je naš predak izgovarao
plivajući u disperziji živih bića.
Ogromni svemir u kojemu postoji-
mo nastao je iz ničega i organizirao
se u jednostavnu materiju koja je s
vremenom postajala tako komplek-
sna da je to neshvatljivo. Nekada
davno na Zemlji nije bilo ničega
osim gologa kamenja, a danas vidi-
mo eksploziju života. Naše tijelo je
sačinjeno od materijala s površine
ovoga planeta. Svi smo mi planet
Zemlja.
koja predstavlja ništavilo iz kojega
paradoksalno cvijeta život. Iako se
na prvi pogled doima da se radnja na
slici odvija u vodi zbog mnoštva riba
koje su tu radi kruženja naše pažnje,
kada bolje pogledamo, vidimo
suživot kopnenih, morskih i letećih
životinja. Čovjek je odvojen od njih
veličinom, centralnim položajem i
izgledom koji nas čak i ne podsjeća
na živo biće, a kamoli čovjeka. On je
tek njegov začetak, amorfna naku-
pina zemlje koja se dijeli na dva bića
poput jednostanične životinje.

Ova slika je zamišljena kao rad u

kojemu se gledatelj utapa, zbog čega
ju je potrebno doživjeti u originalu,
ili reprodukciji pune veličine. Cen-
tralni lik čovjeka je glavni lik samo
ako sliku gledamo iz daljine. Kako
joj se približavamo glavni lik postaje
onaj na kojega se koncentriramo, a
kružno gibanje jata riba tjera našu
pažnju na slijedeći fragment ne
dozvoljavajući nam da se zadržava-
mo na određenome detalju predugo.
Iako slika ilustrira nekoliko različi-
tih mitologija odjednom, ona je po
svojoj prirodi apstraktna. Bazira se
na vrsti nepotpune simetrije gdje je
jedna strana konkretnija od druge
raspršenije strane, što nas navodi
na lažni zaključak da nešto negdje
nedostaje, nešto što bezuspješno
tražimo pogledom.

7
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY
OF THE CYCLE EX NIHILO
—
ANĐELKO MIHANOVIĆ

8
Ten billion years ago there was noth-
ing. How is it possible that the entire
universe was created out of nothing
and that it exists in this state.1
To talk about Vice Tomasović as
a young artist today would mean
to attach an ill-suited etiquette
that does not belong to his artistic
habitus or to the artworks from
the cycle Ex nihilo. Although the
title may suggest otherwise, these
artworks were not created per se out
of nothing, but are the result of a
long-lasting and thorough intellec-
tual, spiritual and artistic process,
that belongs to the maturity rarely
attributed to young artists. There-
fore this series, exhibited firstly in
2014 in the City Museum in Omis,
has its stylistic and conceptual roots
in artist’s previous projects, pre-
dominantly in Herbal Origin Theory
from 2013 (Gallery Praktika, Split)
or even in Bestiary from 2008 (Gal-
lery Onaion, Omis). One can see,
thusly, that it is a complex concept
that was developed and matured
slowly, and that inspired different
and even contrary studies by art
historians and curators.
Formally speaking, artworks are
clear: large canvases of big dimen-
sions,2 some monochromatic, some
polychrome, filled with characters
from painter’s imagination on a
coherent and linear way. They leave
opposing impressions on the viewer
1 Vice Tomasović, taken from
https://www.jutarnji.
hr/kultura/art/vice-to-
masovic-suvremenu-umjet-
nost-treba-disperzira-
ti-na-otoke-i-u-sela/4621073
2 Starting from 150 x 110cm or
170 x 110cm, but also 120 x
208cm and 200 x 270cm
9
when looked from afar, resem-
bling mosaics, or looked from the
vicinity, with their multiple planes
that present different narratives the
author deals with. The canvases are
transparently structured and with-
out serious difficulties it is possible
to discern different sections to be
read as specific painterly narratives.
These little scenes are very suc-
cessful because the artist fits them
skillfully into these unnoticeable
frames, as well as into the general
framework of the entire painting.
Characters that constitute them
may seem from afar like a plain
repetition of a single motif, how-
ever, with a slightly more thorough
look one can conclude that these
“phantasmagoric worlds“3, as de-
fined by Morana Matkovic, are full
of unique mixtures of human-like
and animal-and-plant-like bodies.
As the author himself emphasizes,
there are more than one thousand
characters in every painting.4 With
regards to this, Lana Beovic writes
about the “dispersion of life“ and
the “explosion of figures“.5 An art
historian trained on the styles and
pictorial signatures of classical and
medieval workshops where one
could recognize a particular artist or
a particular school by lookng closely
at the eyes, teeth, ears, noses fin-
gers or finger nails, might expect
3 Morana Matkovic, preface to
Tomasovic’s exhibition in
Lauba, 11.3.-23.4.2015.
4 Ivan Dorotic, Duhovni imag-
inarij i titual poglavice,
23.3.2015., taken from
https://vizkultura.hr/duho-
viti-imaginarij-i-titula-po-
glavice/
5 http://www.culturenet.hr/
default.aspx?id=69244
that it would be possible to discover
in the same way and even more
easily the personal signature of one
contemporary artist such as To-
masovic, but he skillfully varies the
solutions for the anthropomorphic
bodies of his characters. This says a
lot about his thoroughness and his
ethical approach to the act of paint-
ing: not only does he spend month
or two on a painting, but not rarely
he comes back to it over a longer
period of time, as a result of the re-
flecting upon universal questions, in
their connection to painting. These
reflections, in the cultural but also
religious and spiritual context that
Tomasovic belongs to, are perhaps
one of the main characteristics of
him as an artist, but also as a man.
His artistic solutions do not, on the
other hand, find their irrefragable
roots in the tradition of Croatian
painting, maybe only fragmentarily
in Croatian Naive Art.
When Tomasovic talks about the
questions he deals with in his
artworks, he mentions often the
terms like biotechnology, bioethics,
transhumanism or posthumanism.
That is the framework in which
the artist thinks as a researcher.
However, when he talks about his
painting he states that it is a “zen
process“ and that in those situa-
tions he “does not think too much“
about theoretical issues he discuss-
es pictorially.6 The author works
6 “These characters are made
without any particular
thinking or planning. Actu-
ally, the whole process is
an experiment, because one
never knows how the painting
will look in the end,“ Maja
Hrgović, Vice Tomasović:
Nisi afirmiran sve dok nisi
afirmiran u Zagrebu, taken
10
post-conceptually, without a plan,
he creates a character and than
thinks about the reasons he made
it in a particular way. Nonetheless,
it is difficult to dispute the fact that
Tomasovic as his conceptual start-
ing point takes mythology and in his
paintings he realizes “all the living
beings, outside time“. Somewhat
paradoxically, on the other side,
he emphasizes that he deals with
reality, not fiction.7 A visitor of the
exhibition may ask then what his-
torical period should be represented
by these paintings: is it a vision of
prehistory or a possible future sce-
nario? Ex nihilo questions the official
paradigm of the origin of the world,
and according to Tomasovic, it deals
with “post-mythological models
of the origin... Those plant-like
animals called Homoherbe represent
a theoretical model of the living
being that could have existed in the
past, and from which contempo-
rary plants and animals evolved,
and in the end, humans.“8 In this
process, as he emphasizes, he turns
to science, medicine, biology,
psychology, and tries to avoid po-
tential poetics and amateurism. He
tries to materialize the model that
opens moral and ethical questions.
Curator Drazenka Jalsic Ernecic in
her preface to the exhibition in Ko-
privnica wrote precisely that “the
author connects these questions,
especially the question of the origin
from https://arteist.hr/vice-
tomasovic-nisi-afirmiran-sve-
dok-nisi-afirmiran-u-zagrebu
7 From the interview with the
artist, 5.5.2017.
8 https://vizkultura.hr/duho-
viti-imaginarij-i-titula-po-
glavice/
primarily with the idea of the artis-
tic creation,“ while Petar Grimani
in the first works from this cycle
saw paintings “as starting points for
clarification of one’s own relation-
ship towards both the outside and
inner worlds.“9
Since the artist shares Christian
Catholic worldviews he understands
the problem Ex nihilo as a Christian
principle. This painterly cycle is
not the first series by Tomasovic in
which one can trace spiritual and re-
ligious references: I would mention
the performance piece Penance, that
the artist performed in 2015 during
the 14th Days of Performance in
Varazdin, and that he repeated one
week after in Pula. Also the perfor-
mance-installation piece entitled
Shrine from the same year is import-
ant in this context: the performance
consisted of the artist kneeling down
in front of an ATM machine in the
center of the city of Omis and folding
hands as if he was to pray.
To come back to the original topic,
although other art historians so far
have tried to establish connections
between Ex nihilo and works from
famous artists from previous peri-
ods, the author himself negates any
conscious reference to other peo-
ples’ works; he is an individual, an
alchemist who is trying to find his
own answer of the “hidden past and
biology.“10 On the other hand, in
an interview he gave to Jutarnji list
he mentioned something contrary:
“ I find Romanesque illuminations
and sculpture interesting because of
9 http://www.culturenet.hr/
default.aspx?id=62121
10 From the interview with the
artist, 5.5.2017.
11
horror vacui. Today science teaches
us that ina n ‘empty’ space par-
ticles are constantly created and
constantly disappear. The empty
space, as such, does not exist.“11 As
I stated above, he negates possible
references to other artists, although
an art historian may contextualize
Ex nihilo as descendants of surre-
alism, e.g. of Ives Tanguy and his
shapes in The Sun in Its Jewel Case (Le
soleil dans son écrin),12 or the ones in
the painting There, Motion Has Not
Yet Ceased (Là ne finit pas encore le
mouvement).13 What is more, Mladen
Lučić in his preface to the exhibi-
tion Every Living Thing in Pula writes
about “new Mannerism realized by
Tomasovic as a discursive answer to
realisms in Croatian art and to Croa-
tian contemporary art in general.“14
Moreover, another formal charac-
11 https://www.jutarnji.hr/kul-
tura/art/vice-tomasovic-su-
vremenu-umjetnost-treba-dis-
perzirati-na-otoke-i-u-se-
la/4621073/
12 Flint, Lucy. Yves Tan-
guy. The Sun in Its Jewel
Case ( Le soleil dans son
écrin ) preuzeto s https://
www.guggenheim.org/art-
work/4034
13 Davidson, Susan, There, Mo-
tion Has Not Yet Ceased (Là
ne finit pas encore le mou-
vement) preuzeto s https://
www.guggenheim.org/art-
work/14607
14 “Paintings and objects pre-
sented at this exhibition
are an important refreshment
on Croatian art scene, that
has been in recent years
oversaturated by paintings
of so called new figurations
or new hyper-realisms.“
Mladen Lučić, Sve živo
teristic of Ex nihilo are colors. They
serve to the artist not as an emo-
tional trigger, but as an instrument
used in experimenting with volumes
and space. The artist is aware of
the fact that the audience does
not look art today in the same way
as previous audiences fifty years
ago, so he accentuates the effect
of visual overload and paints until
it almost becomes too much. This
understanding of art and painting
the artist sums up in his somewhat
parodic alter-ego called Insipiens.
Therefore his characters are not evil
and should not be scary, although at
first glance may be at least consid-
ered as ugly. Tomasovic was always
interested in unusual characters,
and he has been working on them
and exhibiting them for years in his
bestiarii. What is more, one could
consider Ex nihilo as bestiarii as well.

Finally, we can conclude that Ex

nihilo, but also art of Tomasovic in
general, does not fit stylistically in
Croatian contemporary art scene. In
my opinion, he should be distin-
guished not necessarily because of
the topics he deals with (although
he is solitary here too), but because
of the morphology of his characters,
because of the particular choice of
colors he does, because of horror
vacui, his eclecticism in multi-me-
diality, but also theoretical answers
he provides to accompany his art.
Although Ex nihilo is not his first big
cycle, it marked and framed a very
long and important episode of To-
masovic’s artistic and professional
life and may prove to be a milestone
in his trajectory.

Ex nihilo nihil fit.

12
13
U PRILOG POZNAVANJU
CIKLUSA EX NIHILO
—
ANĐELKO MIHANOVIĆ

14
Prije desetak milijardi godina nije bilo
ničega. Kako je moguće da je čitavi
svemir nastao iz ničega i manifestirao
se u sadašnje stanje priličnog reda.1
Govoriti danas o Vici Tomasoviću
kao mladom umjetniku značilo bi
prišiti mu etiketu koja nužno ne
odgovara njegovom umjetničkom
habitusu, tako ni radovima iz ciklusa
Ex nihilo. Iako naslov može sugerirati
drukčije, ovi radovi nisu nastali per
se iz ničega, već su rezultat jednog
temeljitog i dugog intelektualnog,
duhovnog i umjetničkog procesa i
tehničke realizacije, koji pripadaju
zrelosti rijetko karakterističnoj za
umjetnike u početnim godina-
ma svojih ozbiljnih umjetničkih
pothvata. Stoga ovaj ciklus, čiji su
prvi radovi izloženi još 2014. godine
u Gradskom muzeju u Omišu, ima
svoje likovno i konceptualno kori-
jenje i poveznicu u Tomasovićevim
prethodnim projektima, prvenstve-
no u Teoriji biljnog porijekla iz 2013.
godine (Galerija Praktika, Split)
ili čak u Bestijariju iz 2008. godine
(Galerija Onaion, Omiš). Vidljivo je,
dakle, da se radi o kompleksnom
ciklusu koji je polako sazrijevao i
razvijao se i o kojem su, u konačnici,
povjesničari umjetnosti i kustosi pi-
sali različite, čak i oprečne tekstove.
Unatoč tome, formalno gledajući
radovi su jasni: platna velikih di-
menzija,2 neka monokromna, neka
polikromna, ispunjena su likovima
1 Vice Tomasović, preuzeto s
https://www.jutarnji.hr/kul-
tura/art/vice-tomasovic-su-
vremenu-umjetnost-treba-dis-
perzirati-na-otoke-i-u-se-
la/4621073/
2 Redom 150 x 110cm ili 170 x
110cm, ali i 120 x 208cm i
200 x 270cm
15
iz slikarevog imaginarija na jedan
skladan i linearan način. Djeluju na
gledatelja dvojako: ostavljaju razli-
čite dojmove promatrani iz daljine,
kao detaljno izvedeni mozaici, i iz
blizine, kao višestruki planovi u ko-
jima se nalaze priče kojima se autor
bavi. Platna su pregledno struktu-
rirana te je bez velikih poteškoća
moguće slike podijeliti na sektore
i čitati ih kao pojedinačne likovne
narative. Te male scene su likovno
vrlo uspjele jer Tomasović mini-
jature uklapa pozitivno kako u te
neprimjetne okvire, tako u kontekst
cjelovitog okvira slike. Likovi koji
ih sačinjavaju iz daljine mogu se
činiti kao puka ponavljanja jednog
motiva, međutim, tek ponešto
temeljitijim gledanjem moguće je
zaključiti da su ovi „fantazmagorič-
nih svjetovi“3, kako ih je definirala
Morana Matković, puni jedinstvenih
spojeva ljudskih i životinjskih tijela
i biljaka. Kako sam autor ističe,
likova ima preko tisuću na svakoj
slici.4 Lana Beović piše o „disper-
ziji života“ i „eksploziji likova.“5 S
tim u vezi, povjesničar umjetnosti
odgojen na šablonama i potpisu
klasičnih i srednjovjekovnih škola
i radionica očekivao bi i da će se
jedan suvremeni umjetnik još lakše
otkriti u nekom detalju poput uha,
nosa ili usta likova, međutim, To-
masović vješto varira svoja rješenja,
3 Morana Matković, predgovor
izložbi Vice Tomasovića u
Laubi, 11. 3. — 23. 4. 2015.
4 Ivan Dorotic, Duhovni imag-
inarij i titual poglavice,
23.3.2015., preuzeto s
https://vizkultura.hr/duho-
viti-imaginarij-i-titula-po-
glavice/
5 http://www.culturenet.hr/
default.aspx?id=69244
tako da tražiti umjetnikov potpis i
zajednički nazivnik u očima, zubima
i općenito tijelima njegovih antro-
pomorfnih oblika, koji su dosad već
postali njegov zaštitnih znak, nije
lak zadatak. Ova složenost i razno-
likost likovnih oblikovanja govori
mnogo o umjetnikovu temeljitom i
etičkom pristupu slici: ne samo da
jedno platno iz ničega može nastajati
dva mjeseca, već slikar ponekad i
nakon dužeg vremenskog perioda na
isto dodaje svoja nova razmišljanja i
utiske, koji pripadaju, kao što je gore
spomenuto, istoj intelektualnoj, du-
hovnoj, naposljetku i likovnoj matici
i govore mnogo o samom umjetniku
i njegovu promišljanju univerzal-
nih životnih, neumjetničkih tema.
Upravo je to promišljanje o univer-
zalnim životnim temama u okvirima
kulturološkog (i ako smijem dodati,
religijskog) podneblja kojem Toma-
sović pripada ono što ga određuje
kao umjetnika i čovjeka. S druge
strane, likovna rješenja i obrada tih
istih tema nemaju svoje reference u
hrvatskoj likovnoj tradiciji.
Krenimo stoga od intelektualnog
aspekta ciklusa: Ako čovjek raz-
govara s Tomasovićem o pitanjima
koje problematizira u svojim slika-
ma, često može čuti nesvakidašnje
pojmove poput biotehnologije,
bioetike, transhumanizma ili post-
humanizma. To su kategorije unutar
kojih autor razmišlja kao istraživač
u klasičnom smislu izraza. Unatoč
tome, dok govori o svojim slikama i
konkretno o slikarskom radu tvrdi
da je to „zen proces“ i da u tim si-
tuacijama „nije previše razmišljao“
o teorijskim problemima i pitanjima
koja ciklus razmatra.6 Ipak teško je
6 “Ovi likovi nastaju bez
pretjeranog promišljanja i
planiranja. Zapravo čitav
16
osporiti činjenicu da Tomasović kao
svoje konceptualno počelo uzima
mitologiju i na slikama realizira
„sva živa bića, van vremena“ iako
istovremeno ponešto paradoksalno
proglašava da se radi o ovoj stvarno-
sti, a ne misteriju.7 Posjetitelj izložbe
svakako se može legitimno zapitati
o kojem se točno povijesnom peri-
odu radi: radi li se o nekakvoj viziji
budućnosti možda ili o prapovi-
jesti? Ex nihilo propituje službenu
paradigmu postanka svijeta, prema
Tomasoviću radi se o „post-mi-
tološkim modelima postanka… Te
biljne životinje koje naziva(m) Ho-
moherbama predstavljaju teoretski
model živoga bića koje je moglo
postojati u zemaljskoj prošlosti, a iz
kojega evolucijskim stablom nastaju
suvremene biljke, životinje i na kra-
ju ljudi,“ ističe autor.8 Naglašava da
se pritom okreće znanosti, medici-
ni, biologiji, psihologiji, i u širokom
luku pokušava zaobići moguću
poetičnost. Pokušava materijalizirati
teorijski model koji počiva na stablu
života i njime otvara moralna i etič-
ka pitanja. Kustosica Draženka Jalšić
Ernečić u predgovoru Tomasoviće-
voj izložbi u Koprivnici precizno je
kontekstualizirala odnos navedenih
pitanja i autorovog slikarstva te je
proces je eksperiment, jer
nikako ne mogu znati kako
će slika na kraju izgleda-
ti”, iz: Maja Hrgović, Vice
Tomasović: Nisi afirmiran
sve dok nisi afirmiran u
Zagrebu, preuzeto s https://
arteist.hr/vice-tomasovic-
nisi-afirmiran-sve-dok-nisi-
afirmiran-u-zagrebu/
7 Iz razgovora s umjetnikom,
5.5.2017.
8 https://vizkultura.hr/duho-
viti-imaginarij-i-titula-po-
glavice/
napisala da umjetnik „pitanje
prapočetka…primarno povezuje s
idejom umjetničkog stvaranja,“9
dok Petar Grimani u prvim radovi-
ma iz ovoga ciklusa vidi slike „kao
polazište za razjašnjenje vlastitog
odnosa prema vanjskom svijetu i
onom unutarnjem.“10
S obzirom na svoj kršćanski (kato-
lički) svjetonazor Ex nihilo uzima
kao kršćanski princip. Ovaj ciklus
nije prvi u kojem je moguće tražiti
duhovne tj. religijske reference:
istaknuo bih performans Pokora
izveden 2015. godine na 14. danima
performansa u Varaždinu i ponov-
ljen tjedan dana kasnije u Puli te
performans-instalaciju Hram iz
iste godine gdje je autor kleknuo i
sklopio ruke kao za molitvu pred
bankomatom u centru Omiša.
Iako su drugi povjesničari umjetno-
sti dosad tražili u svojim tekstovima
poveznice između radova Ex nihilo
s onima umjetnika iz povijesti, sam
umjetnik negira pretpostavku da se
svjesno referira u svojim slikama na
tuđe radove; on je individualac, ali
alkemičar koji na jedan svoj način
traži progovara o „skrivenoj povi-
jesti svijeta i biologije.“11 Doduše,
u jednom razgovoru za Jutarnji list
sam umjetnik je istaknuo da su mu
„romaničke iluminacije i kiparstvo
zanimljivi zbog prenatrpanog kadra
poznatog kao ‘strah od praznog
prostora’. Danas nas znanost uči
da u ‘praznom’ prostoru česti-
9 http://www.culturenet.hr/
default.aspx?id=78185
10 http://www.culturenet.hr/
default.aspx?id=62121
11 Iz razgovora s umjetnikom,
5.5.2017.
17
ce konstantno nastaju i nestaju.
Praznina u biti ne postoji.“12 Autor
radi post-konceptualizacijom, radi
bez plana, stvara određeni lik i
onda razmišlja zašto je to baš tako
napravio, što znači da bez obzira na
snažan teoretski i misaoni aspekt
likovnost kao metoda ima značaj-
nu ulogu. U svojem kreativnom
istraživanju autor negira povlačenje
referenci iz tekstova. Premda bi se
povjesničaru umjetnosti kao priro-
dan kontekst Tomasovićevog stila
mogao nametnuti nadrealizam, pri-
mjerice Ives Tanguy i njegovi oblici
na slici The Sun in Its Jewel Case (Le
soleil dans son écrin),13 ili oni sa slike
There, Motion Has Not Yet Ceased (Là
ne finit pas encore le mouvement),14
Mladen Lučić u predgovoru izložbe
Sve živo u Puli stilsku ‘etiketu’ pro-
nalazi u „novom manirizmu koji se u
Tomasovića realizirao kao svojevrsni
diskurzivni odgovor na spomenute
realizme, ali i cjelokupnu hrvatsku
likovnu scenu.“15
12 https://www.jutarnji.hr/kul-
tura/art/vice-tomasovic-su-
vremenu-umjetnost-treba-dis-
perzirati-na-otoke-i-u-se-
la/4621073/
13 Flint, Lucy. Yves Tanguy.
The Sun in Its Jewel Case 
(Le soleil dans son écrin )
preuzeto s https://www.
guggenheim.org/artwork/4034
14 Davidson, Susan, There,
Motion Has Not Yet
Ceased (Là ne finit pas
encore le mouvement)
preuzeto s https://www.
guggenheim.org/artwork/14607
15 „Slike i objekti koje
je Vice predstavio na
ovoj izložbi u HDLUI
predstavljaju bitno
osvježenje u hrvatskom
Nadalje, još jedna od formalnih slikarstva već pisali drugi povjesni-
karakteristika slika Ex nihilo, ali čari umjetnosti (zbog čega izbjega-
i drugih Tomasovićevih radova u vam ponavljati opća mjesta u tom
ovome mediju jest izražajni kolorit. smislu) i eklekticizam u multimedi-
On umjetniku ne služi kao poten- jalnosti, ali i teoretski odgovori koje
cijalni emocionalni okidač već kao pruža paralelno sa svojim radovima.
instrument koji koristi u svojem Iako definitivno nije prvi Tomaso-
eksperimentiranju s volumenima i vićev ciklus, obilježio je i zaokružio
igri u prostoru. Svjestan je činjenice jednu veliku etapu njegovog umjet-
da društvo ne gleda slikarstvo na isti ničkog života i čini se da bi se mogao
način kao prije pedeset godina pa pokazati kao prekretnica u autorovu
naglasak stavlja na efekt overload-a profesionalnom likovnom putu.
i dovodi počesto sliku do krajnje
granice vizualne ugode. Sve to sam Ex nihilo nihil fit.
umjetnik sažima u svoj alter-ego
Insipiens, on je za njega likovni duh
i likovni jezik, istovremeno parodija
i karikatura ezoterije. Njegovi likovi
nisu zli i ne bi trebali biti zastrašuju-
ći, iako naoko mogu biti neugledni.
Čudni likovi Tomasovića su odu-
vijek zanimali i on im je dosljedno
predan, radi na njima dugo godina i
sprema ih i izlaže u svojim bestijari-
jima, kakvima na neki način može-
mo shvaćati i slike ovog ciklusa.

Naposljetku, moguće je zaključiti

da se svojom likovnošću Ex nihilo,
ali i umjetnost Vice Tomasovića
općenito ne uklapa u suvremenu
umjetničku scenu u Hrvatskoj jer
autor u više medija na sebi svojstven
način problematizira univerzalna
pitanja. Ono što Tomasovića izdvaja
stoga, po mojem mišljenju, nije
tematika kojom se bavi, već morfo-
logija i kolorit likova, horror vacui o
kojem su u kontekstu Tomasovićeva

umjetničkom prostoru koji

je zadnjih nekoliko godina
uglavnom zagušen slikarstvom
tzv. novih figuracija ili
novih hiperrealizama.“ –
Mladen Lučić, Sve živo,
predgovor izložbi Vice
Tomasovića u Galerijskom
centru Varaždin (10. 10.
2017. - 20. 10. 2017.).

18
19
SURREAL WORLDS OF
PHANTASMAGORIC CHARACTERS
—
RENATA BUSATTO

20
Vice Tomasović, an academy- can see the imaginary creatures
trained painter from Omis, is the depicted in humorous way: e.g.
author of a painterly cycle entitled the characters that have the fangs
Ex nihilo. This series, presented do not look threatening at all,
at many exhibitions, e.g. at the such as those of Clive Barker, for
homonymous show in 2015 in example. Therefore, these miniature
Lauba or at the 32nd Youth Salon, creatures trapped in chaotic events
is characterized like many artworks in the depths of the first ocean are
in his opus by phantasmagoric depicted in one moment of time
and psychodelic worlds with a in a particular space without any
strong influence of surrealism, obvious answer to the mystery of
that the artist uses to answer the the beginning of life. The rich olors
enigma of the creation of the world and shapes ask the observer to dive
and life, and the accompanying into this phantasmagoric world that
questions of the past and future. may seem familiar to us, however,
The very title of the series evokes at the same time stays an unsolved
the beginning of the world and the puzzle that calls for reflection and
cosmogonic interpretation of it. In questioning of the bigger questions
this context it is interesting to note of one’s past and future.
that every painting of the cycle
may be interpreted individually,
but also as taking part in the
larger narrative. Although we do
not find the original element that
led to the creation of the world,
as suggested by La recontre des
elements of Kurt Seligmann, or the
abstract protozoes of Bruce Riley,
when we look at Tomasovic’s
paintings, we look at the ocean’s
depths full of invertebrates and
vertebrates. Complemented
by chaotic events these living
organisms are deprived of strict
boundaries among each other.
This oceanic imagery depicting the
first proliferation is presented as
an open and very dynamic, almost
cyclical composition. From the
smallest to the biggest creatures on
the canvases, there is on hierarchy.
All the characters are taking part
in a harmonious relationship. Also
the colors have the same function.
From dimmed grey and pastel
shades to rich nuances of red,
the colors are used to portray the
both flatness and the depth of an
ocean. If we look more closely we

21
NADREALNI SVJETOVI
FANTAZMAGORIČNIH LIKOVA
—
RENATA BUSATTO

22
Vice Tomasović, umjetnik rodom
iz Omiša, autor je ciklusa slika pod
nazivom „Ex Nihilo“. Tomasović u
svom opusu pred publiku postav-
lja fantazmorgične i pshihodelične
svjetove s jakom naznakom nadre-
alizma pokušavajući doprinijeti do
šireg sagledavanja problematike
postanka svijeta i života, odnosno
problematike konfuzne priče o proš-
losti i budućnosti. Upravo će takvo
razmišljanje biti vodiljom u ciklusu
slika pod nazivom „Ex Nihilo“ („Iz
ničega“) koje su predstavljene publici
na brojnim izložbama, a među kojima
treba svakako izdvojiti sudjelovanje
na 32. Salonu mladih i izložbu pod
naslovom „Iz ničega“ koja je postav-
ljena u Laubi 2015. godine.
Nazivom samog ciklusa umjetnik
evocira prapočetak, postanak svijeta,
odnosno kozmogonijsko tumače-
nje istoga. U pristupu oblikovanju
motiva očit je nadrealistički utjecaj
i svaka slika može se promatrati
pojedinačno, ali i kao dio cjeline
povezane sponama o fantazmorgič-
nom prikazu razvoja imaginarnih
bića. Iako ne pronalazimo iskon-
sku nit koja je dovela do stvaranja
svijeta, što je na primjer prikazano
na slici „Susret elemenata“ nadre-
alističkog slikara Kurta Seligmana
ili apstraktnih protozoa organskih
oblika koji su postali dijelom opusa
Brucea Rileya, pri samom susretu sa
Tomasovićevim djelima promatrač je
uronjen u dubine oceana u kojima se
pred njegovim očima odvija bujanje
života invertebrata i vertebrata.
Upotpunjeni kaotičnim zbivanjima
prikazani živi organizmi lišeni su
strogih granica jedni među drugima.
Imaginarij oceanskih dubina u ko-
jima se dogodilo prvo bujanje života
prikazano je u jednom kaotičnom
isječku otvorene i izrazito dinamič-
23
ne kompozicije u kojoj bića formira-
ju svojevrsni ciklični oblik koji kao
da slavi postanak i život. Kompozi-
cijski odnos prikazanih imaginarnih
bića stvara naglasak na kaotičnost
događanja u prvom planu iako je
izvjesno da postoji bogatstvo života
unutar cijelog formata. Od najma-
njih do najvećih bića, ne zamjećuje-
mo primat nad hijerarhijskih redom
i odnosom. Naime, svi prikazani
likovi uronjeni su u međusobni splet
i ples koji ne dopušta fiksaciju niti
postojanje najvažnijeg elementa na
slici. U jednakoj funkciji nalazimo i
kolorit slike, koji indirektno komu-
nicira s prikazanim motivima. Od
prigušenih sivih i pastelnih tonova
do bogatih nijansi crvene boje,
ukazuje se na izričitu plošnost, a
ipak i dubinu koja direktno sugeri-
ra duboka oceanska prostranstva.
Uronimo li pobliže u sliku uočit
ćemo imaginarna bića prikaza-
na na izrazito duhovit način. Bića
koja posjeduju očnjake nipošto ne
izgledaju prijeteće ili izazivaju strah
kod promatrača, kao što je to slučaj
u djelima Clivea Barkera.
Minijaturna bića uronjena u navedena
kaotična zbivanja u nepreglednim
prostranstvima pramora na Toma-
sovićevim slikama zarobljena su u
trenutku prostora i vremena bez
očigledne mogućnosti razrješenja
misterija o početku života ili o sud-
bini koja ih čeka. Bogati kolorit slika
i oblika traži od promatrača da uroni
u fatazmorgični svijet koji nam je do-
nekle poznat, ali i dalje ostaje preve-
likom nepoznanicom koja posjeduje
magičnu privlačnost da nas potpuno
zaokupi i poziva na deskriptivno uo-
čavanje poznatih zakonitosti naspram
nepoznatom formiranju čovjekove
prošlosti i budućnosti.
EVERY LIVING THING
—
MLADEN LUČIĆ

HDLU Istre, Galerija Luka i Mul,

Pula, 17. 6. – 4. 7. 2016.

24
Exactly one year ago, Vice Tomaso-
vić, young artist from Split, walled
himself up in the concrete bunker
of the former Admiralty in Pula. He
progressively walled up with bricks
the entrance shaft from the inside
out, one brick at a time, until the
entrance became completely closed
and he himself stayed trapped in the
interior of the cold and somewhat
apocalyptic edifice. This piece, en-
titled Penance, the artist performed
in the context of the 14th Days of
Performance Varazdin, manifes-
tation that was repeated then in
Pula in collaboration with Museum
of Contemporary Art of Istra. That
was the first encounter of our city
and this artist, who came back with
his recent works, predominantly
paintings, exhibited now at a solo
show entitled Sve zivo (Every living
thing). At the first glance it seems
that there are no tight connections
between the performance and this
painterly cycle, but we will get back
to that.
His paintings and objects represent
a refreshment on Croatian artistic
scene, that has been in the past few
years saturated with painting of
the so called new figuration or new
hyper-realisms. Tomasovic offers an
alternative that is seemingly seem-
ingly surrealist, however, it is my
opinion that here we can talk more
about a new Mannerism realized as a
discursive answer to the aforemen-
tioned realisms and to Croatian art
scene in general. Historically speak-
ing, Mannerism was a reaction to
the figural and spatial objectivity of
the Renaissance, its coherence and
order that led the art then to per-
fectionism. Mannerism introduces
a certain unrest and dissolution of
Renaissance’s harmony, it intro-
duces perspectival extensions and
25
reductions, an escape from linear
perspective, frontal lighting, sim-
etry and golden ratio, and partially
it strives for the come-back of the
Medieval horror vacui. Together with
the playful, accentuated colorism,
this fear of the empty space is one of
the characteristics of the paintings
of Tomasovic, full of miniature ani-
mals with antropomorphic features.
His paintings resemble the fantastic
world of Hyeronimus Bosch, the
imagery of phantasmagoric symbi-
osis of figural shapes of Arcimboldo,
they resemble horror vacui we can
find in El Greco or Tintoretto, while
his ornaments, sort of artist’s modus
vivendi, get him further of the afore-
mentioned masters of Mannerism
in the direction of the Renaissance
painting of Paolo Uccello and Piero
della Francesca. Mannerist influ-
ence has been visible in the art of
Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Ives
Tanguy in the last century, so it
is not unusual to find indications
of this style in contemporary art.
However, to look surrealism in
Tomasovic’s art it is important to
grasp his whole imagery, with its
minutely painted fantasy creatures
of herbal and animal origins, that
have some human features. With
their movements, interweaving and
magically symbolic positioning they
evoke surrealist painting. They open
a miraculous, imaginative and lucid
world that we discover in details
of authors’ compositions that are
obviously nor representing reality
as such, but suggest indirectly a
possible past or future of the world.
Today, when genetic engineering
is taking over natural biological
functions of people, controlling our
offspring and dictates our nutrition,
we cannot be sure of anything. If we
believe in this kind of science, we
do not know what mutations led to
the emergence of Homo sapiens, and to the supposed witches and their
we do not know in which direction punishing. The women that were
multinational corporation (that accused of being witches were not
control the processes of genetic only burnt alive but also walled up
engeneering) will end the story in Medieval houses and castles. Here
of human species. We are getting the artist pays respect to innocent
closer and closer to to world of victims of ideological manipulations
Alien, and we do not even know at and condemns repressive regimes,
this point if we originate from it. he also touches upon the magical
However, despite this pessimistic and mystical sphere again. By con-
context, paintings and objects of necting the bricks in the wall with
Tomasovic communicate good vibes clay, the basic material on earth
and act as if they jumped out of the (used supposedly also by God in
Wunderkammer of a sweet-tempered creation of the man) he talks about
alchemist. Their compositions are purification and penance to suggest
mysterious in the iconography the that penance is necessary to avoid
artist uses, but their atmosphere in the future full of phantasmagoric
general is cheerful and lightheart- mutants, such as those moving on
ed. This atmosphere is realized not his canvases.
rarely with humorous portraits and
caricatures of his real and imaginary
characters, and their symbiosis.
Even if we look at the Romanesque
bestiarii, that the artist takes for his
reference they do not look so scary
today as they looked to a medieval
Christian who was to look at the
depictions of hell inside and take
it as a reminder to lead an honest
and humble life as prescribed by the
Bible. Today, when we look at these
groups at the entrances and pillars
in the cathedrals we can see funny
images that would very difficultly
be able to warn us of the atrocities
of hell and serve as corrective in
our daily lives. The most important
aspect here is therefore the context
and time from which we are looking
at something and this is something
that the artist is trying to state, he
namely enables us to interpret his
artworks freely without constraints
of his personal cultural or artistic
worldviews.
Let us go back to the beginning and
the aforementioned performance.
There the artist also refers to the
past and does this sort of hommage

26
27
SVE ŽIVO
—
MLADEN LUČIĆ

HDLU Istre, Galerija Luka i Mul,

Pula, 17. 6. – 4. 7. 2016.

28
Prije točno godinu dana, mladi
splitski umjetnik Vice Tomasović
zazidao se u betonskom bunkeru
negdašnjeg Admiraliteta u Puli. Uski
ulazni otvor postupno je zidao s
njegove unutrašnje strane ciglama,
jednom po jednom, dok napokon
otvor nije bio potpuno zatvoren, a
umjetnik ostao zarobljen u unutraš-
njosti hladnog i pomalo apokalip-
tičnog zdanja. Svoj performans, pod
nazivom Pokora ovaj je autor izveo u
sklopu 14. Dana performansa Varaž-
din, manifestacije koja je reprizno,
u suorganizacii Muzeja suvremene
umjetnosti Istre, gostovala u Puli.
Bilo je to i prvo gostovanje ovog
splitskog umjetnika u našem gradu
gdje se sada predstavlja izložbom Sve
živo, a na kojoj izlaže svoje recentne
radove, prvenstveno slike. Na prvi
pogled nema neke čvršće poveznice
između tog njegovog performansa i
slikarskog ciklusa kome nazočimo,
ali o tome nešto kasnije.
Slike i objekti koje je Vice pred-
stavio na ovoj izložbi u HDLUI
predstavljaju bitno osvježenje u
hrvatskom umjetničkom prosto-
ru koji je zadnjih nekoliko godina
uglavnom zagušen slikarstvom tzv.
novih figuracija ili novih hiperre-
alizama. Tomasović nudi slikarsku
alternativu naizgled nadrealističke
provenijencije ali mišljenja sam da
se prije radi o svojevrsnom novom
manirizmu koji se u Tomasovića
realizirao kao svojevrsni diskurzivni
odgovor na spomenute realizme,
ali i cjelokupnu hrvatsku likovnu
scenu. Povijesno gledajući, Mani-
rizam je bio reakcija na figuralnu i
prostornu objektivnost Renesanse,
njenu usklađenost i red koji su on-
dašnju umjetnost doveli do perfek-
cionizma. Manirizam u onodobnu
umjetnost uvodi određeni nemir,
narušavanje renesansnog sklada što
29
provodi perspektivnim produlje-
njima ili skraćenjima, bijegom od
linearne perspektive, frontalnog
svijetla, simetrije i zlatnog reza,
a djelomice kompozicijski teži i
povratku srednjevjekovnog horrora
vacui. Upravo je strah od praznine
osnova karakteristika slikarstva
Vice Tomasovića, kojeg akcentira
i razigrani, ekspresivni kolorit iz
kojeg izranjaju minijaturni životinj-
ski likovi antropomorfnih obilježja.
Tomasovićeve slike smislena su i
jasna asocijacija na fantastičan svijet
Hyeronimusa Bosha, na maštovitost
fantazmagorične simbioze figural-
nih oblika Arcimbolda, na slikarske
partije horrora vacui kojeg susre-
ćemo kod El Greca ili Tintoretta,
dok će nas ornamentalni prostor,
svojevrsni autorov modus vivendi,
odmaknuti od navedenih majstora
manirizma i odvesti nas u svitanje
renesanse i do njenih problema-
tičara, Paola Uccella i Piera della
Francesce. Umjetnici nadrealizma
prošlog stoljeća nisu bili imuni na
utjecaje manirizma koje susrećemo
kod Salvadora Dalija, Maxa Ernsta
ili Yvesa Tanguya pa naznake takvog
stvaralaštva logično pronalazimo i
u Tomasovića, ali za komponente
nadrealističkog ozračja bitniji je nje-
gov cjelokupni imaginarij kojeg čine
minuciozno izrađena maštovita bića
biljnog i životinjskog podrijetla od
kojih neka poprimaju ljudske obilke
i karakteristike, a svojim kretanji-
ma, međusobnom isprepletenošću
i magijsko-simboličnom imposta-
cijom bez sumnje zazivaju iskustva
nadrealističkih autora. Otvara se
jedan čudesan, maštovit i lucidan
svijet kojeg otkrivamo u svakom
detalju autorovih razigranih kom-
pozicija i koji dakako nije realan,
već istovremeno priziva možebitnu
prošlost i zaziva moguću budućnost.
Danas, kada genetički inženjering
preuzima prirodne biološke funkcije nja i smisla njegovih umjetničkih i
čovjeka, usmjerava naše potomstvo, životnih svjetonazora .
kreira lječenje i diktira prehranu,
ni u što više nismo sigurni. Ako Vratimo se na početak i spomenuti
vjerujemo u takvu znanost, ne autorov performans. On se također
znamo kakvim je mutacijama došlo referira na prošlost i svojevrsni je
do nastanka Homo sapiensa, niti u hommage tzv. vješticama i njiho-
kojem će smjeru multinacionalne vom kažnjavanju, kada su ih, osim
korporacije (koji genetički inže- spaljivanja i žive zidali u kule i
njering kontroliraju), završiti priču bedeme srednjevjekovnih dvoraca.
s ljudskim rodom. Sve smo bliže Osim što se radi o činu odavanja
Alienu, a nismo više ni sigurni da od počasti nevinim žrtvama ideološke
njega ne potječemo. Ipak, unatoč manipulacije, te osudi represivnih
nimalo optimističkom kontekstu, režimskih metoda, Tomasović i
slike i objekti Vice Tomasovića zrače ovdje dotiče magijsko i mistično.
dobrim vibracijama te djeluju kao Vežući cigle u zidu glinom, osnov-
da su iskočili iz osebujnog Wun- nim materijalom zemljine i čovjeko-
derkamera nekog dobroćudnog ve građe (Bog je glinom izmodelirao
alkemičara. Mističnost njegovih čovjeka), Vice govori o čišćenju
kompozicija očituje se isključivo u i pokori te ukazuje na globalnu
svojoj osnovnoj ikonografiji, dok potrebu takvog čina kako čovje-
im je, premda izgleda nelogično, čanstvo u svojoj budućnosti ipak
atmosfera uglavnom vedra i bez- ne bi nalikovalo fantazmagoričnim,
brižna što autor postiže duhovitim, mutiranim likovima što se bezglavo
često i karikaturalnim portretima kreću njegovim platnima.
svojih realnih ili imaginarnih likova,
kao i izuzetno maštovitim kreaci-
jama njihove međusobne simbioze.
Međutim, ako pogledamo romanički
bestijarij, u kojem Vice također traži
određena polazišta svog likov-
nog izraza, ne izgleda nam toliko
zastrašujući kao što je izgledao
srednjevjekovnom vjerniku koji je
u njemu trebao prepoznati sliku
pakla i shvatiti ga kao opomenu da
provodi pošten i skroman život kako
Sveto pismo i nalaže. Danas u tim
grupama skulptura što krase portale
i kapitele romaničkih katedrala
prepoznajemo duhovite i često smi-
ješne elemente koje nas teško mogu
upozoriti na strahote pakla i služiti
nam kao korektiv našeg življenja i
ponašnja. Stvar je vremena, iskustva
i perspektive iz koje se stvari gle-
daju, a Vice nam svojim radovima
upravo o tome i govori, odnosno
ostavlja nam punu slobodu tumače-

30
31
EX NIHILO (NIHIL FIT)
—
DRAŽENKA JALŠIĆ ERNEČIĆ

Gallery of the City Museum in Koprivnica

22.09. - 08.10.2017.

32
Vice Tomasović is an artist that uses
different media, from easel painting
to performance art. In this sense
he belongs to the circle of young
Croatian artists from Split that attach
same importance to social activism
and to their artistic life, multilin-
gualism and sort of hyperactivity.
In this context, provocations, puns,
and an active and often hyper-emo-
tional dialogue with the public is
more than recommended. This is ac-
companied with the ability to multi-
task in the art world in the most
general sense. Vice is also a typical
representative of this generation
inclined to a strong visual experience
and aesthetic standards prescribed
both by virtual and real worlds.
Regardless if one is a theist or an
atheist, believes or not in commons
sense, the question of the beginnings
of beginnings of life is innate to
everybody. Especially to an artist. A
painter in front of an empty canvas
is almost scared of careless or wrong
beginnings. This problem is annulled
when one starts shaping the Idea
on the white surface of the canvas.
Art comes form the Idea, form the
mental projection and it seems that
it was there before being transposed
to the canvas. Tomasovic in the cycle
entitled Ex nihilo is coming back to
the roots of the traditional painting
and is concentrated on the questions
of origins, of the space in philosoph-
ical, metaphysic and creative sense.
He connects the old subject of the
dialectical debate primarily to the
idea of artistic creation, although
we can contextualize the prob-
lem in the framework of theology,
philosophy, physics, metaphysics,
esotery, science, sociology, logic,
psychology… The context is always
in question. Vice Tomasović ques-
33
tions his own inspiration. Regard-
less of the format, his paintings are
intimate monologues that he uses
to ask himself what gets him going.
There he finds different answers,
and in these different layers he finds
himself as the demiurge that creates
chaotic worlds from the primordial
state. As a painter, when he inter-
weaves his creatures on canvas, he
emphasizes the importance of phil-
osophical approach to the artistic
process. That categorizes him as one
of the artists that question the order
and harmony of aesthetical prin-
ciples and that shape the message
of an artwork on a mimetic level.
Therefore, Tomasovic implements
the concept of mimesis as his guide-
line. This idea of painting without
thinking and planning much in its
basis owes something to illumi-
nated medieval manuscripts and to
prehistoric decorations of Celtic and
continental European traditions.
Tomasovic is in his paintings trying
to answer the question of the begin-
ning of the beginning. Here, in his
cosmogony we can see also horror
vacui. Therefore, he, like a medi-
eval painter, fills the canvas with
interweaved creatures and develops
his imagery that would be a good
case study for a Freudian or Jungian
analysis. The artist emphasizes the
opacity of the multitude of figures,
and the endless repetitions without
a discernible beginning or end; he
negates the frame of the painting in
order to negate the border between
the real and imaginary. He expands
his compositions endlessly so as
to create alternative models of the
origin of the world, to create a new
reality outside of history where the
passage of time is static. Among
chaos and order in the universe,
Tomasovic is trying to find some
kind of connection and harmony.
His canvases are developed on
the basis of dynamic symmetrical
composition that have their picto-
rial and conceptual frame outside
of the canvas itself.
This is connected to the concept of
horror vacui, and simultaneously
recalls medieval ornamental besti-
ary, ancient Epicurean philosophy
and contemporary quantum phys-
ics. On metaphysical level, these
artworks represent a personam
metaphor of the universe derived
from an artistic Idea. Human- and
animal-like figures represent a
connection of the spiritual and
material spheres, and in their
complexity and preciseness they
reflect the author’s perception
of the archetypal images and his
spiritual state. It is obvious that he
is not the first to deal with a topic
of this kind, e.g. Lucretius in his
De Rerum Natura concludes that
“Nothing can be made from nothing
– once we see that’s so, Already we
are on the way to what we want to
know”, and Shakespeare’s ‘King
Lear’ uses almost the same words
in the beginning of the Act I when
he talks to Cordelia. Tomasovic, as
stated above, follows the tradition
of researching the aforemen-
tioned questions and he is focused
on the fact that the origin of the
world is caused by the existence of
something else before. Therefore,
his artworks partially are very
personal and peculiar, and partially
belong to the tradition. From the
personal side, although the author
is aware of the causal relation-
ships and is genuinely interested
in the nature of his artistic drive,
he has no intentions of answering
the raised questions by force. He
acknowledges the power of the
artistic inspiration that can in this
34
context be connected to the creatio
ex nihilo, the dogma attached to
the energies that move everything.
Vice Tomasović believes in the ex-
istence of this energy that he (sub)
consciously identifies as the artistic
Idea that forces him not to neglect
his own views of the origins of the
world, cosmogony and something
that often one can sum up in the
collocation ‘meaning of life’.
Bibliography
Rudolf Arnheim (1954;
1974) Art and Visual
Perception: A Psychology
of the Creative Eye.
University of California
Press.
ISBN 978-052002-613-1
Carl Gustav Jung (1964;
1987) Čovjek i njegovi
simboli.
Zagreb, Mladost.
ISBN 86-05-00080-5
Owen Jones (1856)
The Grammar of Ornament.
London: Published by Day
and Son.
Collection: Smithsonian
Libraries
https://archive.
org/details/
grammarornament00Jone
Quote
Substance is Eternal
This terror, then this
darkness of the mind,
Not sunrise with its
flaring spokes of light,
Nor glittering arrows of
morning can disperse,
But only Nature’s aspect
and her law,
Wich teaching us, hath
this exordium:
Nothing from nothing ever
yet was born.
— Lucretius (50 BCE)
De Rerum Natura
35
EX NIHILO (NIHIL FIT)
—
DRAŽENKA JALŠIĆ ERNEČI

Galerija Koprivnica Muzeja grada Koprivnice,

22. 9. 2017. — 8. 10. 2017.

36
Vice Tomasović umjetnik je koji
kao medij koristi različite obli-
ke umjetničkog izražavanja, od
klasičnog štafelajnog slikarstva do
izvedbenih i angažiranih medijskih
formi. U tom smislu, Tomasović
pripada okruženju mlade hrvatske
umjetnosti splitskog kruga u kojem
su umjetnički stav, način djelovanja,
višejezičnost i svojevrsna hiperak-
tivnost, isprepleteni u konglomerat
u kojem se jednaka važnost pridaje
umjetničkom umijeću i društvenom
angažmanu. Pritom su dosjetka,
provokacija i uspostavljanje aktiv-
nog i često hyper emotivnog dijaloga
s recipijentima umjetničkog rada/
djelovanja više nego poželjni. U tom
smislu multitasking (hrv. višeza-
daćnost) i sposobnost obavljanja više
istovremenih radnji i izmjenjivanje
aktivnosti čine ga tipičnim pred-
stavnikom svoje generacije sklone
vizualnom iskustvu i estetskim mje-
rilima virtualnih svjetova između
realnog i imaginarnog. Bez obzira da
li se priklanjamo teološkim ili ate-
ističkim svjetonazorima, prizivamo
znanstvenu teoriju zdravog razuma
ili filozofiramo, pitanje prapočet-
ka problematično je teisti, ateisti
i skeptiku. Umjetnicima poseb-
no. Slikar pred praznim platnom
zazire od neopreznih ili pogrešnih
početaka. Sporna problematičnost
prestaje u onom trenutku kada se
prva naznaka Ideje počinje oblikova-
ti, u ovom slučaju na bijeloj površini
slikarskog platna. Umjetnost dolazi
iz Ideje, mentalne projekcije i čini se
kako postoji prije namjere i prije po-
stojanja stvarnog slikarskog platna.
Tomasović se ciklusom štafelajnih
slika ‘’Ex nihilo (Iz ništavila)’’ vraća
korijenima klasičnog slikarstva
i usmjerava svoju koncentraciju
na pitanja postanka, podrijetla i
ispunjenosti prostora u filozofskom,
metafizičkom i kreativnom smislu.
37
Vječnu temu dijalektičke rasprave
Vice Tomasović primarno povezuje s
idejom umjetničkog stvaranja, iako
problem možemo kontekstualizirati
na razini teologije, filozofije, fizike,
metafizike, ezoterije, znanosti, soci-
ologije, logike, psihologije… Zapravo
se uvijek postavlja pitanje konteksta.
Vice Tomasović preispituje logično
pitanje vlastite inspiracije. Bez obzi-
ra na format, slike iz ciklusa intimni
su monolozi u kojima autor sam sebi
postavlja i ponavlja pitanje o tome
što ga pokreće. Pritom nalazi više
odgovora i upravo u toj slojevitosti
pronalazi sebe kao demijurga (stva-
ratelja) koji iz primordijalnog stanja
svijesti stvara osobne kaotične svje-
tove. Kao slikar, u svojem nizanju
isprepletenih bića naglašava važnost
filozofskog pristupa umjetničkom
procesu. To ga svrstava među one
likovne umjetnike koji preispituju
uređenost i usklađenost estetskih
principa te poruku umjetničkog
djela nastoje oblikovati na mimetič-
koj razini. Upravo Mimezis kao ideja
vodilja stvaranja umjetničke slike
model je kojeg Tomasović svjesno
preuzima. Ideja nizanje dijelova slike
bez pretjeranog promišljanja i plani-
ranja u svojoj osnovi posjeduje nešto
od umjetničkih postulata koji na-
lazimo u iluminiranim srednjovje-
kovnim rukopisima i prapovijesnim
dekoracijama keltske i kontinental-
ne europske tradicije.
Duboka misao o postojanju Pra-
početka pitanje je na koje Vice
Tomasović nastoji odgovoriti svojim
kozmogonijskim slikama u kojima
dolazi do izražaja iskonski strah od
praznine. Horror vacuii. Trenutačna
misao o pitanju prostora i vremena,
početka i kraja, reda i nereda, stanja
stvari. Sve što počinje postojati
ima svoj uzrok koji nismo uvijek u
mogućnosti sagledati ili dokaza-
ti sa sigurnošću zdravog razuma,
iskustva i znanja, osim možda
apsurda. Upravo je u apsurdu ljepota
nizanja uzroka i posljedica u mreži
isprepletenih bića koje Tomasović
niže strpljivošću srednjovjekovnog
iluminatora, razvijajući duhoviti
imaginarij u kojem bi u nekoj op-
sežnijoj ikonografskoj i ikonološkoj
studiji svake pojedine slike Freudov-
ska i Jungovska analiza simboličke
razine bila više nego zanimljiva. Vice
Tomasović naglašava nepreglednost
mnoštva, beskrajno ponavljanje
bez početka i kraja, ukida okvir
slike između realnog i imaginarnog
svijeta. Kompoziciju beskonačno širi
s namjerom stvaranja alternativnih
modela postanka i razvoja, nove
stvarnosti izvan kategorije povije-
sti u kojoj osjećaj protoka vremena
postaje statičan. Između nereda i
reda u Svemiru, Tomasović nastoji
pronaći vezu i sklad. Tomasovićeva
platna razvijaju usmjerene dinamič-
ne kompozicije koje se razvijaju na
osnovu osi simetrije koja anticipira
polazište i cilj koju su izvan površine
platna određeni nizanjem dijelova i
smjerom kretanja.
Horror vacuii kao anakrona este-
tika nizanja motiva i popunjava-
nja prostora, istovremeno priziva
srednjovjekovni ornamentalni
bestijarij, antičku filozofiju Epi-
kurejaca i suvremenu kvantnu
fiziku vakuuma. Horror vacuii i
kvantne fluktuacije polja vakuu-
ma. Na metafizičkoj razini, radovi
predstavljaju Tomasovićevu osobnu
metaforu univerzuma proizašlog
iz umjetničke Ideje. Humanoidni i
animalni likovi predstavljaju prijelaz
između duhovnog i realnog svijeta, a
u svojoj kompleksnosti i preciznosti
odražavaju autorsko poimanje arhe-
tipske slike i duhovno stanje autora.
Radi se, prije svega, o narativnosti
38
stvaranja i beskonačnoj regresiji koju
na filozofskoj i spoznajnoj razini
preispituju mnogi autori prije njega.
U ‘’De Rerum Natura’’ Lukrecije
zaključuje kako ‘’Ništa ne nastaje iz
ničega, a spoznajom te činjenice već
smo na putu kojim želimo ići’’, dok
se gotovo istim riječima ‘’Kralj Lear’’
Williama Shakespearea na početku
prvog čina obraća Kordeliji.
Lukrecije i Shakespeare samo su
neki od autora na čijem tragu preis-
pitivanja uzroka i posljedica stvara
Vice Tomasović, postavljajući ista
pitanja postanka o kojima rasprav-
ljaju mnogi drevni tekstovi. Autor je
usredotočen na činjenicu kako svijet
koji poznajemo ima svoj početak, no
isto je tako uzrokovan postojanjem
nečeg prethodnog. Osim duboko
osobnog autorskog iskustva, radovi
posjeduju slojevitu spoznajnu razinu
na kojoj uočavamo zajedničko ge-
netsko nasljeđe kreativnih procesa
te neraskidive odnose između ma-
terije, forme i prirode. Iako potajno
želi razumjeti uzročno-posljedične
odnose i razloge vlastitog umjetnič-
kog ‘’moranja’’, nema ih namjeru
tumačiti. Tomasović nema namjeru
razumijevati razvoj svoje umjetničke
ideje, nema namjeru tražiti uzroke
koje nalazi u inspiraciji koja ga po-
kreće. Svjestan je kako je umjetnička
inspiracija bezvremena i moćna.
Pitanje ‘’Creatio Ex Nihilo’’ pita-
nje je dogme o postojanju impulsa,
energije koja nas pokreće i potiče
na proces stvaranja. Vice Tomasović
vjeruje u postojanje energije stvara-
nja koju svjesno i nesvjesno poisto-
vjećuje s Idejom koja ga prisiljava
na bilježenje tragova o vlastitom
viđenju prapočetka, kozmogonije i
postanka, onoga što često zovemo
“smisao života”.
[Koprivnica, 5. 9. 2017.]
Literatura

Rudolf Arnheim (1954; 1974)

Art and Visual Perception:
A Psychology of the
Creative Eye.
University of California Press.
ISBN 978-052002-613-1

Carl Gustav Jung (1964; 1987)

Čovjek i njegovi simboli.
Zagreb, Mladost.
ISBN 86-05-00080-5

Owen Jones (1856)

The Grammar of Ornament.
London: Published by Day
and Son.
Collection: Smithsonian
Libraries
https://archive.org/details/
grammarornament00Jone

Citat

Tvari su vječne
Ovaj strah, zatim ova tama uma,
Ne izlazak sunca s plamtećim
zrakama,
Niti blistave strijele jutra
ne mogu nestati,
Ali sama Priroda stvari i
njezina pravila,
Što nas poučava, ima svoj
prapočetak:
Ništa od ničega nikada nije
rođeno.
— Lucretius (50 BCE)
De Rerum Natura

39
PRIMA MATERIA
—
IGOR GRZETIC

Center for Culture of the City of Krk

15.04.2016. - 30.04.2016.

40
Phantasmagoric iconography in
visions are not rarely materialized by
words, paintings, sculptures, pho-
tography, film, and sometimes by
ritual dance or performance. We can
see this in the worlds established on
the scenes of genesis and apocalypse,
their endless alternatives crated
in peoples’ hallucinations, witch-
craft or dreams. Dante Alighieri,
John Milton, Heronymus Bosch, Jan
Mandyn or Giuseppe Arcimboldo are
only some of the visionaries whose
heritage served as the basis for
people like Yves Tanguy, Dado Duric,
Ernst Fuchs, Giger, Matthew Barney
or Ridley Scott. Even lately, in the
time of hyper-modernist neoreal-
ism, we can see (iconographically)
similar content redefined as the new
mythology by genetic engineering.
All of this leads us to a very different
Phantasm, that according to Laca-
nian psychoanalysis represents a
knot where desire and her imaginary
object are connected, and where we
can find to truths: a content that can
be described by words, and some-
thing that is not possible to describe
on conscious level. Therefore, phan-
tasm in the pictorial sense can be
defined as a screen that separates the
viewer from his reality. This screen i
a formo f misunderstanding, because
the image, in the general meaning of
the word, is unable to visualize the
reality (following the Gombrich’s
observations). Quite contrary, ob-
server and the world around him are
separated by a visual construction.
This barrier is in Tomasovic’s
artworks confirmed by the canvas.
His visions do not represent the
world as we see it but they frame it
with phantasm. But what kind of
phantasm is it? Tomasovic creates
landscapes deprived of any concrete
space, but filled with series of hybrid
41
entities physically intertwined,
thusly indicating the obvious horror
vacui. Tomasovic bases his painterly
style on the manerist traditions and
on the modernist representatives of
diabolic and fantastic painting, like
Giger for instance. Horror vacui, as a
basic principle of Peripatetic physics,
motivated many artists to try to face
the emptiness of canvas. Tomasovic
on the other hand fills his canvases
from one corner to the other with
a rain of human-like creatures, the
intertwined variations connected
with modified examples of flora and
fauna. This carefully created pan-
theon, accentuated by hyper-re-
alist style, could be an image of an
unknown genesis. However, if we
invert the story, these paintings may
warn about possible future scenarios,
caused by experiments in the field
of genetic engineering. On the other
hand, maybe creatures such as these
have already inhabited Pannotia, Ro-
dinia and Pangea, and have survived
until today as fossil archetypes, as in-
herited, innate tendencies of human
mind to crate myths. Tomasovic cre-
ates these myths by producing these
colorful monumental (especially can-
vases Ex nihilo I and II) compositions
that seem to be constantly in motion.
Some are monochromatic (Us and
them), close to Giger’s bio-mechani-
cal universe (Ex nihilo III) also because
of the density of depicted bodies and
their threatening facial expressions.
If we step away from the part of
phantasm that can be described by
words, as it was stated in the para-
graph above, we come to the part
that we do not see, but somehow
we do get to experience it. That re-
fers to the patterns of energies, that
form in the example of Tomasovic’s
cosmogony and apocalypse in a
peculiar imaginary order.
PRIMA MATERIA
—
IGOR GRZETIC

Center for Culture of the City of Krk

15. 4. 2016. - 30. 4. 2016.

42
Fantazmagorične ikonografije česte
su u materijaliziranim vizijama, bilo
da se materijalizaciju priziva riječju
iliti slikom, skulpturom, fotografi-
jom, filmom, a ponegdje ritualnim
plesom i performansom. Upravo
nam na to ukazuju svjetovi koji
svoje uporište pronalaze u prizori-
ma geneze i apokalipse, njihovim
alternativama i beskrajnom nizu
alternacija što ih vode snoviđenja,
halucinacije i magijsko-evokacij-
ske prakse. Dante Alighieri, John
Milton, Hieronymus Bosch, Jan
Mandyn ili Giuseppe Arcimboldo,
samo su neki od drevnih vizionara
na čijem su nasljeđu gradili pred-
stavnici novijih struja fantastike i
nadrealizma poput Yvesa Tanguyja,
Dade Đurića, Ernsta Fuchsa, Gigera,
Matthewa Barneyja ili Ridleyja
Scotta, dok u posljednje vrijeme
– vrijeme hipermodernističkog
neorealizma – sve češće susreće-
mo (ikonografski) srodne sadržaje
redefinirane mitom o biologiji
sukreiranoj injekcijom genetskog
inženjeringa. Sve nas to vodi do
jedne sasvim drugačije fantazme
(izmišljenog svijeta i njegovog
sadržaja), koja prema lacanovskoj
teorijskoj psihoanalizi predstavlja
čvor u kojem se spajaju želja i njezin
imaginarni objekt, a u čijoj strukturi
naziremo dvije istine: sadržaj opisiv
riječima i ono na svjesnoj razini
neizrecivo – nesimbolizirano. Prema
tome, lacanovski gledano, fantazam
se, govorimo li o svijetu likovnosti,
definira kao ekran koji proma-
trača odvaja od njegove realnosti,
postajući tako svojevrsnom formom
nesporazuma, što znači da slika, u
širem smislu značenja te riječi, ne
može vizualizirati stvarnost (čemu u
prilogu idu i Gombrichova zapa-
žanja), već, naprotiv, promatrača
i svijet koji ga okružuje razdvaja
putem vizualne konstrukcije.
43
Barijera koju u djelima Vice Toma-
sovića čini slikarsko platno potvr-
đuje spomenuto. Njegove vizije
ne predstavljaju svijet kakvim ga
vidimo, ili barem to mislimo, već
je on uokviren fantazmom. No, o
kakvoj se fantazmi radi? Nadove-
zujući se na sjevernjački manirizam
opterećen začudnošću i skrivenim
simbolizmom te najčešće dijaboličke
predodžbe suvremenih predstav-
nika fantastičke umjetnosti, poput
onih Gigerovih, koje u posve novu
relaciju, zaobilazeći etiku, dovode
estetiku i erotiku, Tomasović stvara
pejzaže lišene konkretnog prosto-
ra, ali ispunjene serijom hibridnih
entiteta međusobno povezanih
fizičkom interakcijom koja na-
posljetku navodi na jedno drevno
načelo – horror vacui. Taj temeljni
princip u aristotelovskoj fizici koji
tumači kako je sav prostor u cijelosti
ispunjen, motivirao je mnoge da se,
u pokušaju njezina dokidanja, suoče
s prazninom. Tako i Tomasović svoje
slikarske površine, od ruba do ruba,
ispunjava kišom humanoidnih bića,
isprepletenih varijacijama na teme
povezane s modificiranim oblicima
flore i faune. Taj pomno iskreiran
panteon, kojem dodatnu neobičnost
osigurava prihvaćanje načela (hiper)
realizma, mogao bi biti akterom
geneze iz zasad još uvijek nepoznate
verzije Petoknjižja koja otkriva evo-
luciju hibrida u oblike života kakve
danas znamo. Međutim, ako priču
postavimo invertno, Tomasovićeve
kreacije svjedoče nam o budućnosti
u kojoj smo s eksperimentiranjem
otišli predaleko, stvorivši može-
bitne bio-kiborge, agresivnu fuziju
životinje i biljke iliti biljke i čovjeka.
A možda su baš takvi entiteti nekad
nastanjivali Pannotiu, Rodiniu i
Pangeu, očuvavši se sve do danas
u formi arhetipa, kao naslijeđene
tendencije ljudskog uma da formira
mitološke motive. Kako bi ih što
vjernije kanalizirao, jer umjetnici
raspolažu tom vještinom, Tomasović
polazi od upečatljivih kolorističkih
kompozicija čija nemirna struktura
neprestance bježi promatračevu
pogledu, a čemu u prilog ide i njiho-
va monumentalnost (Iz ničega I i II),
da bi se potom okrenuo istraživanju
monokromone (Mi i oni), koja ga je
dovela do gotovo u potpunosti sivih
rješenja, bliskih hladnom gigerov-
skom bio-mehaničkom univerzumu
(Iz ničega III), što je dodatno poten-
cirano, kako sve većom zbijenošću
naslikanih tijela, tako i likovima
prijeteće ekspresije.

Odmaknemo li se sada od riječi-

ma opisivog segmenta fantazme,
dolazimo do trenutka u kojem se
suočavamo s onime što ne možemo
vidjeti, ali ipak možemo dokučiti!
To je istina o energetskim obrascima
(kao simbolima aktivnim u sferi ko-
lektivnog nesvjesnog) koji u slučaju
Tomasovićevih kozmogonijskih i/
ili apokaliptičnih kreacija formiraju
zaista jedinstveni imaginarni red.

44
45
COSMOGONY
—
LANA BEOVIC

Gallery Flora / Galerija Flora, Dubrovnik

12.03.2016. - 24.03.2016.

46
Introducing the opus of Vice To-
masović seems like a phantasma-
goric biology lesson from parallel
universe. His cosmogony has no
beginning or end (as is suggested
by the title itself), and the viewers
are confronted by an explosion of
creatures that encumber the optic
nerves and that suck the viewer in
the sea of bodies and details of the
canvas itself.
If we compare this series of
artworks with the paintings of
The real history of the world where
the author poses the question of
alternative life where animals and
plants would trade places (resulting
in human-like creatures called
Homo Herbe) we can see that he
has been continuously dealing
with the subject of the origins and
developments of life.
In Ex nihilo he deals with animal-
like versions of a potential
alternative evolution, and in the last
artwork he made, he takes another
step ‘forward’ in this evolutional
passage, and presents human-like
figures.
The main characteristic of Ex nihilo
III is, like in the previous paintings,
dispersion of life on undetermined
monochromatic backgrounds. There
the explosion of characters, that
seem to spread from a compressed
core and achieve dynamic composi-
tions by their diagonal positioning,
results in a vibrant horror vacui of
impressive dimensions. Obvious-
ly, one must view these acrylics
in person to understand their size
and also, to see that Ex nihilo III for
instance can be reorganized. The
two canvases, namely, function as
a whole regardless of the way in
which you set them together. These
47
artworks, therefore, have the pos-
sibility to be composed in different
ways. This very artwork is charac-
terized by the lack of coloring that
is present in other paintings by the
artist. Although it does “encumber
the optic nerve“ it does communi-
cate a sense of harmony as well.
Besides the aforementioned medi-
eval fear of the empty space, other
(sub)conscious influences can be
found in Tomasovic’s paintings,
such as Hieronymus Bosch, but
also organic suggestions of Ordan
Petlevski (even more present in
Tomasovic’s artworks) or sci-fi
moments of H.R. Giger. These
artworks disclose something new
every time a person is looking at
them. Also, there are references
to surrealism, like those to blank
spaces of Yves Tanguy or to unusual
characters of Max Ernst.
Since his characters evolve with
every new piece the artist creates,
we can only follow his course and
see in what ways this alchemist
will intrigue us with his alternative
worlds.
KOZMOGONIJA
—
LANA BEOVIĆ

Gallery Flora / Galerija Flora, Dubrovnik

12. 3. 2016. - 24. 3. 2016.

48
Upoznavanje s opusom Vice Toma-
sovića je poput fantazmagorične
lekcije iz biologije kakvog paralel-
nog univerzuma. Tomasovićeva
kozmogonijska priča nema početak
ni kraj (što sugerira sam naslov),
promatrači se susreću s eksplozijom
bića koja im vizualno opterećuju
očni živac te ih pritom uvlače u
prikaz gdje se pogled brzo izgubi u
primordijalnom moru tijela i detalja. je “napad na očni živac” još uvijek
Autor se kontinuirano bavi temati-
kom nastanka i razvoja života, što
je razvidno usporedimo li ciklus
Iz Ničega/Ex Nihilo sa ciklusom
Prava povijest svijeta u kojem autor
preispituje kakav bi evolucijski tijek
život imao kada bismo životinjsko
zamijenili biljnim, što rezultira u
humanoidnim bićima nazvanim
Homo Herbe.
U Ex Nihilu se pak zadržava na živo-
tinjskim verzijama potencijalnih al-
ternativno-evolucijskih aktera, dok
se u svom posljednjem radu, kojeg
premijerno izlaže na dubrovačkoj
izložbi, “najviše” popeo na evolu-
cijskoj ljestvici te, među ostalim,
prikazao niz humanoidnih figura.
Glavna odlika Ex Nihila III jest,
dosljedno dosadašnjim radovima iz
ciklusa, disperzija života na neodre-
đenim monokromnim pozadinama.
Eksplozija likova, koji kao da se šire
iz kakve komprimirane jezgre te
postizanje dinamičnosti njihovim
dijagonalnim pozicioniranjem,
rezultira u vibrantnom horror vacui
prikazu impresivnih dimenzija.
Osim činjenice da se Tomasovićevi
akrili na platnu moraju pogledati
uživo da bi se njihov opseg doživio u
potpunosti, važno je napomenuti da
je Ex Nihilo III rekomponibilna slika.
Naime, dva platna funkcioniraju kao
cjelina neovisno na kojoj su strani
49
pozicionirani u datom trenutku.
Prema tome rad – kao i naslikane
figure – ima potencijal bezbrojne
reprodukcije u svim smjerovima i
ulaženja u sferu ornamenta.
Indikativno za ovaj konkretan rad
je restriktivniji kolorit, odnosno
nedostatak istoga, što ne nalazimo
u ostatku Tomasovićeva opusa. Iako
uvelike prisutan, prikaz ipak odiše
svojevrsnom harmonijom.
Osim već spomenutog srednjovje-
kovnog straha od praznog prostora,
u Tomasovićevom rukopisu može-
mo iščitati niz svjesnih ili nesvjesnih
utjecaja. Referenca na Hieronymusa
Boscha je nezaobilazna, no može
se ići i korak dalje. Od organskih
sugestija Ordana Petlevskog – koje
kod Tomasovića nalazimo na većoj
skali – do znanstveno-fantastičnih
trenutaka H. R. Gigera, Tomasovi-
ćeva platna nam u svojim tisućama
likova svakim ponovnim gledanjem
otkrivaju nešto novo. Oslanjanje na
nadrealizam iz ranijih radova svaka-
ko je još uvijek prisutno – ništavilo
Yvesa Tanguya i basnoslovni likovi
Maxa Ernsta također pronalaze svoje
mjesto u autorovom imaginariju.
Kako Tomasovićevi likovi evoluiraju
u nepredvidivim smjerovima sva-
kim novim radom, tako je na nama
pratiti tijek razvoja ovog autora;
alkemičara koji će nas zasigurno još
dugo intrigirati svojim alternativ-
nim svjetovima.
OUT OF NOTHING
—
MORANA MATKOVIĆ

Lauba, Zagreb
11.03.2015. - 23.03.2015.

50
Fear of the empty space was a repeats this explosion of life trapped
characteristic of Romanic painting in the shoal of fish that the painter
that resulted in filling the can- uses to direct our attention to the
vases, book pages or walls with center of the canvas, to the sort of
antologies of herbal ornaments or dance of these unusual shapes that
animals, and where any possibil- celebrate the creation of life. The
ity for three-dimensionality was artist connects the medieval horror
constrained to the overlapping of vacui with his surrealist visions, and
surfaces. The surface of any of the also to his version of Croatian Naive
aforementioned media needed to Art that he realized in 2013. With
be filled completely in order to this peculiar mixture of surrealism,
exclude the space as a traditional, symbolism and elements of Roman-
linear background. Therefore, it esque painting, Tomasovic created
was important to choose the right a new visual language of some new
topic for the task. And how does it mythology.
all look in contemporary painting?
Vice Tomasović, for example, pro-
duces a peculiar visual world. More
precisely, the painting that gave the
title to the whole cycle and exhi-
bitions, Ex nihilo I/Out of Nothing I
is filled with thousands of fis, sea
creatures, octopuses, snails, turtles,
insects, and finally, all and every
kind of weird human-like crea-
tures minutely and patiently drawn
with acrylic paint. These figures
are placed on a branchy plant-like
drawing in the background. This
humorous imagery of tiny creatures
refers to the eternal cyclical pro-
cesses in nature, and cosmogonic
connotations are emphasized by the
title ‘Out of Nothing’. The viewer
drowns in these paintings and it is
indispensable to see them in person.
While creating a coherent visual
vocabulary, the artist states that
these phantasmagoric scenes are
real narratives belonging to world’s
history and future. In these mystical
messages, with all the quantity of
real and invented characters, plants
and animal-like figures in the suf-
focating atmosphere, the observer
is obliged to read their meanings
independently, and to create the
connections between the mythol-
ogies on the canvases. Ex nihilo II

51
IZ NIČEGA
—
MORANA MATKOVIĆ

Lauba, Zagreb
11. 3. 2015. - 23. 3. 2015.

52
Strah od praznog prostora karak- promatrač je primoran samostalno
teristika je romaničkog slikarstva čitati, ali i stvarati, veze među tim
gdje se iz straha od prazne pozadine naslikanim stvorenjima neke nove
platno, stranica knjige ili ploha zida mitologije. „Ex Nihilo II“ ponavlja
popunjavalo antologijom biljnih to bujanje života čovjekolikih bića
i životinjskih ukrasa čime je bilo zarobljenih u jatu riba kojima slikar
kakva mogućnost trodimenzional- uspješno usmjerava našu pažnju na
nosti svedena na preklapanje ploha. zbivanje u središtu platna, na svo-
Površinu na kojoj je umjetnik radio jevrsni ples tih neobičnih stvorenja
trebalo je ispuniti od rubova do koja slave stvaranje života. Iz blijede
rubova i isključiti svaku iluziju pro- sive pozadine kreira kretanje svojih
stornosti, čime se tema nametnula likova kako bi nastalo stvaranje
kao najvažnija stavka. A kako izgle- života. Srednjovjekovni „horror
da „horror vacui“ u suvremenom vacui“ u njegovim se radovima
slikarstvu? Ispunjavajući prostor spaja s nadrealističkim vizijama i
slike, Vice Tomasović stvara speci- suludom verzijom hrvatske naive
fičan vizualni svijet. Točnije, slika ranije ostvarenu u radovima iz
po kojoj je i izložba dobila naziv „Ex 2013. Neobičnim spojem nadrea-
Nihilo I / Iz ničega I“ fantazija je lizma, simbolizma kao i elemenata
sastavljena od tisuća ribica, morskih romaničkog slikarstva Tomasović je
bića, hobotnica, pa onda puževa, slikajući stvorio slikarski jezik neke
kornjača i kukaca, te konačno čud- nove mitologije.
nih čovjekolikih stvorenja minuci-
ozno i strpljivo iscrtanih akrilom, a
ispod svega kao da se nazire biljni
razgranati oblik koji tvori dublju
kompoziciju. Duhoviti imaginarij
sićušnih bića na velikom formatu
upućuje na proces vječnog cikličkog
kruženja u prirodi, a kozmogonij-
ske konotacije pobuđuje i naziv „Iz
ničega“. U njegovim se slikama
promatrač utapa. Stoga, njegove
je slike doista nužno promatrati
u originalu jer reprodukcije, bez
obzira na njihov format, nemaju to
mogućnost uvlačenja promatrača.
Nemoguće ih je sagledati iz daljine
i nemoguće je zadržati pogled samo
na nekom detalju. Stvarajući jedin-
stven vizualni vokabular, Tomasović
stvara fantazmagorične svjetove za
koje tvrdi da su stvarni prikazi iz
zemaljske povijesti i budućnosti. On
stvara basne s mističnim poruka-
ma. S obzirom na svu tu količinu
stvarnih i izmišljenih likova, biljnih
i životinjskih oblika, u atmosfe-
ri koja guši i osvaja istovremeno,

53
OUT OF NOTHING
—
PETAR GRIMANI

City Museum in Omis/Gradski muzej Omiš,

20. 12. 2014. - 20. 1. 2015.

54
Every written language was
preceded by an image, and the
universal language of an image
serves to Vice Tomasović as the
starting point to clarify his own
relationship to the outside world,
but also to the interior. These
worlds are intertwined and receive
new possibilities in the medium of
the painting. The artist here is aware
of his own playfulness that leads
us to the dynamic and challenging
dialogue and the visual plunging.

The paintings if firstly the object

defined by the artist, but also the
object of interest we as public
observe. While looking at the
paintings, we experience certain
reactions that can provoke other
reactions. New hybrid signs are
formed and words are not enough to
describe what we see. Tomasovic’s
narrative is based on the fact that
visually we recognize the details
of his motifs, but the final result of
our pictorial and artistic experience
goes beyond visual, goes into the
direction of something that we were
not able to see with our eyes. This is
the point after which a new journey
begins, where the painting is not
only an object, but a new life that
asks for additional research.

55
OUT OF NOTHING
—
PETAR GRIMANI

- City Museum in Omis/Gradski muzej Omiš,

20. 12. 2014. - 20. 1. 2015.

56
Svakom pisanom jeziku je pret-
hodila slika, a upravo univerzalni
jezik slike služi Vici Tomasovi-
ću kao polazište za razjašnjenje
vlastitog odnosa prema vanjskom
svijetu i onom unutarnjem. Njegovi
se svjetovi isprepleću i dobivaju
mogućnost života upravo u mediju
slike odnosno vizualnog. Svjestan je
vlastite zaigranosti kojom nas uvodi
u dinamičan i vremenski zahtjevan
dijalog te vizualna poniranja.

Slika prvo postaje predmet kojeg je

definirao umjetnik, zatim je slika
objekt interesa kojeg promatramo.
Dolazi do reakcije u nama koja može
isprovocirati dodatne reakcije. Stva-
raju se novi hibridni znakovi te riječi
prestaju biti dovoljne za opis onog
što vidimo. Narativ Vicinih slika
hvata se na činjenicu da mi vizualno
prepoznajemo detalje motiva, ali
ukupni rezultat je nešto što nismo
nikada vidjeli niti smo za to imali
priliku. Tu započinje putovanje u
slici i slika više nije samo objekt,
već neki novi život koji nas tjera na
daljnje istraživanje. 

57
WITTY IMAGERY AND THE
TITLE OF THE CHIEF
—
IVAN DOROTIĆ
There are paintings you
see only a couple of
times, and yet, they
settle in your memory so
firmly that you remember
their colors and com-
position and even with
your eyes closed you feel
like you could visualize
them and almost sketch
them. Regardless of their
plastic presence in your
memory, you could look
at them for hours. And,
on the other hand, there
is one painting some-
times, that you feel
like you need to look at,
for hours, that compris-
es thousands of other
paintings, and that in no
occasion you could ever
sketch. The one that cre-
ates not only one world,
but offers an endless
discovery.
Discovery – that may be
my favourite term con-
nected to this series of
articles because, de-
spite the fact we live
in a small country and
despite our ‘small’ art
scene, the process of
discovering of new names
and new visual languages,
new people and projects,
The interview Vice Tomasović gave to Ivan Dorotic for
Vizkultura, taken from https://vizkultura.hr/duhoviti-
imaginarij-i-titula-poglavice/
58
energies (that, in the
end of the day, holds the
meaning behind typing of
these letters) never ends.
Vice Tomasović is a
versatile artist from
Omis, whose impressive
and authentic painting
Ex nihilo, exhibited for
the first time at last
year’s edition of Youth
Salon in the venue of
Croatian Association of
Visual Artists in Zagreb,
induced this discovery.
It induced firstly the
discovery of all the de-
tails, figures, segments
and motifs that this
praised artwork compris-
es. It induced also the
discovery of the enviable
opus by this multidis-
ciplinary young artist,
who today is a painter,
tomorrow a performance
artist, the day after
tomorrow a sculpture, and
then the president of the
most important profes-
sional organization in
the seconda largest city
in Croatia. To be clear,
he does everything at the
same time. Below you can
read the interview with
the artist.
 On the last year’s edi-
tion of Youth Salon we
have seen for the first
time your painting. Then
we have presented your
work in our category AR-
TODROM, and I think that
people from Lauba also
saw your work for the
first time just there.
How important this exhi-
bition was for you, and
what do you think about
this manifestation in
general: from one side
as a platform for pro-
motion of young authors,
and from the other as
an event that last year,
was discussed a lot in
artistic circles due to
its curatorial concept?
VT: This was my first presentation to
the public in Zagreb and because of
that it was extremely important for
me. Before this I have never exhib-
ited outside Split and Omis, besides
my participation at Performance
Art Festival in Osijek. Therefore,
this is an exceptional opportunity
for every unknown artist to present
their work to a wider audience. I also
support controversial curatorial con-
cepts because of the PR impact they
have. The previous, 32nd edition
potentiated a confrontation between
the trendy and real contemporary
art, but I don’t see that as a problem,
just as the curator of the exhibition
Feđa Gavrilović explained, I see it as
a confrontation between preferenc-
es of the market and the authentic
authors’ expressions.
After this exhibition,
your ‘second’ solo
representation was the
exhibition at Lauba. Can
we say that this was the
most important success
59
in your career, when it
comes to the ‘reaching
to a wider audience’?
How important Lauba was
for you? What happened
afterwards?
VT: Regarding my exhibitions,
Lauba is definitely the most import-
ant step. It is a prestigious brand
towards which many yonug artists
strive. Therefore I support this new
project, Laubaland, by Mr. Kličko,
because it offers an opportunity to
young Croatian contemporary art-
ists to be exhibited alongside great
names of Croatian contemporary
art, and I am very grateful that they
chose my exhibition to start this
project. That comes as a confirma-
tion of the road I have taken and as
an encouragement to continue this
way with my paintings. I hope now
it will be at least a little bit easier to
realize future exhibitions, perfor-
mances and collaborations.
Let’s go to your art-
works. One can say that
all the motifs you used
before as single charac-
ters on ‘empty’ back-
grounds now evolved and
exploded into multitude
of figures in your new-
est works at the exhibi-
tion Ex nihilo? How this
process developed?
VT: I still cannot get rid of the main
character in the painting, but now
it is drowned in the dispersion
of smaller figures and it is not so
easily visible. The backgrounds of
my paintings were always cold and
lifeless, with main figure in the
center. First I was painting some
amorphic characters in the dark
oceanic depths, but now it seems
that I developed these creatures
and that they are coming out in
the deserted and cold landscapes
in order to later fly away to space.
Now I’m doing a reboot with all the
grey backgrounds that symbolize
nothingness out of which many
living beings are being generated.
Many of these beings one could
have already seen in my previous
paintings and sculptures. Evolution
is a process to which I as an artist
like to come back. I am especially
interested in alternative models of
creation and evolution, as well as in
future ways of life. I must add that
I do not believe in coincidences, I
think coincidence as an explanation
of these questions is just an illusion
of the moment in which you do not
know the answers, so I am trying to
ask why things are the way they are.
I can see an almost perfect order
in universe, and that disorder we
call chaos is perceived as such only
because we do not understand it.
How did you actually
start to work on these
paintings, what was the
starting point, the first
trigger, inspiration?
VT: I was always fascinated by
medieval painting because of the
fantastic themes, colors and over-
saturated compositions. I planned
for a long time to use horror vacui
in my paintings, but I did not have
enough will and determination
to spend so much time on one
artwork, because I like to see fast
results. I used to finish the paint-
ings in a day or two. But in the end
I gathered courage and started to
work on the biggest format pos-
sible than, that was conditioned
by the size of the door of the room
I worked in at the time. The first
painting Ex nihilo is composed of the
three panels of that size, so the final
dimensions of the artwork are 200 x
270 cm. Even before I used to pro-
duce large installations composed
60
by the multitude of smaller figures
so I just used that principle in these
paintings. The painting Ex nihilo II
has smaller dimensions but I applied
the aerial perspective to achieve the
sense of depth. However, I started
working from the characters in the
back of the painting and I painted
over them the figures in the first
plane so unfortunately many details
of the process are los tin the end.
Since I work without any kind of
sketch or drawing whatsoever, I can
think only few steps ahead, because
there are too many variables due
to the complexity of the apparent
conglomerate of composition.
What looks impressive to
me, besides the motifs
and energy themselves,
is really the question
of the time one needs to
create a painting like
this? Also, is there an
approximate number of
creatures that is pres-
ent on the canvases?
VT: I have never counted the figures
in the paintings, I’m not craty
(laughter). There are definitely more
than a thousand in every painting.
I was painting the first canvas from
this series for two years, and I was
working on one character at the
time, so I would start creating a
new figure only when I would finish
the one I was working on. That was
a real struggle. To tell the truth, I
made ninty percent of the painting
in three months, but I was finish-
ing it for additional twenty-one
months, by doing these repetitive
fish piled into clusters. I had a
feeling I was not satisfied with the
painting in which I had invested
so much time. I had the feeling it
was not finished, although every-
body was saying otherwise. In the
meantime I worked on other things
too, so I did not give myself to that
one completely. I worked on Out
of Nothing III eight hours a day and
that one was done in one month,
but there I was working on many
character at the same time and
only in the end I would finish them
individually. When I start working
on Out of Nothing III I know how to
solve these problems so I hope I will
need even less time.
For these works some say
that they are “a bizarre
version of Croatian Naive
Art“, others talk about
“contemporary and eccen-
tric Hieronymus Bosch“,
and some people see “mi-
nutely painted and humor-
ous imagery“. What would
you say about your paint-
ings, where would you put
them stylistically?
VT: What do you say about “new
Croatian Surrealism“? I’m kid-
ding, obviously (laughter). There is
some truth in all of the mentioned
comments: I like ‘bizarre Croatian
Naive Art’ because of the honesty
and truthfulness of the style and its
almost archaical mysticism, how-
ever, I don’t like the connotation
because of the non-professional and
non-academic technical realiza-
tion that it evokes. Bosch is a great
role model and inspiration, but I
think that he was a little bit more
eccentric than I am. I like the most
the third comment, that is a good
description. I would mention that
the paintings seem abstract until
one gets closer and understands
that they are figural; maybe we
could call them figural abstractions,
as funny as it may sound at the first
glance (laughter)!
I think that paintings
Ex nihilo can suck the
viewer int his world and
61
entertain him for quite
long, and I am sure they
do not need any descrip-
tion. But, if you had to,
how would you describe
these paintings that you
exhibited at Lauba?
VT: I did not want to put labels next
to the paintings in order not to
influence visitors’ interpretations
with mine. I like to see what kind
of explanations and meanings a
painting can obtain from visitors’
funds of ideas, symbols and conno-
tations. I think in those situations
the paintings are most powerful.
To tell the truth the paintings show
post-mythological models of origins
of the world, and there are also
pseudo-scientific explanations: Ge-
nealogy is an assemblage that serves
as a basis to present, like an ento-
mologic collection or herbarium,
models of plant-like prehistoric man
in circle composition that seems like
a ritual. I call these plant-like ani-
mals Homoherbe, and they represent
a theoretical model of a living being
that could have perhaps existed in
the past, and from which contem-
porary plants, animals, and finally
humans evolved.
Your art comprises also
performance pieces.
This is something very
different form painting,
more alive, and somehow
seems to call for a more
active reaction. How im-
portant this segment of
your work is to you, and
which performance would
you indicate as the most
important so far?
VT: I think of performance art as
something incredibly serious and
I carry out only one per year. My
performances are very pictorial and
theatrical, I use masks, different
kinds of special outfits and para-
phernalia produced separately for
every show. I did eight performanc-
es so far from 2007, and every has
its own worth. I will mention only
the one from Performance Art Fest
in Osijek, although that may not be
the most important one. It is called
Herbal Origin Theory, and I men-
tion this one because it is closely
related to the theme of origins and
the latest work exhibited at Lauba.
During the performance I dissected
five creatures, starting from simple
limestone creatures, to plant-and-
human-like creatures and, finally, a
man. Every model had inner organs
and body liquids. Homoherbe have
golden blood and they represent
intelligent living beings that lived
without any need for consumma-
tion of foods except light and water,
so they represent the most perfect
biological creature after which
comes the decay to the present
humans with red blood. This is of
course a poetical interpretation of
the origin theory and I do not seri-
ously believe in anything similar.
Do you have a prob-
lem with different
professional engage-
ments you have, on one
side multi-medial and
multi-disciplinary art,
and on the other a bu-
reaucratic role? Do you
manage to do everything
or are you afraid that
in the end one or the
other needs to suffer in
terms of quality?
VT: I follow my inner instinct and
sometimes I paint everyday for
months and do not do anything
else, or I sculpt for weeks without
touching an paint brush, and then I
create a video or an installation for
days. However, I do use multiple
62
media simultaneously also, there
are no strict rules. The ‘problem’
comes with non-artistic obliga-
tions so I need to plan my time and
coordinate my commitments well.
At this moment I am neglecting
my art because I spend most of my
time working as the president of
the Croatian Association of Visual
Artists in Split.
Yes, you have been ap-
pointed to a position of
the president. How did
you actually become a
candidate, and in what
measure is this ‘title’
important for you? How
difficult is it and what
do you expect from your-
self during this mandate?
VT: I decided to run for president
because I was afraid that the former
leadership with their business
model would shut down this sev-
enty-year-old organization. Many
members saw this problem and they
wanted a change, but almost no-
body was willing to do something.
I understood the title of the ‘chief’
of the organization as a calling and
I decided to devote myself com-
pletely to this honorable service.
The assembly recognized this and
gave me their trust. Now I and the
fantastic executive board have great
responsibility, because there is great
legacy and 350 artists to look after.
What would you name as the big-
gest problem of the organization,
and what would you point out as
elements that need to be redefined?
What are you going to focus on?
VT: For the past 20 years the orga-
nization was managing the exhibi-
tion venue in the basements of the
Diocletian’s palace in Split, but last
year the city of Split did not renew
the contract and has evicted the
organization from there illegally.
The organization cam to possession
of the venue when it was devastat-
ed, and it refurbished it. Seventy
percent of the tickets’ profits were
given to the city. This was also the
only source of income for the or-
ganization and that was not a good
thing because this money was not
invested well by the former lead-
ership and the organization did not
participate in public tenders with
good projects. That is the reason
that in this year we do not have any
source of income. Luckily, we have
some funds that we need to allocate
strategically until we get new funds.
Art scene in Split. I
think this could be a
topic for a series of ar-
ticles. How do you see it
in today’s context?
VT: Art scene in Split is very lively
and peculiar. Art in Split knows no
borders so it is difficult to tell where
ordinary life ends and art begins.
This city does not support elitism in
any form because we do not accept
any grandiosity bigger than our
inflated ego. Therefore we have con-
frontations because of our famous
character also in the art world. Our
art is characterized by eclecticism of
different and opposing styles and it
is not enough valorized on the na-
tional level. We need to amend this
urgently because we have so much to
give to the national and international
scene. Unfortunately, it seems that
we do not want anybody else.
Is art scene in Split
closed to outsiders? Do
you have exhibitions and
events consumed more or
less by the same people
that generate them, and
if yes, is there need to
get out of this bubble?
How can this escape
happen?
63
VT: The art scene in Split is some-
what autistic, it is too introverted.
We are trying to solve this problem
in several phases, the first one is this
year’s Split Salon, but it is too early
to talk about it. In the meantime
we are constantly working on the
popularization of contemporary
art outside of art circles. However,
classical media such as painting and
sculpture are present everywhere
because we have a known scene,
especially in sculpture. We are just
making plans and strategies how to
brand our specific style with several
big exhibitions in the near future.
We are planning to burst our bubble,
and you will hear it well!
From the perspective
of the former student,
how do you see the
Academy of Fine Arts in
Split? What do you think
about the visibility of
it’s graduates on the
national level, with
regards to exhibitions,
awards?
VT: I finished the program in fine
arts so I can judge only that seg-
ment, and I was very satisfied. The
pedagogy department has a great
and long tradition in Split, because
in the last seventy years of the
University in Split, it was one of the
pillars of the humanities and arts in
the city and the region. I received a
good theoretical basis and enough
practice thanks to many good
professors, and it was my duty in
free time to work as other students,
if not even more. Regarding other
departments, I cannot say too much
because I didn’t take part in their
system, but I think that too many
authors graduate that are not pre-
pared for our small market. Many
of my colleagues were obliged to
work in another field outside the art
world, and that is a problem in the
whole country, but in Split it is a
chronic issue.
What about young
authors in Split? What
is the quality of this
fresh graduates? Would
you name somebody as
particularly important?
VT: There are many good young art-
ists and those somewhat older, but
it would not be fair to distinguish
one individual. You will hear about
them in the future surely.
You are the organiz-
er of the festival of
contemporary art Almissa
Open Air. Contemporary
art in Omis? It sounds
abstract and surreal,
but it works for 5 years
already. Can you de-
scribe it, what di d you
do there and what are
the plans for the next
festival?
VT: When we started the project in
2010, the city was completely cut
out from contemporary art events.
Almost the whole budget for culture
was spent on group dinners, and
they ate a lot. We reacted to this by
organizing a manifestation in the
very city centre, where we gathered
provocative experimental musicians
and performance artists to create
art among the restaurants’ tables:
somebody was eating art, others
were improvising in situ, and some
were performing alternative music.
The second edition had its culmi-
nation on the fortress Mirabela on
top of the city, where we hosted
the biggest names of the concep-
tual art scene from Split. Then one
could have seen in the same night a
great number of different artworks,
especially performance pieces and
installations. This climax showed to
64
be a great thing so we succeeded in
doing the same thing with national
art champions after five years as the
peak of the Omis Cultural Summer
event known today as the Almissa
Annuale. However, many people
still don’t recognize us as an artistic
performance. This year the topic of
the festival is independence and it
is going to take place at the Island
of Love in the canyon of the river
Cetina, no man’s land, that is flood-
ed in winter so nobody can claim
it legally. The artists are paying for
their own travel expenses and will
create art from materials found at
the very place. We did not want to
have any sponsors this year and we
are doing the festival without any
budget, completely independently,
only with the power of art.
Is there an interest in
the city administra-
tion or from sponsors
to finance this unique
event in Omis? Also, who
is your audience? Did
the festival create some
new audiences in Omis,
intrigued and interested
in contemporary art?
VT: So far we had the help of the City
administration, Ministry of Culture,
Tourism Board and private spon-
sors. We are grateful to all of them,
but this year it just did not fit our
concept. I think it is important to
show how much one can do just out
of love. The invited artists are paying
for their own travel expenses and I
hope many will come in spite oft hat.
The audience was never a mass and
that is no tour goal. The fortress itself
cannot receive more than one hun-
dred visitors at a time, and this year
we want to have even less visitors at
the Island of Love because we do not
want to pollute the beautiful nature,
but we want to have as much as
documentation and multimedial
materials as possible.
In the end, what can
we expect from you
in this 2015, a year
that, as it seems, has
been very good for you
so far?
VT: It could not have started any
better so I am optimistic. The
Croatian Association of Visual
Artists is planning several inter-
esting projects this year, and I
plan to do couple of exhibitions
outside of Split. Festival in Omis
is growing, I am reflecting on this
year’s performance piece… There
will be many things to organize
and I truly like that, but if I only
could paint a good painting or
two this year, that would be
great!

65
DUHOVITI IMAGINARIJ
I TITULA POGLAVICE
—
IVAN DOROTIĆ
Postoje slike koje vidi-
te tek par puta, zarežu
vam se u pamćenje čvrsto
i snažno, znate im boje
i kompoziciju, zatvori-
te oči i vizualizirate
ih, gotovo da biste ih
mogli skicirati. I bez
obzira na to što vam
tako upečatljivo stoje u
memoriji, mogli biste u
njih gledati satima. A
onda se ponekad dogodi
jedna, u koju ste pri-
morani gledati satima,
koja je tisuće slika u
jednoj slici, koju ni u
ludilu ne biste mogli ni
znali naskicirati. Koja
ne stvara jedan, nego
bezbroj svjetova, i nudi
beskrajno otkrivanje.
Otkrivanje – upravo je
to možda najdraži pojam
vezan za moju priču za
Vizkulturu jer, unatoč
maloj zemlji i ‘maloj’
sceni, proces otkrivanja
novih imena i novih
izričaja, novih ljudi i
novih projekata, nove
energije (koja na kraju
dana jest smisao tipkanja
Razgovor Vice Tomasovića s Ivanom Dorotićem za web-portal
Vizkultura. Izvor: https://vizkultura.hr/duhoviti-
imaginarij-i-titula-poglavice/
66
ovih slova) valjda nikad
ne prestaje.
Vice Tomasović je
svestrani omiški
umjetnik čija me zarazno
dojmljiva, zanatski
impresivna i motivski
autentična slika “Ex
Nihilo”, premijerno
predstavljena na lanjskom
Salonu Mladih u HDLU-u,
potaknula na otkrivanje.
Prvotno na otkrivanje
svih detalja, bića,
segmenata i motiva koji
čine ovaj hvaljeni
rad, ali kasnije i na
otkrivanje zavidnog opusa
multidisciplinarnog
mladog autora koji je
danas slikar, sutra
performer, preksutra
kipar, a dan iza toga
predsjednik najvažnije
strukovne umjetničke
udruge u drugom najvećem
hrvatskom gradu. Točnije,
svakog dana sve to
u jednom. U nastavku
pročitajte razgovor s
umjetnikom o kojem će se,
nadam se, u svakom od
ovih navedenih konteksta,
još puno pisati.
 Na prošlogodišnjem
Salonu mladih smo prvi
put zapazili tvoju
sliku, pa te potom
predstavili u našoj
kategoriji ARTODROM,
a čini mi se da je i
ekipa iz Laube tamo
prvotno uočila tvoj
rad. Koliko ti je bilo
važno predstavljanje
na Salonu mladih i
kakvo je tvoje viđe-
nje te manifestacije,
s jedne strane kao
platforme za promo-
ciju mladih autora,
a s druge strane kao
događaja koji je lani,
zbog koncepta, podigao
dosta bure u umjetnič-
kim krugovima?
Salon mladih je bilo moje prvo
predstavljanje zagrebačkoj pu-
blici i zbog toga je za mene bio
izuzetno značajan. Prije Salona
nisam izlagao izvan Splita i Omi-
ša, izuzev Osječkog Performans
art festivala. Salon mladih je
izuzetna prilika za neafirmirane
umjetnike da se predstave široj
publici pa pozdravljam kontro-
verzne koncepte zbog medijskog
odjeka kojeg izazivaju. Prethodni
32. Salon mladih je potencirao
sukob trendovske pomodnosti i
prave suvremene umjetnosti, ali
ja ne vidim taj sukob kao vješti-
nu izvedbe, nasuprot banalne
dosjetke kao što to obrazlaže sami
kustos Salona Feđa Gavrilović,
već ga vidim kao sukob tržišnih
preferencija i autentičnog autor-
skog izričaja.
Nakon Salona tvoje
‘drugo’ pojavljivanje
odmah je samostalna
izložba u Laubi. Mo-
žemo li reći da je ovo
67
izlaganje u Laubi, iz
perspektive ‘dolaska’
do nekog širokog kruga
publike, najveći uspjeh
u tvojoj karijeri?
Koliko ti je ono važno
i sve ono što se kao
posljedica dogodilo?
Što se tiče moje izlagačke karijere
izložba u Laubi zaista jest najdalje
do čega sam došao. Lauba je ipak
prestižan brand kojemu mnogi
od nas mladih umjetnika stre-
mi. Zato pozdravljam ovaj novi
projekt gospodina Klička zvan La-
ubaland, u kojem će biti moguće
vidjeti mlade nade naše likovne
scene, uz bok velikim imenima
suvremene hrvatske umjetnosti, i
jako sam zahvalan što su s mojom
izložbom krenuli u taj ciklus. To
mi dolazi kao potvrda i ohrabrenje
da nastavim ovim putem kojim
sam krenuo u najnovijoj fazi mo-
jega slikarstva. Nadam se da će mi
sada biti bar malo lakše ostvariti
buduće izložbe, performanse i
suradnje.
‘Ajmo na tvoje radove.
Moglo bi se reći da su
svi neki motivi koje
si do sada radio, kao
zasebne figure na ‘pra-
znim’ pozadinama, sada
evoluirali, umnožili se
i gotovo ‘eksplodira-
li’ na ovim najnovijim
radovima s izložbe “Iz
ničega”. Kako je tekao
taj proces, od (jedne)
figure do ovog nepre-
glednog mnoštva?
I dalje se ne mogu riješiti glav-
noga lika na slici makar je on
sada utopljen u disperziju manjih
bića i teško ga je odmah vidjeti.
Pozadine mojih radova su uvijek
bile hladne i beživotne, s glavnim
likom u prvome planu. Prvo su to
bili nekakvi amorfni likovi uro-
njeni u tamne oceanske dubine,
nakon čega sve više konkretizira-
ni izlaze na puste i hladne pejzaže,
da bi poslije odletjeli u svemirska
prostranstva. Sada radim rebo-
ot pomoću sivih pozadina koje
simboliziraju ništavilo, iz kojeg
nastaju brojna živa bića koja
su se mogla susresti i u mojim
prijašnjim slikama i skulptura-
ma. Evolucija je proces kojem se
često vraćam kroz umjetničko
djelovanje, pogotovo me zanima-
ju alternativni modeli nastanka
i razvoja, kao i budući oblici
postojanja. Inače ne vjerujem u
slučajnost, mislim da je ona iluzija
sadašnjeg trenutka, pa me zanima
zašto su stvari upravo ovakve
kakve jesu. Vidim gotovo savršeni
red u Svemiru, a i onaj nered koji
nazivamo kaos je također uređen
samo što nismo toliko pronicljivi
da ga shvatimo.
Kako je uopće započeo
rad na ovim posljed-
njim radovima o kojima
pričaš, od čega si
krenuo, što je bio
neki osnovni ‘trigger’
odnosno inspiracija?
Oduvijek me je fasciniralo
srednjovjekovno slikarstvo zbog
fantastičnih tema, kolorita i
pretrpanih kompozicija. Horror
vacui sam dugo planirao ukompo-
nirati u moje slikarstvo, ali nisam
imao dovoljno volje posvetiti
se jednome radu toliko dugo
jer volim vidjeti brze rezultate.
Slike sam završavao za dan-dva.
Na kraju sam skupio hrabrosti i
megalomanski krenuo u najveći
format koji je tada bio moguć, a
bio je određen veličinom vrata
moje sobe u kojoj sam tada radio.
Prva slika Iz Ničega sastavljena je
od tri takva panela, pa je konačna
68
veličina slike 200 x 270 cm. I prije
sam radio velike instalacije koje
su sastavljene od mnoštva manjih
figurica pa sam isti princip prenio
i na slike. Slika Iz Ničega II je
manjih dimenzija te sam atmos-
ferskom perspektivom dodao
dimenziju dubine, ali krenuo sam
od stražnjih likova preko kojih
sam preslikavao sve bliže figure
čime sam na žalost morao prekriti
mnoge zanimljive momente u svr-
hu očuvanja ravnoteže. Kako ra-
dim bez ikakve skice i plana mogu
razmišljati samo nekoliko koraka
unaprijed, jer je previše varijabli
zbog kompleksnosti prividnog
konglomerata kompozicije.
Ono što meni, uz same
motive i energiju,
djeluje zaista impre-
sivno kod ovih dviju
‘mnogoljudnih’ sli-
ka je pitanje koliko
traje proces rada na
jednoj ovakvoj sli-
ci, koliko dugo se ona
stvara, i postoji li
neka aproksimativna
brojka bića koja se na
svakoj od njih nalaze?
Nisam nikada brojao likove na
ovim slikama, pa nisam lud
(smijeh). Sigurno ih ima preko
tisuću na svakoj. Prvu sliku sam
radio dvije godine, s tim da sam
radio lik po lik, dakle tek kada bi
potpuno dovršio životinju krenuo
bi dalje, na sljedeću. To je bila
borba. Zapravo sam devedeset
posto slike napravio u tri mjese-
ca, a dovršavao sam ju dvadeset i
jedan mjesec, pomoću repetitiv-
nih ribica koje sam nagomilavao
u klastere, jer nikako nisam bio
zadovoljan slikom u koju sam
uložio toliko vremena. Nisam
imao osjećaj da je gotova, iako su
me svi uvjeravali u suprotno. U
međuvremenu sam radio i druge
stvari, dakle nisam joj se do kraja
prepustio. Iz Ničega II sam radio
osam sati dnevno svaki dan i
bila je gotova za mjesec dana, s
razlikom da sam radio mnogo li-
kova odjedanput te sam ih tek na
kraju dovršavao. Kada se odlučim
krenuti u boj sa slikom Iz Ničega
III znat ću brže prevladati neke od
ovih prepreka pa će mi, nadam se,
trebati još manje vremena.
Za ove tvoje radove o
kojima pričamo neki će
reći “bizarna verzi-
ja hrvatske naive”,
drugi kažu “suvremeni
i pomaknuti Hieronymus
Bosch”, a treći “minu-
ciozno naslikan duho-
viti imaginarij”. Kako
bi ti okarakterizirao
tvoje radove i gdje bi
ih stilski smjestio?
Što kažete na „Novi hrvatski
nadrealizam“? Zezam se, naravno
(smijeh). Ima istine u sve tri kla-
sifikacije: bizarna hrvatska naiva
mi se sviđa u smislu iskrenosti
izričaja i gotovo arhaične mistike,
makar ne volim konotaciju nea-
kademske izvedbe koju priziva,
tj. manjka slikarskog metjea. Hie-
ronimus Bosch mi je veliki uzor
i inspiracija, ali mislim da je on
ipak malo pomaknutiji od mene.
Ipak da mi se najviše dopada ova
treća klasifikacija minuciozno
naslikan duhoviti imaginarij, to je
dobar opis. Spomenimo i da se
slike doimaju apstraktne dok im
se ne približimo i shvatimo da su
figurativne, pa ih možemo klasifi-
cirati i kao figurativne apstrakcije
koliko god to na prvi mah čudno
zvučalo! (smijeh)
Čini mi se da slike s
izložbe Iz Ničega mogu
potpuno uvući gleda-
69
telja u taj naslikani
svijet, i zabaviti ga
u istraživanju po-
prilično dugo, pa sam
siguran da ne treba-
ju nikakav opis. No
kada moraš, kako u par
rečenica opisuješ ove
svoje radove predstav-
ljene u Laubi?
Na izložbi nisam stavljao legen-
de pokraj slika da ne nametnem
gledatelju odmah moju interpre-
taciju. Volim kada slika rezonira
s gledateljevim fundusom ideja,
simbola i konotacija, tada dolazi
do najsnažnijih impresija. U biti su
na slikama prikazani post-mito-
loški modeli postanka, ali imamo
i kvazi znanstvene modele: Gene-
alogija je assamblage na kojemu su
poput entomološke zbirke ili her-
barija postavljeni modeli biljnoga
pračovjeka u kružnu kompoziciju
koja asocira na nekakav ritual.
Te biljne životinje koje nazi-
vam Homoherbama predstavljaju
teoretski model živoga bića koje
je moglo postojati u zemaljskoj
prošlosti, a iz kojega evolucijskim
stablom nastaju suvremene biljke,
životinje i na kraju ljudi.
Tvoje umjetničko
djelovanje podrazumi-
jeva i performanse.
Taj segment izražava-
nja nešto je potpuno
drugačije od slikar-
stva, življe, i na
neki način ‘spremno’
za direktniju reakci-
ju. Koliko ti je taj
segment izražavanja
važan te koji bi svoj
rad našim čitateljima,
koji nisu upoznati s
tvojim radom, ista-
knuo kao najvažniji do
sada?
Performansima pristupam jako oz-
biljno i radim samo jedan godišnje.
Moji performansi su veoma likovni
i teatralni, te u njima koristim
maske, odjela i rekvizite koje
radim specijalno za izvedbu. Do
sada sam ih upriličio osam, dakle
radim ih od 2007. godine i svaki
je posebno vrijedan na svoj način.
Spomenuti ću samo kao primjer
ovaj već spomenuti s Perormance
Art Festa u Osijeku, makar to nije
najvažniji dosadašnji rad u ovom
mediju. Naziva se Teorija Biljnoga
Podrijetla, a ističem ga jer je usko
vezan uz tematiku postanka i ovaj
posljednji spomenuti rad iz Laube.
U performansu sam secirao pet bića
počevši od jednostavnih vapnenač-
kih, preko biljnih hominida te na
kraju čovjeka. Svi modeli su imali
unutarnje organe i tjelesne tekući-
ne. Homoherbe koje imaju zlatnu
krv predstavljaju inteligentna živa
bića koja su živjela bez potrebe za
konzumacijom ičega osim svjetlosti
i vode, pa tako predstavljaju najsa-
vršenije biološko biće nakon kojega
slijedi pad na sadašnji dominirajući
oblik stvorova sa željeznom tj.
crvenom krvlju. Ovo je poetska
razina interpretacije stvarnosti i
naravno da ne vjerujem da su ova-
kva biljna bića zaista i postojala.
Imaš li problem s
multidisciplinarnošću
svojih angažmana, s
jedne strane umjetnič-
kom stvaranju kroz više
autorskih niša, a odne-
davno i ovom nazovimo
ga ‘birokratskim’ anga-
žmanom. Stigneš li sve,
i bojiš li se da jedna
disciplina odnosno
angažman ‘pati’ zbog
drugog, po pitanju kva-
litete i ispunjenosti
zadanih kriterija?
70
Ja radim po unutarnjem impulsu,
nekada mjesecima svakodnevno
slikam i ne radim ništa drugo,
zatim par tjedana radim skulpture
bez da taknem kist, pa se uhvatim
videa ili instalacija danima. No
ipak, ponekad radim u više medija
odjednom, kako koji dan ili kako
koji sat, nema pravila. Problem
nastaje zbog obaveza koje nisu
stvaralačke prirode. Tada uvijek
nečemu nedostaje pažnje pa je
potrebno dobro isplanirati vrijeme
i iskoordinirati obaveze. Trenutno
sam zapostavio stvaralački se-
gment vlastitog djelovanja. Najvi-
še vremena sada trošim na ono što
me trenutno i najviše ispunjava, a
to je angažman u Hrvatskoj udruzi
likovnih umjetnika u Splitu.
Da, u spomenutoj si
instutuciji odnedavno
izabran za predsjed-
nika. Kako je došlo do
kandidature, koliko ti
je ta ‘titula’ važna,
koliko bremenita i što
očekuješ sam od sebe u
mandatu?
Na kandidaturu sam se odlučio jer
sam se bojao da će staro vod-
stvo svojom načinom poslovanja
ugasiti ovo sedamdeset godina
staro udruženje likovnih profesi-
onalaca. Mnogo članova je vidjelo
taj problem i željelo promjenu, ali
se gotovo nitko nije bio voljan an-
gažirati na tom polju. Ja sam titulu
poglavice HULU-a shvatio kao
poziv i odlučio sam se potpuno
posvetiti tome časnome poslu, to
je skupština prepoznala i ukazala
mi povjerenje. Sada je na meni i
novom upravnom odboru, koji je
fantastičan, velika odgovornost
zbog tradicije koju HULU baštini,
kvalitete naših 350 umjetnika
i stanja u kojoj nam je udruga
ostavljena.
 Što bi naveo kao
glavnu problemati-
ku HULU-a, a što bi
istaknuo kao segmente
za koje držiš da se
trebaju restrukturira-
ti/redefinirati te što
će biti ‘pointevi’ na
kojima ćeš se najviše
fokusirati?
HULU je dvadeset godina gospo-
dario podrumima Dioklecijanove
palače do prošle godine kada
nam grad Split nije dozvolio da
obnovimo ugovor mimo pravne
procedure i izbacili su nas iz mir-
nog posjeda. Udruga je došla u taj
prostor dok je bio derutan, kon-
zervirali ga i osposobili za izložbe-
nu djelatnost, te smo sedamdeset
posto prihoda od ulaznica uplaći-
vali gradu. Podrumi su bili jedini
izvor prihoda za udrugu, što je bio
dvosjekli mač, jer je staro vodstvo
upalo u letargiju jer nije ta sred-
stva vješto ulagalo u izložbenu
djelatnost i nisu trebali sudjelo-
vati na natječajima s kvalitetno
napisanim programima. To nas je
koštalo toga da nemamo nikakav
upliv financija za ovu godinu. Na
sreću, ostalo nam je nešto novaca
na računu koje moramo strateški
raspodijeliti dok ne namaknemo
nova sredstva.
Splitska umjetnička
scene. Vjerujem da bi
taj pojam mogao biti
temat za seriju člana-
ka, a ne samo za jedno
pitanje. Kako gledaš
na nju, njezin smjer
kretanja, dinamiku i
uopće egzistenciju u
današnjem kontekstu?
Splitska likovna scena je veoma
živa i osebujna. U Splitu umjetnost
ne poznaje granice pa je teško reći
gdje završava život i počinje art.
71
Ovaj grad ne trpi elitizam jer ne
priznajemo veličine zbog našega
prenapuhanog ega. Zbog toga
nastaju sukobi i karakteristični
splitski dišpet koji se odražava i
u likovnoj sceni. Naša likovnost
koju karakterizira eklekticizam
suprotstavljenih stilskih izričaja je
nedovoljno valorizirana u nacio-
nalnim okvirima što moramo pod
hitno ispraviti jer toliko možemo
oplemeniti širu nacionalnu, pa
usudio bi se reći čak i svjetsku
scenu. Na žalost izgleda da smo
sami sebi sasvim dovoljni.
Je li splitska umjet-
nička scena zatvorena,
hermetična? Radi li se
o izložbama i događa-
njima koje konzumiraju
manje-više ljudi koji
tu scenu i generira-
ju i ako da, ima li
potrebe izlaska iz tog
svog balona i kako se
on može dogoditi?
Splitska scena jest pomalo au-
tistična, u smislu da je previše in-
trovertirana. Ovaj problem namje-
ravamo riješiti kroz nekoliko faza,
a prva je ovogodišnji Splitski salon,
no o tome je još prerano govori-
ti. U međuvremenu konstantno
radimo na popularizaciji suvre-
mene umjetnosti izvan umjetnič-
kih krugova, dok s druge strane
klasični mediji nisu zakinuti, jer
imamo jaku slikarsku, a pogotovo
kiparsku scenu. Upravo radimo
planove i strategije kako brendirati
naš specifični Splitski izričaj kroz
nekoliko velikih izložbi u skoroj
budućnosti. Namjeravamo probiti
svoj balon, a odjek će se čuti!
Kako iz perspektive
bivšeg studenta gledaš
na UMAS? Koji je tvoj
sud o akademijinom
radu, suvremenosti i
 vidljivosti autora
koji izlaze s UMAS-a
na domaćoj umjetničkoj
sceni, na izložbama,
nagradama?
Ja sam završio likovnu kulturu i
umjetnost pa mogu donijeti kon-
kretan sud samo o tom segmentu
kojim sam zadovoljan. Pedagoški
smjer baštini dugu tradiciju u
Splitu, jer je tijekom gotovo se-
dam desetljeća rasta kroz različite
visokoškolske ustanove Sveučili-
šta u Splitu bio jednim od žarišta
umjetničkog i humanističkog
stvaralaštva u gradu i regiji. Dobio
sam dobru teoretsku osnovu i do-
voljno prakse zahvaljujući mno-
gim sposobnim profesorima, a na
meni je bilo da u slobodno vrijeme
radim koliko i studenti praktičnih
smjerova, ako ne i više. Što se tiče
ostalih smjerova, ne mogu previše
govoriti jer nisam osobno doživio
njihov sistem rada, ali mi se čini
da iz akademije izlazi prevelik
broj nedovoljno pripremljenih
autora za naše malo tržište. Mnogi
moji kolege su primorani tražiti
posao izvan struke, što je problem
u čitavoj zemlji, ali u Splitu je to
kroničan problem.
Što je s mladim auto-
rima u Splitu? Kakva
je ta friško diplo-
mirana scena, postoje
li neka imena koja bi
izdvojio da još nisu
stigla pod ‘vizkul-
turina’ svjetla, a
trebala bi?
Mnogo je ovdje kvalitetnih mladih
umjetnika i onih nešto starijih, ali
ne bi bilo pošteno da ikoga sada
posebno izdvajam, čut ćete još za
njih siguran sam.
Organizator si festi-
vala suvremene um-
jetnosti Almissa Open
72
Air. Suvremena umjet-
nost u Omišu? Zvuči
apstraktno i nadreal-
no, ali već 5 godina
funkcionira. Opiši nam
malo ovo događanje,
objasni što ste sve do
sada napravili i koji
su planovi i program
za sljedeće izdanje?
Kada smo krenuli s ovim projek-
tom 2010. Omiš je bio potpuno
odsječen od recentnih umjet-
ničkih zbivanja. Gotovo čitav
proračun za kulturu je trošen na
grupne večere, a jelo se mnogo.
Na takvo smo stanje reagirali
organiziranjem manifestacije u
samom centru grada, gdje smo
doveli provokativne eksperimen-
talne glazbenike i performere da
stvaraju art među restoranskim
stolovima: neki su jeli umjetni-
ne, drugi improvizirali na licu
mjesta, treći izvodili alternativnu
glazbu. Druge godine je festival
imao vrhunac na utvrdi Mira-
beli, koja dominira nad gradom,
gdje smo ugostili najveća imena
Splitske konceptualne scene.
Tada se istu večer mogao vidjeti
veliki broj umjetničkih radova,
pogotovo performansa i umjet-
ničkih instalacija. Takav klimaks
festivala se pokazao kao pun
pogodak te smo s istim receptom,
ali potpomognuti nacionalnim
umjetničkim imenima, nakon pet
godina uspjeli progurati događaj
na Mirabeli, sada znan kao Almis-
sa Anuale, kao vrhunac omiškog
kulturnog ljeta, makar nas mnogi
još ne priznaju kao umjetničku
priredbu. Ove godine će tema
festivala biti Neovisnost i odvijat
će se na Otoku ljubavi u kanjonu
rijeke Cetine, ničijoj zemlji, koja
je zimi potopljena pa je nitko ne
može pravno prisvojiti. Umjetnici
će doći o svome trošku i stvarati I za kraj, zanima me
umjetnost od materijala zatečenih što te sve čeka u ovoj
u okolišu. Nismo željeli da nas 2015. godini koja ti
ove godine itko financira i radimo je, sudeći po sve-
festival s nula kuna, potpuno ne- mu što smo spomenuli,
ovisni, snagom same umjetnosti. jako dobro počela?
Postoji li interes Vice Tomasović: Godina nije mo-
od strane grada, ili gla bolje početi pa sam optimi-
sponzora, za fi- stičan što se tiče nastavka. HULU
nanciranje ovakvog planira provesti par zanimljivih
jedinstvenog događa- projekata do kraja godine, namje-
ja u Omišu, i tko je ravam ostvariti još koju samostal-
publika festivala, je nu izložbu izvan Splita, u Omišu
li festival stvorio se festival razvija, osmišljavam
neku novu publiku u ovogodišnji performans… Biti će
Omišu, koju zanima i puno organizacijskog posla i to
intrigira suvremena mi je uistinu drago, samo kada
umjetnost? bih uspio naslikati još pokoje
Vice Tomasović: Do sada nam kvalitetno djelo ove godine, to bi
je nešto pomagao Grad Omiš, bio spektakl!
Ministarstvo kulture, Turistička
zajednica te privatni sponzori i
veoma smo svima zahvalni, ali
nam se to ove godine jednostav-
no ne uklapa u koncept. Mislim
da je potrebno pokazati koliko je
toga moguće napraviti iz ljubavi.
Umjetnici dolaze na poziv, dakle
nema natječaja, pa se nadam da će
se ove i godine odazvati u velikom
broju usprkos tome što dolaze na
svoj trošak. Publika festivala ni-
kada nije bila masovna, niti nam
je ikada bio cilj da dođe ogroman
broj ljudi. Sama tvrđava ne može
primiti više od stotinu posjetitelja
od puta, a ovo ljeto bi željeli da
na Otoku ljubavi publike bude
što manje da ne zagadimo ljepotu
parka prirode, ali želimo da doku-
mentacije bude što više.

73
Ex Nihilo 1, 2014, akril na medijapanu, 200 x 270 cm (triptih)

74
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76
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Ex Nihilo 2, 2015, akril na medijapanu, 120 x 208 cm

78
79
80
81
Ex Nihilo 3 (Prima Materia), 2016, akril na platnu, 170 x 220 cm

82
83
84
85
Ex Nihilo 4 (Mi), 2016, akril na platnu, 150 x 110 cm

86
Ex Nihilo 4 (Oni), 2016, akril na platnu, 150 x 110 cm

87
88
89
Ex Nihilo 5 (Kozmogonija), 2016, akril na platnu 150 x 110 cm

90
Ex Nihilo 6, 2016, akril na platnu, 160 x 110 cm

91
92
93
Ex Nihilo 7, 2016, akril na platnu, 110 x 150 cm

94
95
96
97
Ex Nihilo 8, 2016, akril na platnu, 160 x 110 cm

98
Ex Nihilo 9, 2017, akril na platnu, 160 x 120 cm

99
100
101
Ex Nihilo 10, 2017, akril na platnu, 160 x 120 cm

102
Ex Nihilo 11, 2017, akril na platnu, 160 x 110 cm

103
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Ex Nihilo 10, 2017, akril na platnu, 160 x 120 cm

106
Ex Nihilo 11, 2017, akril na platnu, 160 x 110 cm

107
108
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— Vice Tomasović rođen je 1986. godine u Splitu. Diplomirao je
2009. godine na Umjetničkoj akademiji Sveučilišta u Splitu,
smjer likovna umjetnost. Osnivač je i ravnatelj Almissa Open Art
festivala suvremene umjetnosti u Omišu. Predsjednik je Hrvatske
Udruge Likovnih Umjet nika u Splitu. Voditelj je izložbene
djelatnosti Salona Galić i izložbenih projekata HULU Splita u
Dioklecijanovim podrumima i javnom prostoru. Sudjelovao je na
mnogim samostalnim i grupnim izložbama, umjetničkim festivalima
i manifestacijama kao organizator, kustos, izlagač i izvođač.
Dobitnik je nekoliko priznanja kao autor.

Samostalne izložbe:

2017. NIŠTA, Galerijski centar Varaždin

2017. EX NIHILO (NIHIL FIT), Muzej grada Koprivnice
2017. CVJETANJE PROSTORA, Jelsa, Dalmacijaland
2016. SVE ŽIVO, Pula, Galerija Luka
2016. HORROR VACUI, Zagreb, Galerija Prsten
2016. HERBAGENIJA, Gradska galerija Labin
2016. PRIMA MATERIA, Krk, Galerija Decumanus
2016. KOZMOGONIJA, Dubrovnik, Flora
2016. PRAVA POVIJEST SVIJETA, Zagreb, Galerija Pikto
2015. IZ NIČEGA, Zagreb, Lauba
2014. EX NIHILO, Omiš, Gradski muzej
2014. PRIJE VREMENA, Split, Salon Galić
2013. TEORIJA BILJNOGA PODRIJETLA, Split, Galerija Praktika
2011. OBLICI U DUHU, Split, Dioklecijanovi podrumi
2008. BESTIARIJ, Omiš, Galerija Onaion

Performansi:

2016. POKORA, Split, Dioklecijanovi podrumi, DOPUST festival

2015. POKORA, Varaždin / Pula, Dani hrvatskog performansa
2014. PRVI PLES, Omiš, Kaštil Slanica
2013. TEORIJA BILJNOGA PODRIJETLA, Osijek,
13. Performance Art Festival
2012. HOMOLOG, Split, Salon Galić,
15. godina Umjetničke akademije u Splitu
2011. DIKTAT, Split, MKC, DOPUST festival
2009. MADE IN VITRO, Split, MKC, DOPUST festival
2008. EGO PETRUS, Split, DOPUST festival

Skupne izložbe (izbor)

2016. Zagrebački salon, Zagreb

2015. Splitski Salon, Split
2015. Trijenale hrvatskog kiparstva, Zagreb
2014. Salon mladih, Zagreb

— Anđelko Mihanović (1992), povjesničar umjetnosti, kustos, dokto-

rand je pri IMT Scuola Alti Studi Lucca u Italiji. Radio je, između
ostalog, u Hrvatskom paviljonu na 56. Venecijanskom bijenalu, u
Kolekciji Peggy Guggenheim te u Američkom paviljonu na 57. Veneci-
janskom bijenalu. Kao asistent kustosice dr.sc. Ane Peraice bio je
angažiran na projektu #What About Your Selfie? Istraživačke radove
iz područja povijesti umjetnosti izlagao je na nekoliko međunarod-
nih simpozija. Dobitnik je nekoliko međunarodnih stipendija.

110
— Vice Tomasović is born in 1986 in Split, Croatia. He graduated
in 2009 at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Split
at the department of fine arts. He is the founder and director
of Almissa Open Art, festival of contemporary art in Omis. He
is the president of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists
in Split, manager of exhibitions at the Salon Galic and at
basement halls of Diocletian’s palace in Split. As the organizer,
curator, exhibitor and performer he signed a large number of solo
exhibitions as well as participations at the group exhibitions,
art festivals and manifestations. As an author he holds several
awards and acknowledgements.

Solo exhibitions:

2017. NOTHING, Gallery center Varaždin

2017. EX NIHILO (NIHIL FIT), Koprivnica, City museum
2017. BLOOMING SPACE, Jelsa, Dalmacijaland gallery
2016. EVERY LIVING THING, Pula, Luka gallery
2016. HORROR VACUI, Zagreb, Prsten gallery
2016. HERBAGENIA, G. G. Labin
2016. PRIMA MATERIA, Krk, Decumanus gallery
2016. COSMOGONY, Dubrovnik, Flora gallery
2016. THE REAL HISTORY OF THE WORLD, Zagreb, Pikto gallery
2015. OUT OF NOTHING, Zagreb, Lauba
2014. EX NIHILO, Omiš, City museum
2014. BEFORE THE TIME, Split, Salon Galić
2013. HERBAL ORIGIN THEORY, Split, Praktika gallery
2011. FORMS IN THE SPIRIT, Split,
Basement halls of Diocletian’s palace
2008. BESTIARY, Omiš, Gallery Onaion

Performances:

2016. PENANCE, Split, DOPUST festival

2015. PENANCE, Varaždin / Pula, Days of croatian performance
2014. FIRST DANCE, Omiš, Kaštil Slanica
2013. HERBAL ORIGIN THEORY, Osijek, 13. Performance Art Festival
2012. HOMOLOGIST, Split, Salon Galić,
15. Years of Arts Academy in Split
2011. DICTAT, Split, MKC, DOPUST festival
2010. MEANWHILE, Split, DOPUST festival

Group Exhibitions (selection):

2016. Zagreb Salon of Visual Arts, Zagreb

2015. Split Salon, Split
2015. Triennial of Croatian Sculpture, Zagreb
2014. Youth Salon, Zagreb

— Anđelko Mihanović (1992), art his¬torian, curator, PhD student at

IMT School for Advanced Studies in Lucca, Italy. Among his other
engagements, he worked at Croatian Pavilion at 56th Venice Bien-
nale, interned at Peggy Guggenheim Collection and at the US Pavil-
ion at the 57th Venice Biennale. As the assistent to cura¬tor Ana
Peraica, PhD, he worked on the project “#What About Your Selfie?“.
He presented his research papers on several international sympo-
sia. He received several international scholarships.

111
VICE TOMASOVIĆ: EX NIHILO

15. — 31. 3. 2018.

PUBLISHER / IZDAVAČ:
Galerija sv. Krševana
Don Krste Stošića bb
22000 Šibenik
+38522330049
gkrsevan@gmail.com
http://www.galerija-sv-krsevana.hr

FOR PUBLISHER / ZA IZDAVAČA

Antonija Modrušan

EDITOR / UREDNIK
Anđelko Mihanović

AUTHORS /
AUTORI TEKSTOVA
Anđelko Mihanović
Vice Tomasović
Renata Busatto
Mladen Lučić
Draženka Jalšić Ernečić
Igor Gržetić
Lana Beović
Morana Matković
Petar Grimani
Ivan Dorotić

TRANSLATIONS / PRIJEVODI
Anđelko Mihanović

PHOTOGRAPHY / FOTOGRAFIJE
Vice Tomasović

DESIGN / DIZAJN
Nikola Križanac

ISBN
978-953-95959-3-5

SPONZORI / SPONZORS
Galerija sv. Krševana
Ministarsvo kulture RH
Grad Šibenik
Šibensko - kninska županija

112
 ISBN
978-953-95959-3-5