At Art Zagreb this year we have resolved to present young artists (still students or already graduated) of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in a different way than at previous fairs. The need to systematise the approach derived from our wish that exhibitors (and galleries too) should go through a certain selection process that was not imposed on them last year, the students showing whatever they wanted, whoever wanted. This democratic approach, of everybody- and everything-exhibiting has been retained this year too in the side event Pay and Carry, which will, we hope, enhance the dynamics of the event.
Since in the last few years, both here and in the world at large, there has been increased interest in women in art, the theme that at this moment seemed essential to us was that of women artists and women art teachers. Not only was this theme the leitmotif of Kassel’s Documenta (along with the topic of migrants and Eurocentrism in art) but it was also one of the dominant accents at last and this year’s Venice Biennale in terms of both female participants and number of prize-winners. The exhibition One for all – All for one / The Club of Women Fine Artists 1927 to 1940 recently held in Klovićevi Dvori Gallery showed how difficult and arduous it was in the last century for women to make their name in art. They were considered to be no more than decorators by male fellow artists and critics. They were not allowed to sign their works, and their art was not taken at all seriously. It is worth noting that since 1907, when the Academy of Fine Arts was founded, according to the available data, only one woman has held the position of dean, Dubravka Babić. Today too the list of faculty members is overwhelmingly male in the headline sections of Painting and Sculpting. It is a little better in the Graphic Arts section, but only in Multimedia, Education and Conservation-Restoration has gender proportionality been achieved. Thirty-six percent of the academic posts in the Academy of Fine Arts are filled by women, which is a remarkable achievement as against, for example,, the percentage of women in Parliament.
It seemed it would be interesting if we made some contribution to this theme, and so for the exhibition in the EM Gallery we asked female faculty members from the Academy, as mentors, to select their students or graduates who would best be able to present their joint work.
We had no wish to speak about women’s écriture or feministic positions; rather, to demonstrate the combined energy produced through the collaborative efforts of women mentors who mentored, supported, sustained and guided their students.

Jasmina Bavoljak

Five sections of the Academy of Fine Arts are taking part:
— Painting Section
mentor: Ksenija Turčić, students: Ana Pintarić, Katarina Kocijan, Marina Popović

— Sculpture Section
mentor: Tanja Vujasinović, students: Tina Kurić, Antonio Petrić, Frano Radovanović

— Graphic Art Section
mentor: Mirjana Vodopija, students: Ljubica Golubić, Nataša Devčić, Vasja Irma Ivković

— Animated Film and New Media Section
Joint student selection: Anja Mergeduš, Lara Ana Kulenović, Lucija Bogunović

— Education Section
mentor: Ines Krasić, students: Jakov Pašalić, Mihael Bađun and instructor Vida Meić