'I am returning to Dubrovnik locations out of an emotional need to connect youth, maturity, and myself as an artist into a whole' | Večernji List (HR) | 2026-08-12 11:22:00 UTC | hr

An exhibition of photographs by Mara Bratoš, titled "Hidden Places of the City," has opened at the Otok Gallery in Lazareti, Dubrovnik. The exhibition captures the transformations of Dubrovnik and the artist's personal connection to the city through two distinct photographic cycles taken 30 years apart, in 1995 and 2025.

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These places are not unknown, but they are not postcard views. They are also my intimate places in Dubrovnik. It was interesting to return after 30 years and see what I would find.

Bratoš explained that the photographs were taken in locations that hold a place in the collective memory of Dubrovnik's residents. "These places are not unknown, but they are not postcard views. They are also my intimate places in Dubrovnik. It was interesting to return after 30 years and see what I would find," she stated. The images document thirty years of change, and Bratoš expressed an emotional need to connect her youth, maturity, and artistic identity through revisiting these sites.

Art historian Anita Ruso Brečić commented that Bratoš does not analyze or criticize the changes but rather observes what has happened to the space over time. "This invites us to observe and conclude as critics ourselves. The atmosphere of the black-and-white photographs takes us back to the post-war period. Mara Bratoš does not necessarily want to evoke nostalgia, but as a neutral observer, she simply shows what has happened in the space," Brečić said.

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The photographs show thirty years of change. I am returning to these locations out of an emotional need to connect my youth, maturity, and myself as an artist into a whole.

Srđana Cvijetić, head of Art Workshop Lazareti, recalled their long-standing collaboration with Bratoš since her student days. "We have followed her development, and this exhibition is a continuation of that collaboration. The exhibition is a testament to time and her personal memory of the space and an awareness of the differences. Furthermore, it is especially important for us to showcase the work of Dubrovnik authors during the summer," Cvijetić added.

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Bratoš does not analyze or criticize the changes in the two photographic cycles, but observes what has happened to the space over time.

The exhibition "Hidden Places of the City" will remain open at the Otok Gallery until September 1.

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This invites us to observe and conclude as critics ourselves. The atmosphere of the black-and-white photographs takes us back to the post-war period. Mara Bratoš does not necessarily want to evoke nostalgia, but as a neutral observer, she simply shows what has happened in the space.