“Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium” exhibition featuring archive of doyen of Croatian visual poetry Borben Vladović on view by 29 May

Items from the archive of the doyen of Croatian visual poetry Borben Vladović preserved in Croatia’s national library collection are on view at an exhibition opened as part of the fourth event of the National and University Library in Zagreb’s (NSK) 2026 Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium programme.

Apart from Vladović’s own works of visual poetry also displayed at the exhibition are visual poems by other authors, both Croatian and foreign, including works of the so-called mail art, artist’s books, samizdat publications as well as other written and printed works of neo-avant-garde poetry.

Remaining on view in the Library’s side lobby by 29 May, it also showcases the manuscripts of Vladović’s visual poems, handmade objects created in connection with this part of Vladović’s oeuvre as well as his unpublished visual poetry.

Borben Vladović – the champion of Croatian visual poetry

The exhibition’s opening as part of the Meeting a Poet – Borben Vladović event was ushered in by a get-together in which literary theorist Branko Čegec, a viusal poet himself, interviewed Vladović as Croatia’s first visual poet. Looking back at the beginnings of Croatian visual poetry, Vladović presented the characteristics of this unique form of literature through his first collection of visual poetry, published in 1970 (Balkonski prostor).

Reminiscing on the writing of his 1982 collection of neo-avant-garde poems (Knjigapegla: pupaste pjesme), he gave an account of the related cooperation with another prominent Croatian visual poet Zvornimir Mrkonjić. He emphasised the need for updating Croatia’s literary canon, bringing particular attention to insufficient perceptibility of the neo-avant-garde poetry by notable Croatian writers Vjekoslav Majer and Zvonimir Balog, as well as to completely unknown works by poets Antun Branko Kolumbić and Ivan Jelinčić Merlin.

Croatica’s archives – gems for researchers of Croatian heritage

Vladović donated his archive of neo-avant-garde poetry wishing to advance research into this part of Croatian literature. He pointed out as indispensable for a complete overview of Croatian poetry the works of Drago Britvić, known almost exclusively as a lyricist for numerous Croatian hit songs, and in this context stressed that Britvić’s poetry should be better researched and duly represented in literary anthologies.

Integrated into Croatica as one of many archives of Croatian writers and other makers of Croatian heritage that it preserves, the donated material has been included in the NSK holdings as a whole. Placed in archival mat packages and digitised as part of the conducted conservation treatment, it has been organised in a way in which Vladović thought would best provide researchers with insight into the development of Croatian visual poetry.

You may find out more about the donated archive and visual poetry in Croatia from the guest of our fourth 2026 Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium event in a video on the NSK YouTube channel (Croatian language only).

Explore this and other invaluable Croatica’s archives – their hidden gems are waiting for you to discover them!

Photo: © NSK