Lana Đurđek, “Operational Planning”

July 1st – 10th

Set up photos: Ivan Buvinić

A homemaker is also an executive and manager

“Should friends from out of town stop by for an impromptu visit at noon or in late afternoon, the lady of the house will urge them to stay for lunch or dinner. It might happen that these unannounced visitors are not entirely welcome, if the homemaker has other errands to attend to, but she should never show it and should receive her guests as congenially as if she had invited them herself. Friends should never feel that they’ve come at an inopportune time, because the homemaker should always find time for them and amiably be prepared to offer them refreshments. The homemaker will demonstrate her skill if she is able to make do when guests surprise her, even at an inconvenient time, or if she is upset about something but has to be welcoming and smile in front of her guests as if absolutely nothing at all has inconvenienced her.”

The famous Croatian author Mira Vučetić (Ogulin, 1892 – Zagreb, 1976) wrote numerous Croatian manuals and cookbooks that have been in use for generations. The main task of her books was to instruct housewives on the best and most practical way of running their home. It was Mira Vučetić’s books that made everyday life that much easier for many housewives and introduced them to numerous “unwritten rules” that every woman should be aware of. In addition, her books made it easier for homemakers to recognise the need and importance of task planning in the household.

In my grandmother’s apartment, I came across the books Contemporary Nutrition and Cooking (1964) and The Big Cookery Book (reprint 2013), penned by Mira Vučetić. I studied their content and instructions, read about the duties and expectations of housewives, and how the role of the homemaker, traditionally attributed exclusively to women, is defined. By photographing myself in the role of a housewife, I imitate the activities and situations described in these books as everyday female duties, that is, the duties of a housewife.

The photographs are an attempt to create a link between modernity, identity and gender roles. This work, imbued with humour, is intended to make the observer think about how unrealistic and extreme the responsibilities and expectations of a housewife were, and to what extent the gender roles and social norms have changed over time, and which ones still remain today. This project allows me to look at the changes that have taken place over the past few generations and to explore the different aspects possibly still in existence today.

Lana Đurđek

Lana Durđek (Zagreb, 1999) is a visual artist from Croatia based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her practice mostly revolves around photography and text. She has a BA in New Media Art from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and is currently doing her MA in Photography at HDK Valand in Gothenburg. She has participated in various group and school exhibitions in Zagreb and Gothenburg. Lana is an active member of the Croatian Association of Artists from 2021. In 2021 she participated in a one-month residency ‘(De)konstrukcija slike’ at Hafenkombinat in Leipzig. Outside her art practice, she has been part of the Siva Gallery and AKC Medika in Zagreb, producing different exhibitions, music programmes and art workshops since 2017. She is currently (mostly) living and working in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The exhibition is supported by Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Zagreb, and Kultura Nova Foundation.

This post is also available in: Croatian