Young SPOTs: Sara Grgurić, “Forever”

The Spot Gallery and the Office for Photography invite you to the opening of the second exhibition as part of the new program line Young SPOTs dedicated to young authors. The opening of the exhibition “Forever” by the artist Sara Grgurić will be held on Monday, 17th of June at 7:00 p.m. The exhibition will remain open until Wednesday, 26th June 2024.

“I am trying to come to terms with the transience of time. The untouched spaces of my childhood are physical proof of the truthfulness of my memories. The moment is approaching when spaces will start to change, the memories of people preserved through objects will begin to fade, and that which shaped me will disappear.”

Sara Grgurić

Despite numerous scientific breakthroughs, we still do not have a definitive answer to the question of – how do we remember? As a complex and individual process, memory determines a person’s identity since childhood, while the network of memories, comprised of multitudinous information we collect throughout our lives, is constantly changing. Memories fade, are subject to alteration, while the images preserved in our memory are not immune to the ravages of time, eroding them and gradually leading to oblivion. Although not overtly linked, the sense of smell and the medium of photography are able to evoke poignant emotions in an individual and trigger an avalanche of memories of lived experiences. In addition to the ability to capture a specific moment, photography can tell very personal stories, thus affecting our perception of the world.

Grandma’s cake, cigarette smoke, stuffed birds, or a needlepoint picture up on the wall are part of the memory network of artist Sara Grgurić, whose photo series Forever examines the ways in which certain places shape our identity. Growing up in the region of ​​Gorski Kotar, Grobnik, and Rijeka, the author develops a sense of belonging to the area she closely associates with the concept of home. However, the move to Zagreb for her studies and the displacement from the geographical coordinates dear to her resulted in less frequent gatherings with family, which is why her return to her hometown, during the lockdowns in 2020 prompted her to reflect on the interconnectedness of places and memories. Aware of the fact that certain interior and exterior spaces will inevitably change, the author embarks on a photographic project in which she attempts to conserve the memories of the places and people who moulded her identity.

The exhibition Forever combines photographs and authentic objects from the captured spaces, while at the same time addressing the invisible relationships we forge throughout our lives. The photos challenge us to contemplate what these warm interiors, in contrast to the cold exteriors of Gorski Kotar, tell us about the people who lived in them? Sara Grgurić’s visual representations successfully stimulate the olfactory associations of the observer who, drawn into the artist’s personal story, gets the impression they are part of a family gathered around a table filled with local specialties. During such gatherings, it becomes less important whether the sarma is salty enough or the cake could have been decorated more beautifully, because the everyday, imperfect scenes are a window into past moments that few people manage to recognise in time. Therefore, defy oblivion by photographing grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and everyone without whom you would not be who you are today. One day you’ll be glad you did it – in time.

Tena Starčević

Sara Grgurić (Rijeka, 1998) completed her undergraduate studies in Film and TV Directing at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2020, enrolling in graduate studies in Fiction Film Directing in the same year. She has directed several short films, the most famous of which, In the Woods, was shown at over 40 foreign and domestic festivals (SSIFF, Encounters Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Poitiers Film Festival, Zagreb Film Festival, etc.). She has won 12 awards, including the NEST AWARD for Best Short Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Jelena Rajković Award for Best Young Director of the Croatian Film Directors’ Guild, the Golden Pram for Best Croatian Short and others. She enrolled in the photography school Drugi Kadar in 2022, during which she created the series Forever.

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