Vojin Bakić ( sr-cyrl, Војин Бакић; 5 June 1915 – 18 December 1992) was a prominent Yugoslav sculptor. Educated at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts and by

Ivan Meštrović Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pa ...

and Frano Kršinić, Bakić's early works were dominated by a figurative depiction of female nudity with reduced breasts and closed volumes. After 1945, he moved towards the

impressionistic Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

treatment of the surface with expressive transitions of light and shadow without superfluous details, which, according to him, represented the expression of the joy of life, flash, and light, something he shared with his contemporaries who wanted to create a better and more humane world in post-World War II Yugoslavia. He was at first influenced by the socialist realism, but later shifted towards

modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

in the late 50s, embracing the challenges of an open form, interior spaces and light reflections, being among the first sculptors in Croatia that followed the program principles of geometric - in his case mostly circular - abstraction and optical research. His best-known works are ''busts of I. G. Kovačić and S. S. Kranjčević'', ''Bjelovarac'', ''Taurus'', ''Light Forms'', and WWII monuments at Petrova Gora, Kamenska, Kragujevac and Dotršćina. Bakić succeeded in realizing the avant-gardism of abstraction with the monumentality and immediacy that were traditionally features of classical figurative sculpture. During his lifetime, Bakić exhibited in over 200 group exhibitions in Yugoslavia, of which 75 were organized abroad. Uninterested in his own promotion, deeply immersed in creation, he had only a handful of solo exhibitions. In 1979, he received the

Vladimir Nazor Award The Vladimir Nazor Award () is a Croatian prize for arts and culture established in 1959, and awarded every year by the country's Ministry of Culture. Named after the writer Vladimir Nazor (1876–1949), the prize is awarded to Croatian artists ...

for lifetime and achievements in the arts.

Work and artistic career

Bakić was an important figure, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s Croatian contemporary art scene, and collaborated with the group EXAT-51 and the Nove tendencije (New Tendencies) movement. He executed many public sculptures notably, the ''Call to Arms (the man from Bjelovar)'', Bjelovar (1946) the ''Monument to the Revolution'' in Kamenska (1958–1968), the ''Monument to the Train Accident Victims'' in Zagreb (1975–1978), the ''Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija'' on Petrova Gora (1982) as well as monuments in

Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...

and Dotrščina (Valley of Graves). After 1945 he gravitated towards the impressionistic treatment of the surface. This period is primarily marked by his portraits of

Ivan Goran Kovačić Ivan Goran Kovačić (; 21 March 1913 – 12 July 1943) was a Croatian poet and writer. Early life and background He was born in the town of Lukovdol, Vrbovsko municipality, in Gorski Kotar, to a Croat father, Ivan Kovačić, and Transylvani ...

(1946) and

Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević (; 17 February 1865—29 October 1908) was a Croatian poet. His most notable work is ''Bugarkinje,'' published in ''1885,'' a book of poetry exploring the themes of Homeland, Man, and Universe. Early life and e ...

(1948). During the 1950s Bakić reduced the volume of his sculptures by the use of sharp fractures as edges, and later by merging the details of the sculptural mass (''Self-portrait'', 1952 and ''sketch for the Marx and Engels Monument'', 1950–1953). During that time, he made an entire series of bull sculptures in various dimensions (''Bull'', 1950, 1956). With the series entitled ''Nudes, Torsos and Heads'' he completed his focus on organic, associative shapes, and from 1958 he turned towards the challenge of open forms, inner spaces and light reflections. Further professional development made him the first artist in a local context to follow the principles of geometric abstraction and to start the study of optic effects. By alternating concave and convex surfaces, he made "light shapes" which were close to constructivist poetics. In ''Elaborated Surfaces'' (1960–1964) he articulated strict and consistent units made of lined-up elements, whereas in ''Light-bearing Shapes'' (1963–1964) he created effective structures by means of modulating identical mirror units, for which he also used new materials, such as stainless steel.

Exhibitions and awards

At his first solo exhibition (Bjelovar, 1940) he exhibited drawings and sculptures where the predominating subjects were female nudes in stone, characterized by reduced curves and closed volumes. From 1940 he participated at many national and international exhibitions: the

Venice Biennial The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...

(1950, 1956, 1964), the Mediterranean Biennial in Alexandria (1956, 1969), the Milan Triennial XI (1957),

Documenta Documenta (often stylized documenta) is an Art exhibition, exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. Documenta was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgarte ...

in Kassel (1959), the Rijeka Salon (1959, 1961). He also exhibited with Ivan Picelj and Aleksandar Srnec in Paris (Gallery Denis René, 1959) and London (1960). He participated at the New Tendencies exhibitions (Zagreb, 1963, 1969, Gelsenkirchen, 1969 and Mainz, 1971), the São Paulo Biennial (1969), and at the exhibition ''Constructivism and Kinetic Art'' (Zagreb, 1995). Gallery Nova (Zagreb, 2007), in collaboration with the artist's family, organized the opening of Bakić's first solo exhibition in Croatia after 41 years. In 1979 he received the

for life achievement.Ministry of Culture Website
link to the recipients of the Vladimir Nazor Life Achievement Award.

Destruction of Bakić's monuments

During the early 1990s, after the fall of the Communist regime, many of Bakić's

Yugoslav World War II monuments and memorials The authorities of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia established many World War II memorials during the country's existence. Several memorial sites were established between 1945 and 1960, though widespread building started after the fou ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

were damaged, destroyed or removed from public spaces. a) Destroyed monuments from 1990 to 1995: * ''Bjelovarac'', bronze,

Bjelovar Bjelovar (, , Czech language, Czech: ''Bělovar'' or ''Bělovár,'' Kajkavian dialect, Kajkavian: ''Belovar,'' Latin: ''Bellovarium'') is a city in central Croatia. In the Demographics of Croatia, 2021 census, its population was 36,316 . It is ...

, a gift to his home town. Mine-blasted in 1991. Restored on 8 December 2010. * ''Gudovčan'', bronze, Mine-blasted in 1991. Melted. * '' Monument to the victory of the people of Slavonia'', stainless steel,

Voćin Voćin is a village and municipality in western Slavonia, Croatia, located southwest of Slatina and east of Daruvar. The population of the municipality is 1,911, with 956 people living in Voćin itself (census 2021). Geography Voćin, a pilgrima ...

. Blasted on 21 February 1992. Parts of it were used to produce utensils and dishware. * ''Monuments to Partisans of Bilogora'', bronze, Bačkovica near

. Destroyed in 1991. * 6–7 smaller statues in the Dotrščina Memorial Park near

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

were destroyed or stolen. * Busts of Ljudevit Jonke,

, and

. Bust of Ivan Goran Kovačić was destroyed on 17 July 2004. b) Damaged monuments: *'' Monument to the uprising of the people of Kordun and Banija'', reinforced concrete and stainless steel. After

Operation Storm Operation Storm ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Operacija Oluja, separator=" / ", Операција Олуја) was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory f ...

, the monument was devastated. *''Memorial to Bakić Brothers'' in Bjelovar. Removed. *''Memorial on Bakić family tomb''. Removed. *''Bust of Josip Broz Tito'' in Veliko Trojstvo. Removed and relocated to the Bjelovar museum.

Works published on Vojin Bakić

*Matić, Dušan – ''Vojin Bakić: Moj prijatelj'', (Euroknjiga, 2007) *Galerija Nova – ''Novine #12'', (Zagreb, June 2007)

Gallery of work

Vojin Bakić radi na skulpturi I. G. Kovačića.jpg, Bakić working on the

bust (1946) Bakicev Bjelovarac - Borik 2010.jpg, ''Bejlovarac'' (1947), Borik Memorial Park,

(Part of the series of statues "Call to the Uprising") Spomenik Marxu i Engelsu.jpg, ''Monument to Marx and Engels'' (1953) Vojin Bakić radi na skulpturi Bika, 1956.JPG, ''Taurus'' (1956) Spomenik borcima revolucije 008.jpg, '' Stjepan Filipović'' monument (1960),

Valjevo Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a population of 56,145 while the city admini ...

Vojin Bakić, Spomenik pobjedi revolucije naroda Slavonije, Kamenska.JPG, '' Monument to the Victory of the People of Slavonia'' (1957–68), Kamenska (destroyed) Dotrscina spomenik 1a.jpg, ''Dotrščina Monument'' (1963–68), Dotrščina Memorial Park,

Sculpture Rings Mainz.jpg, ''Rings'' (1974),

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

Spomenik na Petrovoj gori 2010.jpg, '' Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija'' (1971–81), Petrova Gora Krugovi-in-Sumarice.jpg, ''Circles'' (1981), Šumarice Memorial Park,

Bjelovar IV.osnovna.jpg, ''Mirrors'', Location:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bakic, Vojin 1915 births 1992 deaths People from Bjelovar People from the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia Serbs of Croatia Members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts Vladimir Nazor Award winners 20th-century Serbian people 20th-century Croatian people Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery 20th-century Croatian sculptors