Dubrovnik, 30. May 2018, 20:30
During the European Year of Cultural Heritage, the results of research on two altars from the Elaphiti Islands (Koločep and Lopud) will be presented at the "Hidden Trecento" exhibition installation.
Supervisor: Katarina Alamat Kusijanović
In addition to the long and demanding conservation and restoration of the polyptych from Lopud, the Unknown Trecento Painting Workshop and the De–Attribution of Matko Junčić and Ivan Ugrinović projectof the Croatian Conservation Institute included extensive research that revealed the necessity of new dating and attribution of this exceptional work. Research was expanded to include the polyptych from Koločep, which is in many respects similar to the one from Lopud.
The two altars were determined to be the work of a 15th century master, and, through archival research, they were attributed to painters from Dubrovnik. Through the results of the research, their dating was moved to the second half of the 14th century. Various technical and comparative analyses have shown the potential closeness of their authors to the circle of Paolo Veneziano. The new interpretation was accepted by experts and brought new, important insights to the interpretation of the history of painting in Dubrovnik.
A specially designed exhibition installation will be used to introduce the new insights and interpretations to the general public. A computer simulation in the form of a video presentation with textual information will be projected within a specially designed "cube". A collage of trecento figures of saints from the panel of two altars will be printed on the outer sides, placed as if they are walking along a street in the city. Placing the "cube" on the main street of the old city centre will continually draw the attention of people who are passing by.
This type of project is an artistic and provocative step in relation to the usual presentation of conservation and restoration, leaving the space of workshops and museums to create an intriguing object for visitors when they are moving around the city. The goal of the project, funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and a group of Dubrovnik donors, is to introduce important projects of the Croatian Conservation Institute to the public, highlighting the positive feedback between active heritage protection and its understanding.