The exhibition ‘Vlado Kristl – Before the exile – Art works from 1943 to 1962’ shows the main fields of Kristl's art work: collaboration with EXAT 51, contributions to German experimental cinematography and technique innovations in the Zagreb School of Animated Films. Kristl’s film ‘The General And The Man’ was banned back in 1962 when he decided to leave the country for several decades; and that is why he was not very well known to Croatian public.

'Vlado Kristl is one of the most intriguing Croatian artists from the second half of the twentieth century. The public and critics often viewed his very interesting and high quality art work through the prism of his almost adventurous way of life and his frequent clashes with society and accepted social norms. The media only took an interest in him thanks to occasional contrived scandals, but did not systematically follow and critically interpret his work. Vlado Kristl signed a deed of gift dated 3 June 2001, which he sent to the address of our Museum and in which he donated to us ‘all his paintings’. Unfortunately this deed of gift was never realised, but the idea about organising Kristl’s exhibition in Zagreb dates from that year. The lovers of constructivist art know Kristl’s paintings from the fifties and the sixties, and film lovers include him among the most important makers of animated cartoons and experimental films, both in the Croatian and the European context. Most dilemmas were in recent years aroused by his paintings from the eighties and the nineties, which some called extremely fine while others deplored their very bad quality. Kristl himself stated several times that he would destroy all his paintings.' (Snjezana Pintaric)

The exhibition was curated by Snjezana Pintaric.

Art Pavilion in Zagreb
Trg kralja Tomislava 22
10000 ZAGREB, Croatia
E-mail: info@umjetnicki-paviljon.hr
E-mail: umj.paviljon@zg.hinet.hr
Web: www.umjetnicki-paviljon.hr