Zadar will have the opportunity to experience a unique collector’s project that, through art, design, and functional objects, explores centuries-old smoking culture and its impact on society.

The exhibition „Anatomija dima“ / “Anatomy of Smoke” will open on Tuesday, 16 June at 8 p.m. in the Rector’s Palace, presenting to the public for the first time part of the impressive private collection of Dario Marenić from Nova Gradiška.

The exhibition was presented at a press conference by curator Željka Kucelin, Head of the Department for Economy and Tourism of Zadar County Ante Sjauš, and the Director of the Zadar National Museum, Marin Ćurković.

Marenić’s collection comprises as many as 10,000 artefacts arranged in more than 20 collections. It was created through many years of research work, and its beginnings, as he stated, were in a garage. Over time, it developed into a serious project, which will now be shown for the first time to the people of Zadar and their guests. The collector has a strong connection to Zadar, where he regularly spends his summers, and his wish is to gradually present his rich holdings in this city, said Director Ćurković.

Visitors will be able to view paintings, reliefs, sculptures, functional objects, prints, and advertising design related to tobacco and smoking culture. These objects, curator Željka Kucelin explained, represent a metaphor for social rituals, prestige, rebellion, and pleasure across different historical periods.

“It was extremely difficult to select material for the exhibition from such a large collection. „Anatomija dima“ / “Anatomy of Smoke”  is a kind of retrospective of one habit – from the time when smoke was a communicator with the spiritual world, through the modern age and mass media, to ideas of personal freedom,” said Kucelin.

She added that the exhibition follows the historical development of smoking culture, with a special focus on graphic art, advertising design of the tobacco industry, and artistic interpretations of the motifs of smoke and smokers through the centuries. A special segment is also dedicated to the digital age, in which this habit has moved into new forms of communication.

“The exhibition also raises the question of how much our choices are truly a matter of free will, and how much they are the result of social influences,” Kucelin emphasized.

Head of Department Ante Sjauš pointed out that the exhibition also has a broader social dimension.

“This exhibition is a global story about the presence of tobacco in many spheres of life. At the same time, it is also a warning about the harmfulness of smoking and an incentive to reflect on the habits that shape our society,” Sjauš said.

The rich summer programme of the Zadar National Museum was also presented. Alongside „Anatomija dima“ / “Anatomy of Smoke” a retrospective exhibition of Antun Švaljek is currently on display at the Providur’s Palace, while permanent exhibitions are available at the Two Palaces complex. An exhibition by Ukrainian artist Volodymyr Patyk will open this evening at the City Lodge, and the complete removal of scaffolding from the building is expected soon.

The programme continues with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the founding of the 112th Brigade on 26 June at the City Guard, while in July the City Lodge will host an exhibition by the distinctive Zadar photographer Mladen Radolović Mrlja. An exhibition titled “Jaseničanke” is being prepared in the Ethnographic Department, and the Natural History Department has already been opened. The Educational Department will organize workshops for children throughout the summer.

Speaking about future plans, Sjauš also announced a long-term project aimed at enabling students to visit museums in Zadar County free of charge via a special card. This information was recently shared by County Prefect Josip Bilaver.

“This is one of our long-term goals, aimed at bringing cultural content closer to young people,” Sjauš concluded.