East of the centre, this gallery is housed in one of the few architectural works by Ivan Me拧trovi膰 and has a busy and diverse rolling program of exhibitions and events throughout the year. It's a must on the art circuit of Zagreb; check out what's on while you're in town. The building itself has also had several fascinating incarnations, reflecting the region鈥檚 history in a nutshell.
Originally designed by Me拧trovi膰 in 1938 as an exhibition pavilion, the structure honoured King Petar Kara膽or膽evi膰, the ruler of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 鈥 which grated against the sensibilities of Croatia鈥檚 nationalists. With the onset of a fascist government, the building was renamed the Zagreb Artists鈥 Centre in May 1941; several months later Ante Paveli膰, Croatia鈥檚 fascist leader, gave orders for the building to be evacuated of all artwork and turned into a mosque (claiming it was to make the local Muslim population feel at home). There were murmurs of disapproval from the artists, but the building was significantly restructured and eventually surrounded by three minarets.
With the establishment of socialist Yugoslavia, however, the mosque was promptly closed and the building鈥檚 original purpose restored 鈥 though it was renamed the Museum of the People鈥檚 Liberation. A permanent exhibition was set up and in 1949 the government had the minarets knocked down. In 1951 an architect called V Richter set about returning the building to its original state according to Me拧trovi膰鈥檚 design.
The building has remained an exhibition space ever since, with a nonprofit association of Croatian artists making use of it. Despite being renamed the Croatian Association of Artists in 1991 by the country鈥檚 new government, everyone in Zagreb still knows it as 鈥榯he old mosque鈥.
