31.07.2024
Croatian saints and blessed in our nation
The exhibition Croatian saints and blessed people in our nation, by the academic painter Branimir Dorotić, was opened last night in the “Nikola Tavelić” gallery inside the Interpretation centre.
The exhibition was opened by Msgr. Tomislav Rogić, Bishop of Sibenik, and Stanko Špoljarić, art historian and art critic, and exhibition organizer Mons. Antun Sente Jr., manager of the “Martin Borković” Gallery of the National Sanctuary of St. Joseph in Karlovac.
Prof. Stanko Špoljarić said that Branimir is a painter of a realistic style, not a careless and tedious description, but a painter who breathes color and light. Through these two artistic elements, he expresses his relationship to the person, to the saints and blessed ones who have been integrated into our consciousness for a long time, and are in some way a choice among the multitude of persons who deserve the honor of the altar. In them, the author recognized the side that is both human and holy and heavenly, he said, among other things, in his speech, prof. Špoljarić.
Presenting the project Exhibition of Croatian Saints and Blesseds in Our Nation, the exhibition manager Msgr. Sente said that together with the co-organizer the Association for the Promotion of Famous people from Križevci “Dr. Stjepan Kranjčić” this is already the third opening of Dorotić’s exhibition in the past two months. After the opening in May in Križevci, Dorotić’s exhibition was presented in Pula and now in Šibenik.
The author Dorotić said that he had read somewhere that God calls his people by their first names, and the earth by their last names. “I felt through the destinies of all these saints of ours, those presented here, but also those who are countless in number, complete dedication. During their lifetime, they renounced the earth and directed their way to heaven. We are not that, I am still tied to the land and focused on the future divisions or torments that the land brings with it. I was therefore motivated to paint these saints by their ever-present need to surrender to God without reservation. With that, they became models for us, by which we too have the opportunity to climb to eternal bliss” – said Dorotić, thanking everyone who helped with the opening of the exhibition.
Opening the exhibition the Bishop of Sibenik, Msgr. Rogić, among other things, mentioned that he is glad that the Croatian Saints and Blesseds exhibition is opening at this best time – at the end of the seventh and eighth month, when most tourists and visitors visit the Interpretation Centre.
“It is a great creation to persistently promote Croatian saints and blesseds, as well as our Croatian candidates for the altar. In that, I recognize a small movement that was born in Križevci and has been alive for sixteen years, which does not tire of challenging artists to immortalize our Croatian saints and blesseds, preserving and promoting the spirituality of the Croatian people among us all,” said Bishop Rogić.
The exhibition remains open until August 31, and admission is free.
