A site-specific intervention by Nora Turato on the façade of the Meštrović Pavilion, also the artist’s largest work realised in Europe, represents a strong and consistent response to the central theme of the 60th Zagreb Salon of Visual Arts, Choreography for the Finish Line, organised by HDLU and curated by KUĆĆA collective, and a monumental finale of the artist’s pool7 series which has begun a year ago with a mural of the same name at Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna and the exhibition I Hear You, I Hear You at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The series focuses on physical forms of expression: voice, gestures, and non-verbal communication that transcends language.
On the rim of the Meštrović Pavilion, which is closed for a complete renovation from 2025–2026, Turato inscribes a raw vocal expression Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!. The installation is accompanied by an audio recording that can be heard once a day, precisely at noon. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! is a universal, primal expression that evokes the origins of language, as well as a reflexive human reaction. The installation spatially draws upon the pavilion’s circular architecture, creating a range of diverse visual and auditory experiences. The sound is activated periodically, akin to a ritual, making the voice present in the space. With this gesture, Turato symbolically positions the future renovated art and exhibition space of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists (HDLU) as a place for play, risk, and openness, further engaging both visitors and casual passers-by.
This intervention also marks Zagreb-born, Rijeka-raised and Amsterdam-based Nora Turato’s first solo exhibition in Zagreb, opening on Saturday, 11 October 2025, and running until the end of January 2026.
Nora Turato
Nora Turato (born 1991 in Zagreb; raised in Rijeka, Croatia, lives and works in Amsterdam) explores the instability of language and its performative nature. From a range of articles, conversations, subtitles, and advertising slogans encountered daily, she constructs visual-linguistic compositions through video works, installations, books, murals, and spoken-word performances. In her work, political discourse and pop culture coexist equally, reflecting synchronisations in social relations and consumer mentality. Turato’s visual language is marked by bold typography and her expressive handwriting, which extends across surfaces like rehearsal notes or an artist’s sketchbook. This personal trace evokes a disappearing intimacy in the era of digital communication. In her hands, language becomes a mirror of culture: fragmented, rootless, intense. Nora Turato has had solo exhibitions in leading cultural institutions worldwide, including the ICA in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Secession in Vienna, Centre Pompidou in Paris, Mudam in Luxemburg, International Centre of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana, Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto, and Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. She has also participated in the Performa Biennale, Post-Capital, and INFORMATION (Today).
Impressum
Organiser: Hrvatsko društvo likovnih umjetnika
Producer: Ivana Andabaka Vujičić, ravnateljica HDLU
Management board HDLU Tomislav Buntak, Josip Zanki, Ida Blažičko, Fedor Fischer, Vida Meić, Romana Nikolić, Tomislav Hršak
Curators of 60th Zagreb Salon of Visual Arts: KUĆĆA
Design: Nora Turato
Video: Vanja Babić
Photography: Vanja Babić, Gabrielius Laurinaitis, Juraj Vuglač
Design adaptation: Duje Medić
Artist’s assistant: Marta Perović, Turato studio
Public relations: Inesa Antić
Production assistants: Nika Šimičić, Martina Miholić
Special thanks: Kia Tasbihgou, Sam de Groot, Kunsthalle Wien