The Silent People Print: A Glance at the Printing History of Croatia
Video presentation is allowed to be used for educational purposes.
The fascinating and complex history of print in Croatia can be traced to the incunabulum Missale Romanum Glagolitice printed in Glagolitic script in 1483. However, in spite of the area’s rich and multifaceted cultural heritage, Western letterpress historians have until now largely overlooked this intriguing region. My presentation will feature prints of Northwest Croatia, showcasing selected material from as early as the 15th century. Focusing on the city of Varaždin, the audience will be exposed to images printed in a number of print shops that were in operation until the mid-20th century. Additionally, I will be showing wood type acquired in the region. Some of the type likely belonged to the print shop formed in the year 1930 as a part of the TIVAR textile factory in Varaždin. I will briefly discuss how my contemporary letterpress prints incorporate and reflect the history of the region—including the TIVAR textile factory—while raising questions about whose voices have traditionally been recorded in print.
Vida Sačić (Croatian and American, b.1980) is a Chicago-based artist and educator. Her prints, installations and assemblages use metal and wood type to compose narratives of private and collective memory, with an eye to the future. Her works have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationwide, including Grunwald Gallery of Art at Indiana University Bloomington (IN), DeVos Art Museum (MI), Art Mora Gallery (New York City), Columbia College (Chicago) and The Center for Book Arts (New York City). She is an Associate Professor of Art at Northeastern Illinois University and operates a private letterpress studio in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood.
