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Draft:Branko Franceschi

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Branko Franceschi
Born
Zadar, Croatia
OccupationsArt historian, curator, art critic, museum director
Known forMiroslav Kraljević Gallery
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka
National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb
Croatian pavilions at the Venice Biennale

Branko Franceschi is a Croatian art historian, curator, art critic, and museum director. He has been active in Croatian and international contemporary art since the late 1980s, with institutional roles including programme director of the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery in Zagreb, director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, director of the Croatian Association of Artists in Zagreb, director of the Gallery of Fine Arts, Split, and director of the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb.[1][2][3]

Franceschi has curated several Croatian national presentations at major international exhibitions, including the Croatian pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007, the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, and the Croatian presentation at the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026.[1][4][5] He also curated the Croatian pavilion at the 16th São Paulo Biennial in 2004 and participated in curatorial teams connected to the Bucharest Biennial and other international exhibitions.[1][6]

In 2017, Franceschi received the annual art criticism award of the Croatian section of AICA for his work as an art critic and curator.[7][8]

Early life and education

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Franceschi was born in Zadar, Croatia.[9] He studied art history and philosophy at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb.[10][11]

Career

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From 1987 to 2004, Franceschi was programme director and curator of the Miroslav Kraljević Gallery in Zagreb.[1][2] The gallery had been established in 1986 within the Cultural and Artistic Society of INA, a workers' cultural association connected to INA d.d., and during Franceschi's leadership developed from a small exhibition space into one of the significant venues for contemporary art in Croatia.[12][13]

From 2004 to 2008, Franceschi was director of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka.[1][2] During this period, he continued to work as a curator and institutional director in the field of contemporary art, while also serving in professional committees connected to Rijeka's art scene.[14]

From 2008 to 2010, Franceschi served as director of the Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU) in Zagreb.[1][2] His tenure at HDLU followed his directorship of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka and preceded his later museum leadership in Split and Zagreb.[3]

Franceschi later served as director of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Split, Croatia.[3][15] The Croatian Pavilion biography for the 2013 Venice Biennale described him as head of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Split from 2014 onward.[10]

At the Split museum, Franceschi curated and authored or co-authored exhibition projects and catalogues involving Croatian and international artists. Museum and bibliographic records list him in relation to exhibitions and publications such as Architecture in Contemporary Art, Sandra Sterle: To Forget, to Remember, to Know, Ali Cabbar: Eldorado — a Wor(l)d Game, and other projects at the Museum of Fine Arts in Split.[16][17]

In 2020, Croatian media reported that Franceschi left the directorship of the Gallery of Fine Arts in Split to become director of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb, later renamed the National Museum of Modern Art.[18][15]

In February 2020, Franceschi became director of the Modern Gallery in Zagreb, which was subsequently renamed the National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb.[15][3][2] The Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media reported in 2021 on the institution's new name and display, noting Franceschi's role as director and the presentation of a new permanent display based on the museum's collection.[19]

The Ministry of Culture and Media noted his public concern over unresolved ownership questions concerning parts of the collection and the Vranyczany-Dobrinović Palace.[19] Museum reports and announcements also list him as author, co-author, or curator of exhibitions and displays at the National Museum of Modern Art and the Josip Račić Gallery.[20][21]

Croatian pavilions and international biennials

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Franceschi has curated several national presentations and participated in international biennial contexts. Biographical profiles list him as curator of the Croatian pavilion at the 16th São Paulo Art Biennial in 2004, the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007, the 11th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2008, and the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013.[1][11][6]

At the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007, he was curator of the Croatian presentation by Ivana Franke, together with Željko Kipke.[1][22]

At the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, Franceschi curated the Croatian pavilion with Kata Mijatović's project Between the Sky and the Earth.[4][10] La Biennale di Venezia's list of national participations names Branko Franceschi as commissioner/curator of the Croatian pavilion, while Croatian Pavilion materials describe the project as Mijatović's national presentation.[4][10]

In 2026, Franceschi was listed by La Biennale di Venezia as curator of the Croatian participation at the 61st International Art Exhibition, with Dubravka Lošić representing Croatia in the project Compelled by Fright and Beauty.[5][23] The Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media described Franceschi as the commissioner of the Croatian presentation and director of the National Museum of Modern Art, which organized the pavilion.[24]

Curatorial and critical practice

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Franceschi's curatorial work has focused on modern and contemporary art, with particular emphasis on Croatian contemporary art, post-conceptual practices, institutional histories, and the presentation of Croatian artists in international contexts.[1][25][8]

His curatorial practice has included exhibitions and projects with artists such as Sanja Iveković, Mladen Stilinović, Kata Mijatović, Dubravka Lošić, Igor Grubić, Sandra Sterle, Fedor Džamonja, and others.[12][10][24][21][16]

In addition to curating exhibitions, Franceschi has been active as an art critic and author. Sources connected to the publication Likovna kritika describe him as one of the most productive figures in Croatian curatorial and art-critical practice, whose work has marked the Croatian contemporary art scene since the late 1980s.[25][8]

Writing, publications, and broadcasting

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Franceschi is the author of numerous texts on Croatian and international art. In 2023, the book Likovna kritika was published by Durieux and the Croatian section of AICA, gathering a selection of his art-critical texts.[26][27] Croatian media reports on the publication cited the Croatian section of AICA in describing the book as a reflection of Franceschi's extensive production of critical texts written in response to current artistic events.[26][28]

Bibliographic records from the National and University Library in Zagreb and the Museum Documentation Centre list Franceschi as author, editor, or contributor to exhibition catalogues and books connected to Croatian modern and contemporary art.[27][16]

Franceschi also initiated and hosted the radio programme Radio galerija, first on Jadranski radio in Split and later on HRT Radio Split. Croatian Pavilion materials state that the programme received the HMD Award for a marketing and promotional programme in 2017.[9]

Professional affiliations and academic work

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Franceschi has been active in professional associations and advisory bodies related to contemporary art, criticism, museums, and cultural policy. Biographical sources list memberships or roles in AICA, ICOM, CIMAM, DPUH, and professional committees related to Croatian visual arts.[11][6]

He served as president of the Croatian section of AICA, and the Center for the Humanities profile described him as president of AICA Croatia.[6] The Museum Documentation Centre described him as an associate professor at the Academy of Arts and Culture at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.[2]

Awards and recognition

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In 2017, Franceschi received the annual art criticism award of the Croatian section of AICA.[7][8] The award was given for his activity as a curator and critic, with the nomination emphasizing his more than three decades of continuous work and his influence on Croatian contemporary art from the late 1980s onward.[8][7]

Selected curated projects and exhibitions

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  • Croatian pavilion, 16th São Paulo Biennial, 2004.[1][6]
  • Croatian pavilion, 52nd Venice Biennale, Ivana Franke, 2007.[1][22]
  • Croatian presentation, 11th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale, 2008.[1][11]
  • Croatian pavilion, 55th Venice Biennale, Kata Mijatović, Between the Sky and the Earth, 2013.[4][10]
  • Sandra Sterle: To Forget, to Remember, to Know, Museum of Fine Arts, Split.[16]
  • Ali Cabbar: Eldorado — a Wor(l)d Game, Museum of Fine Arts, Split, 2019.[16]
  • Fedor Džamonja, National Museum of Modern Art, Zagreb, 2022.[21]
  • Croatian pavilion, 61st Venice Biennale, Dubravka Lošić, Compelled by Fright and Beauty, 2026.[5][24]

Selected publications

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  • Likovna kritika, Durieux / Croatian section of AICA, 2023.[26][27]
  • Ahmet Öğüt: Softly but Firmly, Galerija Miroslav Kraljević, Zagreb, 2007.[16]
  • Architecture in Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Split.[16]
  • Ali Cabbar: Eldorado — a Wor(l)d Game, Museum of Fine Arts, Split, 2019.[16]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Branko Franceschi". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "AICA: Dijalozi / Zdenko Rus". Muzejski dokumentacijski centar. 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Novi ravnatelj Moderne galerije: 'Publika najviše voli modernu, nema tu distancu kao prema suvremenoj umjetnosti'". Jutarnji list. 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Biennale Arte 2013 — National Participations". La Biennale di Venezia. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Biennale Arte 2026 — Croatia". La Biennale di Venezia. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Branko Franceschi". Center for the Humanities. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Nagrada 2017: Branko Franceschi". Hrvatska sekcija AICA. 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Branku Franceschiju nagrada za likovnu kritiku". Glas Istre. 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 "61. međunarodna izložba vizualnih umjetnosti Venecijanskog bijenala 2026. / Dubravka Lošić". Croatian Pavilion. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "55th International Art Exhibition — Venice Biennale 2013 / Kata Mijatović". Croatian Pavilion. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Branko Franceschi". Clocktower. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  12. 1 2 "Info". Galerija Miroslav Kraljević. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "O nama". Galerija Miroslav Kraljević. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Likovna nagrada Ivo Kalina za 2006.g. akademskom slikaru Zlatku Kutnjaku". Grad Rijeka. 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 "Moderna galerija dobila je novog ravnatelja Branka Franceschija". HRT. 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Search results — Franceschi, Branko". Museum Documentation Centre. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Exhibitions". Museum of Fine Arts, Split. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Ravnatelj Branko Franceschi napušta Galeriju umjetnina Split i odlazi u zagrebačku Modernu galeriju". Slobodna Dalmacija. 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Nacionalni muzej moderne umjetnosti: novo ime i postav". Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia. 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Past Events". National Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 "U NMMU otvorena izložba fotografija Fedora Džamonje". National Museum of Modern Art. 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 "52 Biennale. Padiglione croato". Exibart. 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "National Participations and Collateral Events of the Biennale Arte 2026". La Biennale di Venezia. 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 "Predstavljen projekt „Potaknuta strahom i ljepotom" kojim će umjetnica Dubravka Lošić predstavljati Hrvatsku na Venecijanskom bijenalu". Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia. 2026. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  25. 1 2 "Likovna kritika, Franceschi Branko". Knjižara Dominović. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 "Objavljena knjiga Branka Franceschija 'Likovna kritika'". tportal. 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 "Bibliografija A06/23". Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Objavljena knjiga »Branko Franceschi Likovna kritika«". Zadarski list. 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
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Category:Croatian art historians Category:Croatian curators Category:Croatian art critics Category:University of Zagreb alumni Category:People from Zadar Category:Living people

References

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