Photography Organisation Organ Vida

Photography Organisation Organ Vida is a leading Croatian institution for promoting and researching contemporary photography practices in Croatia and on the international scene since its foundation in 2008. It is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to showing the works of emerging and established photographers, and to creating platforms for knowledge exchange, education and research.

Our mission and goal is the education of our audience through exhibitions, lectures, and workshops on contemporary photography and also involvement in the broader socio-political context of our everyday lives. We work on the production and distribution of new artworks and cultural projects, as well on research and programs in the field of contemporary photography and theory.

We encourage critical thinking through tackling everyday problems in our social, political and personal surroundings which are communicated through photography. The festival emphasizes collaboration and networking between local and international artists and the exchange of knowledge and experiences between foreign and local visitors and guests. Organ Vida supports the best of emerging artists showing them alongside established ones.

Organ Vida was founded and directed by Marina Paulenka (Unseen, Amsterdam). In 2019 and 2020 the Organ Vida festival was curated by the curatorial collective whose members were Luja Šimunović, Lea Vene, Klara Petrović, Barbara Gregov and Lovro Japundžić.

In 2021 and 2022 the festival is curated by Lea Vene, Lovro Japundžić and Barbara Gregov.

The work of the Organ Vida organization is supported by the City of Zagreb Office for Culture, the Ministry of Culture; and the City of Zagreb Tourist Board, Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

Featured projects

International Photography Festival Organ Vida is a biannual international photography festival that takes place during September in Zagreb, Croatia. The festival gathers international young contemporary artists with the common pursuit to advance the art and practice of contemporary photography, and ignite conversations about critical and global socio-political issues.

The main exhibition of the 10th International Organ Vida Festival titled “Engaged, Active, Aware: Women’s Perspectives Now” was awarded the prestigious Lucie Award.

International Photography Festival Organ Vida

In 2017. Organ Vida Organisation founded a new national award for Croatian contemporary photography – The Marina Viculin Award, named after art historian, curator and former director of the Gallery Klovićevi Dvori, Marina Viculin (1957 – 2015) — who greatly contributed to the Croatian art scene through her promotion of photography and who changed the social perception and evaluation of photography as a medium. The MV Award is annually awarded for the purpose of recognition of the work of artists with outstanding achievements in Croatian photography.

Marina Viculin Award

Established in 2017, OV Publishing‘s goal is to increase the visibility and availability of original art projects embodied in the photobook form, using a unique and thoughtful design and approach to realizing contemporary photobooks.

OV Publishing

Curatorial collective Organ Vida

Lea Vene

Lovro Japundzic

Barbara Gregov

Luja Šimunović

Klara Petrović

Partners and collaborators

The work of the ORGAN VIDA organization is supported by the City of Zagreb Office for Culture, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb Tourist Board, Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

Organ Vida organises many other open-public activities and events in cooperation with many other organisations, artists, institutions and locals during the year. Organ Vida has collaborated with numerous institutions and organizations active in photography and beyond:

The Royal Academy of Art (KABK) The Hague

Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, Croatia

Museum of Contemporary Art, Croatia

Museum of Arts and Design, Croatia

Academy of Dramatic Arts, Croatia
Academy of Fine Arts, Croatia
Tošo Dabac Archive, Croatia
Lauba – House for Art and People, Croatia
School of Design – Faculty of Architecture, Croatia
New York Film Academy, USA
A.K.C Medika, Croatia
Sindikat biciklista, Croatia
Croatian Press Photographers Association, Croatia
Lomography Croatia;
FotoPub Festival, Slovenia;
FotoDoks Festival, Germany;
FOTON Festival, Croatia;
KOMBINAT Association, Croatia;
EASTREET Festival, Poland;
Backlight Festival, Finland