Antonio Džolan: The Power of Communication

National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Opening: July 17 at 8 pm

July 17 – August 2, 2025

The exhibition The Power of Communication presents a selection of graphic and design works by Antonio Džolan, an artist who does not see design as decoration but as a clear and socially conscious act. His posters, visual identities, and logos reject templates and clichés, choosing instead to communicate, challenge, and provoke.

“He does not approach design coldly, utilitarianly, or in a clichéd way,” writes art critic Iva Körbler in the exhibition foreword, noting that Džolan introduces “a communicative dimension that ranges from social and cultural commentary to political reality.”

Born in Bugojno in 1983, Antonio Džolan graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts Široki Brijeg, where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in graphic design. He has held more than twenty solo and group exhibitions and is active as an art teacher, scenographer, graphic designer, and engaged cultural worker. He has received multiple awards for design, scenography, and educational achievements. His professional activity spans education, culture, and visual communication, from local engagement to international exhibitions and festival identities.

“Some of his most effective graphic solutions can be found in political posters and magazine illustrations, where he brutally and simply distills the topic and message,” Körbler notes.

Despite the compositional clarity and control evident in his work, Džolan avoids formalism. His visual language retains wit, warmth, and edge – as a response to reality, which he observes not from a distance, but from within.

“His design is neither bland nor overly obsessed with self-imposed artificial hygiene, and it does not operate in visual extremes.”

In The Power of Communication, audiences will encounter works that best reflect Džolan’s distinctive voice and graphic expression – one that goes against the reign of templates, and uses design as a tool for expression, critique, and connection.