State of Matter is a State of Mind
https://www.neme.org/projects/a-sea-change/state-of-matter-is-a-state-of-mind
Toni Meštrović: Artist Talk
Using media such as photography, video, and sound, Toni Meštrović continuously finds inspiration in the environment of the region from which he comes. The region of Dalmatia and the Croatian Adriatic Sea. A space where the sea and stone dominate, as well as the lack of drinking water. An island as a form surrounded by the sea, isolating and connecting at the same time. Elements of the space of his roots have been present from the very beginnings in his artistic contemplation and search for his own identity. His process of awareness began in parallel with the war-marked creation of the national identity of the newly established Croatian state in the early 1990s, with which he couldn’t always identify. In the context of the Balkans, where the West categorised all ex-Yugoslavia states, he also couldn’t find his identity. The Mediterranean is the space of his thoughts with which he identified. The Mediterranean, diverse and multicultural, is the cradle of Western civilisation. A civilisation that has its ups and downs, burdened by consumerism and touristification, is devastating its heritage due to greed for profit. The Mediterranean Sea, which divides and connects peoples and continents, with its memory, is an inexhaustible theme that can be articulated in various ways. Over several decades of artistic creation, he is inclined towards an abstract and poetic approach to questioning individual contents that are barely discernible or left for the observer to freely interpret. In this presentation, he will present elements of water, sea, stone, and salt in his artistic work. Existence in the wilderness of a harsh space. Isolation and circularity become psychological elements of aesthetic contemplation. The immersion, diving into the sea, becomes an irresistible desire for an equal experience in presenting my artistic work. Overall, art is not just an aesthetic impression, but also a deeply personal reflection of identity, history, and connection to nature and the environment.
Toni Meštrović, born 1973 in Split, Croatia, graduated with a Graphic Arts degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1999, where he produced graphic arts, sculpture and installation. Due to his interest in electronic audiovisual media, he studied Video/Digital Imaging at the International Summer Academy for Contemporary Art in Salzburg in 1997, and completed a two-year postgraduate diploma in Media Art at the Academy of Media Arts, Cologne in 2004. Video, sound and audiovisual installations produced during Meštrović’s postgraduate studies explore his personal perception of the sea, and the island where he grew up. Upon his return to Croatia, his work deals with themes of cultural heritage, identity and the changes that have occurred in Dalmatia due to the period of transition. Since 1992, he has taken part in group and solo shows, as well as video festivals. He lives in Rijeka and Kaštela, and he is a professor at the Arts Academy University of Split, Department of Film and Video.
