Lauba - house for people and art

You may have been wondering what the word LAUBA means... This is a very personal word for a very personal space. LAUBA stands for a circular venue and we can probably find its origin in the German word laub, which means leaves. A circular venue with tree tops barely touching was a place for games as well as competitions. To climb its trees and conquer the entire Lauba without touching the ground. This was the sacred mission. When it was achieved, there was a new impossible challenge – to make a complete round with as few cuts as possible in the shortest period of time. LAUBA has remained a synonym for initiation through a game.

LAUBA is now a place of experience, learning, entertainment and social interaction. Let them tell you the story about contemporary art in their own way.

LAUBA is a unique space in our city, there is a bistro and coffee bar at the entrance area that functions as a common meeting place for both activities.

It is active all day long, combining various forms of business, different lifestyles and working rhythms. Hence, they gave it the name People and Art House. LAUBA is a non-profit organisation, with one person employed as a chief curator Jelena Pavlinušić and eight volunteers. The program is operated by them and by freelance professionals, engaged for different projects. 

For its opening, LAUBA showed a combination of works from the LAUBA Collection and current art production. Works by the younger and middle generation of artists that have been systematically purchased by the LAUBA Collection finally got their exhibition space in the city. LAUBA presented their current work, but also served as a laboratory for art experiments and a place of cultural innovation. During its first year,  they presented LAUBA Collection.

The concept is called a Non-permanent exhibition as some of its segments changed on a monthly basis. Difference between an exhibition of the collection and temporary exhibitions is erased, they coexist and bring out the best out of each other. Artists with whom we collaborate also created parts of the program and contributed with their knowledge and skills. 

The interactive program will continue after the first year in the same way as we will continue to present freshly produced works of interesting artists. Our aim is to present and help discover new forms of artistic expression by Croatian visual artists, contribute to raising public awareness about Croatian Modern and Contemporary art, and participate in international cultural trends. 

LAUBA encourages cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and exhibitions with similar institutions in order to monitor and support the current art production in Croatia and help it join the international trends. Through creative and interesting exhibition concepts and various additional programs, LAUBA offers the general public an encounter with contemporary visual art. It is open to visiting curatorial concepts and art projects, who are invited to join us in creating the program in accordance with LAUBA’s mission.