PHOTOS: Polar Dream in Zagreb’s Grič tunnel

by croatiaweek
December 22, 2023
in Entertainment

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

The artistic installation Polar Dream, created in collaboration between the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb and the association Umjetnost za grad (Art for the City), can once again be explored as part of Advent in Zagreb in the Grič tunnel.

This dreamy installation that captivates at first sight now extends along the entire central part of the tunnel, providing a new experience of passing through a completely different icy cave where peculiar clouds sway and a heavenly dance of polar lights unfolds.

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

Polar Dream is an ambient installation inspired by the aurora borealis and polar expanses, consisting of an impressive 80-meter textile sculpture by designer and visual artist Stella Leboš, subtly complemented by lighting and sound effects by light designer Andrija Santro and sound designer Hrvoje Nikšić.

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

“Polar Dream symbolises the moment between the past and the future, the experiences behind us and those yet to come. It invites us to reflect on where we have been and where we are going as the year transitions, to leave the past behind and step towards the desired future. All that needs to be done is to pass through the installation in the right direction – and dream a little! Don’t forget to pause in the middle, enjoy your achievements from the past year, discard all regrets and “what if” thoughts, envision the new year, and wish something for yourself. Perhaps after the Polar Dream, everything you secretly hope for awaits you,” organisers said.

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

Behind the project’s development and creative production is Ana Mikin from the association Umjetnost za grad, which initiates and realises a series of artistic projects in public spaces in collaboration with the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb.

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

Instructions for Polar Dreaming:

Pause in the middle – look backward, but also forward.

Enjoy your achievements from the past year – no matter how small, they were all important.

Discard all regrets and “what if” thoughts – focus on where you want to go instead of where you have been.

Envision the new year – how you want it to look, what you want to achieve in it, where you want it to take you.

Wish something for yourself – set at least one intention for the future.

(Photo: Samir Ceric Kovacevic)

The installation can be visited daily from 9 am to 10 pm until January 7, 2024, with exceptions on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (from 9 am to 4 pm) and on Christmas, New Year, and the holidays of Saint Stephen and the Holy Three Kings (from 12 pm to 8 pm).

The entrance to the tunnel is from Mesnička Street, and the movement is one-way from Mesnička towards Radićeva Street.