Vjenceslav Richter
Encyclopedia
Vjenceslav Richter was a Croatian architect. He was also known for his work in the fields of urbanism, sculpture, graphic arts, painting and stage design.
He was one of the founding members of the Exat 51 group whose active members between 1950 and 1956 were the architects Bernardo Bernardi, Zdravko Bregovac, Božidar Rašica
and Vladimir Zaharović, and the painters Vlado Kristl, Ivan Picelj
and Aleksandar Srnec
. He was also a member of the New Tendencies movement (from 1961). He designed exhibition pavilions (Bruxelles 1958, Turin
and Milan
), several museum buildings, and was involved in industrial and interior design. From 1962 he began to explore the medium of sculpture, which resulted in the Reliefmeter series among many other works of art.
In 1955, Vjenceslav Richter organized the first Zagreb Triennial, an art and design festival that sought to bring together a wide range of design disciplines, including applied arts, industrial design, and fine arts. The second triennial was not held until four years later, and was equally unsuccessful in its aim of popularising modernist design.
He exhibited at many shows in Croatia and abroad, including: the Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb, (1964), Albright-Knox Art Gallery
, Buffalo, (1968), Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
, (1968), Staempfly Gallery, New York, (1968), Galerie Semiha Huber, Zurich, (1969), at the Venice Biennale
(1972), Gallery 58, Rapperswill, (1972), Galleria del Naviglio, Milan, (1973), Galleria all Centro, Napoli, (1973), Galleria Visconti, Milan, (1976) and Galleria La Loggia, Udine, (1977).
He won many awards, including the City of Zagreb Award (1959), the Golden Medal at the 13th Triennial in Milan (1964), the 11th São Paulo Biennale Award for Sculpture (1971), and the Herder Prize
(1981). He received two life achievement awards: the Viktor Kovačić Award (1988) and the Vladimir Nazor Award
(1993). Geometry and Spontaneity, a retrospective exhibition of his graphics, was organized at the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
) Cabinet of Graphics (Zagreb, 2002).
Career
In 1949, Richter graduated at the Department of Architecture of the Technical Faculty of the University of Zagreb under professor Zdenko Strižić.He was one of the founding members of the Exat 51 group whose active members between 1950 and 1956 were the architects Bernardo Bernardi, Zdravko Bregovac, Božidar Rašica
Božidar Rašica
Božidar Rašica was an architect, scenographer and painter.-Career:He studied in Rome, Belgrade, Warsaw and Zagreb where he graduated in 1942...
and Vladimir Zaharović, and the painters Vlado Kristl, Ivan Picelj
Ivan Picelj
Ivan Picelj was a contemporary Croatian painter, sculptor and graphic designer.Picelj developed a specific variation of geometric abstraction in Croatian painting by using primary colours and by reducing the shapes to geometric elements. He made sculptures and reliefs in wood and in metal...
and Aleksandar Srnec
Aleksandar Srnec
Aleksandar Srnec was a Croatian artist. He is mainly known for his avant-garde designs and kinetic and lumino kinetic art....
. He was also a member of the New Tendencies movement (from 1961). He designed exhibition pavilions (Bruxelles 1958, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
), several museum buildings, and was involved in industrial and interior design. From 1962 he began to explore the medium of sculpture, which resulted in the Reliefmeter series among many other works of art.
In 1955, Vjenceslav Richter organized the first Zagreb Triennial, an art and design festival that sought to bring together a wide range of design disciplines, including applied arts, industrial design, and fine arts. The second triennial was not held until four years later, and was equally unsuccessful in its aim of popularising modernist design.
He exhibited at many shows in Croatia and abroad, including: the Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb, (1964), Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is an art museum located in Delaware Park in Buffalo, New York. The gallery is a major showplace for modern art and contemporary art. It is located directly across the street from Buffalo State College.-History:...
, Buffalo, (1968), Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
The Museum of Contemporary Art is a contemporary art museum located on Dubrovnik Avenue in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the biggest and most modern museum in the country....
, (1968), Staempfly Gallery, New York, (1968), Galerie Semiha Huber, Zurich, (1969), at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
(1972), Gallery 58, Rapperswill, (1972), Galleria del Naviglio, Milan, (1973), Galleria all Centro, Napoli, (1973), Galleria Visconti, Milan, (1976) and Galleria La Loggia, Udine, (1977).
He won many awards, including the City of Zagreb Award (1959), the Golden Medal at the 13th Triennial in Milan (1964), the 11th São Paulo Biennale Award for Sculpture (1971), and the Herder Prize
Herder Prize
The Herder Prize, established in 1963 and named for Johann Gottfried von Herder, was a prestigious international prize dedicated to the promotion of scientific, art and literature relations, and presented to scholars and artists from Central and Southeastern Europe whose life and work have improved...
(1981). He received two life achievement awards: the Viktor Kovačić Award (1988) and the Vladimir Nazor Award
Vladimir Nazor award
The Vladimir Nazor Award is an annual award given by the Croatian Ministry of Culture to Croatian artists for highest achievements in various artistic fields. It was established in 1959 and is named after the notable writer Vladimir Nazor...
(1993). Geometry and Spontaneity, a retrospective exhibition of his graphics, was organized at the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
) Cabinet of Graphics (Zagreb, 2002).