Explore the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb

Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb is home to more than 5,000 contemporary works and is the biggest and most modern museum in Croatia. Artworks of many modern painters, architects, and sculptors can be found there, and besides its rich fundus, the museum also houses a library, a multimedia hall, a bookstore, a cafe, and a restaurant.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is located on Dubrovnik Avenue in Zagreb and is one of the places that reflect both the identity of Zagreb and its open-mindedness to the world. From the very beginning, it proved its importance, exhibiting and promoting its work in the company of the world’s most famous museums. Nowadays, this magnificent building offers visitors the opportunity to see the artwork of all kinds on display.

It is situated in a newly finished building, which was opened in 2009. On all of three floors of this 14,600 m² museum, out of which 3,500 m² is reserved for the permanent exhibit and around 1,500 m² is designated for occasional exhibitions, you can find many beautiful and thought-provoking exhibits, solo or in a thematic group, from various Croatian and international artists. You will discover beautiful permanent exhibitions of works dating 1950 to the present and temporary exhibitions with works of Croatian and international artists.

The permanent display named Collection in Motion showcases 620 edgy works by 240 Croatian and international artists. It is well set out and easily accessible. It includes pieces from the 1920s and gathered since 1954 when Zagreb’s original MSU (in Upper Town) was founded. Of particular note are Carsten Höller’s slides, similar to the ‘Test Site’ installation he built for Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall but custom-made and site-specific for Zagreb – pieces of art patrons can ride to the parking lot. Croatia’s outstanding 1950s generation of abstract-geometric artists (Ivan Picelj, Aleksandar Srnec, Vjenceslav Richter, Vlado Kristl) play a starring role in the collection, alongside photographs and films documenting the more outlandish antics of legendary performance artists like Tom Gotovac and Vlasta Delimar. The new-media and computer-art works produced by the Zagreb-based New Tendencies movement in the late 60s and early 70s reveal just how ahead-of-its-time much of Croatian art really was.

During the year temporary exhibitions are also organized. There is a packed year-round schedule of film, theatre, concerts, and performance art as well. The best way to finish the visit is by sliding in toboggans that will take you to the exit in 10 seconds in a fun and memorable way!