While most of Zagreb has been on extended hibernation, an explosion of life and colour has appeared in one quiet corner of the city centre. During the lockdown, new murals have been painted by some of the city's most active street artists.
The paintings adorn the walls of the small Opatovina park. Although it is situated between the popular visitor routes of Tkalčićeva and Opatovina ulica, the park is frequently missed by tourists. A remnant of the oldest section of Zagreb, the upper town park is much loved by city residents who use it as a bolthole of calm away from the bustling streets in the centre. The new murals offer a perfect excuse for visitors to seek out the park for themselves.
The new works were commissioned by Zagreb Tourist Board from the Art Park organisation who, over recent years, have held summer-long projects that construct alfresco socialising areas centred around the painting of new graffiti works.
Joining the existing 2016 work 'Gulliver' (by Dominik Vuković and Boris Bare) in the park are new pieces by artists Smelly Feet, Erol Sjajni, Boris Bare and Afrika. 'I park je nekome doma' (And the park is someone's home), 'Zagreb Flowers of Life' and 'No Pasa Nada' were worked on by Afrika in conjunction with Boris Bare. Smelly Feet and Erol Sjajni created 'Onaj dan kada je tigar pao preko vulkana' (The day the tiger fell over the volcano). The combined pieces now cover hundreds of metres of wall which surround the park (best seen by watching the video below).
