This event has been ended!
Open studio: Željko Beljan (HR)
Event by: Malý Berlín
Location: Pekárska 186/40, Pekárska 40, Trnava
Talks & discussions, Exhibitions
About event
Little Berlin and Culture Hub Croatia (Split) jointly organized an art residency at the end of which you can visit the studio of Croatian artist Željko Beljan, who spent two months with us.
• Željko explores the connections between sport, craft and play in his artistic work. He is interested in the social potential of handwork, its meaning and the ways in which artistic processes can activate public space.
• During his stay, he is primarily working on a new series of handmade wooden games that follow his exploration of the connection between craft, play and entertainment. These works transform simple wooden forms into colorful, tactile and interactive objects inspired by the logic and rules of board games that invite visitors to play and collective imagination.
Beljan's artistic practice is rooted in traditional craft techniques that have their roots in his childhood and family. By combining these methods, he blurs the boundaries between functional objects and sculptural expression. Open studio offers the opportunity to participate in Beljan's newly created games - try them out, play and think about how craft skills and play can create space for connection and imagination.
• Atelier na Nádvorí, Pekárska 40, Trnava
• Free
◌ Željko Beljan ◌
He received a master's degree at the Department of Animation and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and is a graduate of the international study program WHW Akademija (2022). In 2023, he was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award for budding artists. Since 2011, Beljan has participated in many group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad. Together with Iva Jurićová, he is the author of the book Like Real Footballers (2025), which explores football as a space of collective memory, work and social imagination.
• www.instagram.com/benjaminbeljan
• The residency was supported from public funds by the Art Support Fund.
🟡🟠🔵🔴🟣
ENG
Maly Berlin and Culture Hub Croatia (Split) have organized an artist residency, at the end of which you can visit the art studio of Croatian artist Željko Beljan, who spent two months in the cultural center Malý Berlin.
• Željko explores the connections between sport, craft, and play. He is interested in the social potential of craft, its significance, and the ways in which artistic processes can activate public space.
During his stay, Željko has produced a new series of elaborate, hand-made wooden games that continue his exploration of the intersection between craft and play. These vibrant works, presented at the open studio, transform simple wooden forms into colorful, tactile, and interactive objects inspired by the logic and rules of tabletop games, inviting visitors into moments of play and collective imagination.
• Beljan's artistic practice is grounded in traditional handicraft techniques, a legacy rooted in his family and upbringing. By merging these methods with contemporary art approaches, he blurs the boundaries between functional objects and sculptural expression.
• The open studio offers visitors a chance to engage with Beljan's newly produced games - testing, playing, and reflecting on how craftsmanship and play can create spaces of connection and imagination.
• Atelier Nádvorie, Pekárska 40, Trnava
• Free entry
◌ Željko Beljan ◌
He holds a Master's degree from the Department of Animation and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and is a graduate of the international study program WHW Akademija (2022). In 2023, he was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award for emerging artists. Since 2011, Beljan has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad. Together with Iva Jurić, he is the co-author of the book Like Real Footballers (2025), which explores football as a space of collective memory, labor, and social imagination.
• Željko explores the connections between sport, craft and play in his artistic work. He is interested in the social potential of handwork, its meaning and the ways in which artistic processes can activate public space.
• During his stay, he is primarily working on a new series of handmade wooden games that follow his exploration of the connection between craft, play and entertainment. These works transform simple wooden forms into colorful, tactile and interactive objects inspired by the logic and rules of board games that invite visitors to play and collective imagination.
Beljan's artistic practice is rooted in traditional craft techniques that have their roots in his childhood and family. By combining these methods, he blurs the boundaries between functional objects and sculptural expression. Open studio offers the opportunity to participate in Beljan's newly created games - try them out, play and think about how craft skills and play can create space for connection and imagination.
• Atelier na Nádvorí, Pekárska 40, Trnava
• Free
◌ Željko Beljan ◌
He received a master's degree at the Department of Animation and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and is a graduate of the international study program WHW Akademija (2022). In 2023, he was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award for budding artists. Since 2011, Beljan has participated in many group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad. Together with Iva Jurićová, he is the author of the book Like Real Footballers (2025), which explores football as a space of collective memory, work and social imagination.
• www.instagram.com/benjaminbeljan
• The residency was supported from public funds by the Art Support Fund.
🟡🟠🔵🔴🟣
ENG
Maly Berlin and Culture Hub Croatia (Split) have organized an artist residency, at the end of which you can visit the art studio of Croatian artist Željko Beljan, who spent two months in the cultural center Malý Berlin.
• Željko explores the connections between sport, craft, and play. He is interested in the social potential of craft, its significance, and the ways in which artistic processes can activate public space.
During his stay, Željko has produced a new series of elaborate, hand-made wooden games that continue his exploration of the intersection between craft and play. These vibrant works, presented at the open studio, transform simple wooden forms into colorful, tactile, and interactive objects inspired by the logic and rules of tabletop games, inviting visitors into moments of play and collective imagination.
• Beljan's artistic practice is grounded in traditional handicraft techniques, a legacy rooted in his family and upbringing. By merging these methods with contemporary art approaches, he blurs the boundaries between functional objects and sculptural expression.
• The open studio offers visitors a chance to engage with Beljan's newly produced games - testing, playing, and reflecting on how craftsmanship and play can create spaces of connection and imagination.
• Atelier Nádvorie, Pekárska 40, Trnava
• Free entry
◌ Željko Beljan ◌
He holds a Master's degree from the Department of Animation and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (2021) and is a graduate of the international study program WHW Akademija (2022). In 2023, he was a finalist for the Radoslav Putar Award for emerging artists. Since 2011, Beljan has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad. Together with Iva Jurić, he is the co-author of the book Like Real Footballers (2025), which explores football as a space of collective memory, labor, and social imagination.