Art Colony Paradiso
Rab, a town on the eponymous island steeped in centuries of existence and cultural interweaving, is orderly and harmoniously arranged in the whiteness of its stone architecture, the blue of the sea and sky, and the greenery of pine forests. Its beauty, meaning, and intimacy have always been woven from Mediterranean encounters, open to worldly experiences since its earliest days. The sea and the Mediterranean atmosphere have enabled it to intertwine the finest threads of human existence. Through its centuries-old spirituality and strength, Rab has managed to build and preserve its cultural identity and establish bridges open to art and multiculturalism.
Art Colony Paradiso, during its 20 years of existence (launched in 2000), has established itself as one of the leading Croatian venues for visual art gatherings. Within the richness of diverse visual identities, it has summarized contemporary visual situations and created communication across different authorial levels. To date, the success of the colony has been contributed to by approximately 413 participants from 38 countries, academically trained visual art professionals who represent the peak of Croatian and European contemporary visual art. As a visual arts event, the colony takes place annually in three sessions: May, June, and September. In each session of the Art Colony Paradiso, 8 to 10 visual artists participate, staying in the colony for 7 days, with accommodation, food, and painting surfaces provided by the organizer. On the last day of the colony, an exhibition of the resulting works is organized at the Paradiso Gallery, and a catalog is subsequently printed. To date, the Art Colony Paradiso has been realized through 41 sessions (2000–2019).
The organizer continuously exhibits the works in its own and other galleries.
