A gathering of nativity scenes in Split.
Nativity scenes in a variety of creative designs by as many as 65 authors from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria and Slovenia, have been brought together at the Old City Hall at the Piazza in Split, where on Sunday, traditionally the feast day of St. Lucia, an international exhibition organized by the Emanuel Catholic Association was officially opened. It is one of the most visited annual exhibitions in Split, which each year again and again delights visitors with the originality of the authors’ ideas, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on December 14, 2015.
Mario Braškić, a well-known creator of nativity scenes from Split and the curator of the exhibition, said that there was only one nativity scene which had been expected at the exhibition but did not arrive. It was a nativity scene from Italy made of pasta, but it has collapsed during the transport. Also, one of the French authors has simply forgotten to send his creation.
“It is not easy to prepare this exhibition since nativity scenes mainly arrive already constructed, and sometimes they can be broken during transport. There are many very beautiful works, made by both children and professional artists”, Braškić said and invited everyone to come to the exhibition. His own latest nativity scene is presented at the Old City Hall, while one of the earlier creations, which he created on the topic of Croatian Cardinal Stepinac, is currently in Rome at the “Hundred Nativity Scenes” exhibition, which is part of the permanent collection of the Roman Museum of Nativity Scenes.
“I put a lot of effort in creating nativity scenes, but at the end I feel pure bliss”, said Braškić who knows very well how much time needs to be invested in creating a nativity scene.
Some of the most interesting nativity scenes presented are those created by children from Maestral Children Home, made of glass mosaic, as well as those made of paper, straws and stone. The authors have spared neither time nor effort to use all imaginable materials to present the birth of Jesus in a variety of ways.
