The Image of Zagreb as a Second Metropolis within Yugoslavia

Raziskava odpira pogled na dinamiko urbanega razvoja Zagreba kot metropole v socialistični dobi, kakor se kaže na izbranem široko dostopnem (v veliki meri turistično obeleženem) likovnem materialu, kot so razglednice in značke. Z analizo motivov, ki se v tovrstnem materialu pojavljajo kot najbolj reprezentativne podobe Zagreba v določenih obdobjih, študija razkriva ideološke vidike, ki se skrivajo tako v izboru motivov kot v njihovi predstavitvi. V zgodnjem povojnem obdobju sta bila v Zagrebu realizirana dva velika urbanistična projekta: Ulica grada Vukovara, reprezentativni center pomembnih vladnih, administrativnih in kulturniških stavb, ter razstaviščni kompleks Zagrebškega velesejma, s katerim je bil storjen radikalen korak v širitvi mesta v južni smeri in izgradnji Novega Zagreba na desnem bregu Save. Ta dva revolucionarna projekta sta morala funkcionirati v okviru aktualnega političnega diskurza, hkrati pa je bilo potrebno sprejetje s strani najširše družbene sfere – delavskega razreda. Abstraktna arhitekturna govorica modernizma je bila za večji del te družbene sfere (ki je bila do nedavnega pretežno ruralnega značaja) težko sprejemljiva. Manjši del prebivalstva je imel drugačno socialno poreklo – to so bili meščani, ki so živeli v starem mestnem jedru. To je zanje predstavljalo »pravi« Zagreb, zato so bili do novonastalih urbanističnih projektov zadržani iz drugačnega razloga. Naloga široko zastavljene medijske kampanje je bila torej nove podobe Zagreba približati obema skupinama in vzpodbuditi proces prepoznavanja novih urbanističnih projektov kot njunega mesta – spodbujati identifikacijo prebivalcev s konceptom mesta, ki je vpeto v sodobne urbanistične tokove. Da bi uspešno implementirali nove simbolične podobe Zagreba v družbeno zavest meščanov, so njihovi snovalci uporabili preizkušene mehanizme medijske propagande. Prizadevali so si, da bi postale čim bolj vidne tudi za tiste, ki ne živijo v njihovi bližini. Hkrati so jih premišljeno povezovali z mestnimi znamenitostmi, ki so že bile vsesplošno sprejete kot ikonične, in to z namenom povzdigniti jih na isto raven oziroma jim dodeliti enako simbolično vrednost. Rezultat je bil indikativen izbor urbanih vedut, s katerimi so poskušali vizualizirati idejo Zagreba kot prestolnice ene od republik SFRJ – Zagreb, ki je urbano središče s pomembnimi spomeniki iz različnih zgodovinskih obdobij, od srednjega veka do najnovejše dobe, hkrati pa napredno evropsko mesto, ki v polni meri sledi sodobnim trendom arhitekturnega in urbanističnega razvoja. Z natančnim sledenjem upodobitev Zagreba na razglednicah in značkah v času socializma se vzpostavi zemljevid, ki jasno razkriva prioritete splošnega urbanističnega razvoja tako v velikem merilu kot v posameznih detajlih: od celih mestnih četrti, kot sta Zagrebški velesejem in Novi Zagreb, do enako indikativnih posamičnih interpolacij, kot sta stavba Ferimporta in nebotičnik na Ilici. Vsi ti projekti so imeli izjemno velik vpliv na družbeno okolje, saj so vnesli nova funkcionalna in estetska merila, obenem pa posredovali ideološke, politične in kulturne vrednote. Njihovo razširjanje v obliki razglednic in značk je funkcioniralo kot oblika tihe, vendar uspešne propagande nove vizualne in idejne podobe Zagreba kot metropole, ki zavestno gradi lastno identiteto

Misticizam u tekstu i slici, nekad i sad

Recenzija, prikaz zbornika "IKON 6. Vizije", zbornika Šestog međunarodnog znanstvenog skupa Ikonografskih studija, Rijeka, 2013

Zagreb Squares as Urban Identity Systems

Kontekstualizacijom koncepta urbanih ikona u razdoblju tri hrvatske modernizacije analiziraju se četiri zagrebačka trga. S naglaskom na usporedbi dvaju oprečnih, sukcesivnih političkih uređenja autorica nudi čitanje javnih prostora grada u kojem elementi arhitekture, javne skulpture i mobilijara te opseg participativnosti ukazuju na (re)strukturiranje identiteta. Proces stvaranja urbanih ikona otkriva svjesno djelovanje razlièitih socijalnih skupina.The paper gives an analysis of four Zagreb squares by contextualizing the concept of urban icons in three Croatian modernization periods. Emphasising the contrast between two successive political regimes, the author offers an interpretation of public spaces in the city where architectural elements, public sculpture and degree of participation point to identity (re)structuring. Creation of urban icons reveals intentional activities of various social groups

Misticizam u tekstu i slici, nekad i sad

Recenzija, prikaz zbornika "IKON 6. Vizije", zbornika Šestog međunarodnog znanstvenog skupa Ikonografskih studija, Rijeka, 2013

Women in politics

Kroz povijest žene su uvijek bile podcjenjivane i osporavane, oduvijek se smatralo da je njihov zadatak biti kod kuće, brinuti se oko odgoja djece i istovremeno obavljati teške fizičke poslove u kućanstvu. Kako se razvijalo društvo, dolazi i do određenih promjena u položaju žena. S vremenom, počele su dobivati različite poslove, društvena prava, pravo glasa, a u konačnici i pravo odlučivanja i rada u politici. Iako danas živimo u 21. stoljeću, postoje dijelovi svijeta u kojima žene nemaju gotovo nikakva prava. Ipak, većina zemalja omogućava emancipaciju žena i tako vrlo lako mogu uspjeti u poslovnom, društvenom i političkom životu. Statistički gledano, Island se nalazi na prvom mjestu što se tiče ravnopravnosti spolova, druga je Finska, a treća Norveška. Tako možemo vidjeti kako najveću ravnopravnost žene imaju u Skandinavskim zemljama. Na zadnjim mjestima, gdje žene imaju najmanja prava, nalaze se Jemen, Pakistan te Sirija.Through history, women have always been oppressed. It was believed that their job is to be at home, taking care of the children and doing manual labor at home. As society developed, so has the position of women. Through time they began working in different jobs, their social rights were improved, they gained the right to vote, and finally make decisions and work in politics. Even though we live in the 21st century, there are still some parts of the world where women have almost no rights. However, most countries allow the emancipation of women, and they can become very successful in professional, social and political areas. Statistically, Iceland is the leader in women's rights, followed by Finland and Norway. Women have the most equality in Scandinavian countries. At the other side of the specter, where women have very few rights, are Yemen, Pakistan and Syria

Edmund Burke and the Pandemic Iconology in Media Images and Contemporary Art

Rad istražuje ulogu medijskih, umjetničkih i verbalnih slika pandemije bolesti COVID-19 u stvaranju osjećaja straha i užasa koji djeluju paralizirajuće na pojedinca, povezujući ih s pojmom uzvišenog Edmunda Burkea. Uvažavajući interpretaciju Williama J. T. Mitchella o Burkeovu razlikovanju umjetničkog i političkog uzvišenog, analizira se revolucionarni potencijal djelovanja slika odnosno njegov izostanak. Medijske slike sadrže jasan ikonografski obrazac koji uključuje temeljne Burkeove karakteristike uzvišenog: mračne su i opskurne te utjelovljuju najsnažniji od svih strahova — strah od smrti. Analiza umjetničkih slika pokazuje dominaciju lišavanja kao još jednog važnog aspekta uzvišenog, a stvara osjećaj usamljenosti i tišine. Metaforički jezik diskursa koji prati pandemiju pojačava paralizirajući učinak medijskih i umjetničkih slika, stvarajući mentalne slike virusa kao subjekta koji napada, širi se, prijeti… Slike su sveprisutne i izložene konzumiranju, pojedinci ne okreću glavu od prikazanih užasa, već doživljavaju empatiju koju Burke smatra ključnom za integraciju u društvo. Istodobno, društvo se lišava političkog potencijala kroz fragmentaciju u niz izoliranih jedinki koje komuniciraju posredstvom tehnologije.This paper investigates the role of media, artistic and verbal images of the COVID-19 pandemic in creating feelings of fear and terror that have a paralysing effect on individuals, by connecting them with Edmund Burke’s concept of the sublime. Acknowledging William J. T. Mitchell\u27s interpretation of Burke\u27s distinction between the artistic and the political sublime, the paper analyses the revolutionary potential of images, or rather its absence. Media images contain a clear iconographic pattern that incorporates Burke\u27s fundamental characteristics of the sublime: they are dark and obscure, and embody the most powerful of all fears — the fear of death. Photographs in the mass media conceptualize the effect of the virus on the individual, the society and space. The motifs relate to the visualization of the COVID-19 molecule, which has become a symbol of the global pandemic, to photos of individuals affected by the disease (from patients to medical staff, as well as healthy individuals standing in lines for the vaccine), images that show the effect of the virus on the system and indicatethe powerlessness of institutions in the fight against the disease (under-capacity of hospital staff and equipment), and to photographs of spaces that have been changed by the effects of the pandemic (empty city squares and streets, terraces of hospitality establishments). The iconography of media images, in all four described categories, includes the production of fear, while media messages such as “stay at home” imply passivity as the most desirable form of socially responsible activity, which leads to the fragmentation of society into a series of isolated individuals whose communication with the world takes place through a screen. Verbal and visual images function synergistically, amplifying the paralysing effect. The analysis of artistic images was conducted on the example of an online project of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, FB for your thoughts / FB misao na dan. The motifs in the images are compared to Burke\u27s notions of privation, infinity, uniformity, and silence as important aspects of the sublime. Artistic images primarily communicate a closing off (theme of bunkers, confinement in one\u27s own apartment, view through the window of a TV screen) and acceptance of a situation in which the fragmentation of society into isolated individuals leads to sensory deprivation — loss of contact with others. The emptiness of space, similar to the isolation of man, contains meaning in what it does not show (the virus), which is a prerequisite for creating such images. Besides these media and artistic images, the paper also includes an analysis of the metaphorical language of verbal images, which in turn create mental images of the virus as a subject that attacks, spreads, threatens… The visualization of statistical data is an ubiquitous media image that supports the metaphorical image of the coronavirus disease as a subject with a life of its own — it grows, dominates, kills, destroys, sleeps … The synergistic effects of the verbal, media and artistic images affect the individuals and the society, activating the strongest possible sensations within the scope of human experience, which Burke calls the sublime. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper considers the global and all-pervading effect of sublime images, which have produced a paralysing effect that is truly unprecedented in modern history. The aim of this research was to emphasise the relevance of Burke\u27s theory in the contemporary communication situation during the COVID-19 pandemic

An Architecture for Information Commerce Systems

The increasing use of the Internet in business and commerce has created a number of new business opportunities and the need for supporting models and platforms. One of these opportunities is information commerce (i-commerce), a special case of ecommerce focused on the purchase and sale of information as a commodity. In this paper we present an architecture for i-commerce systems using OPELIX (Open Personalized Electronic Information Commerce System) [11] as an example. OPELIX provides an open information commerce platform that enables enterprises to produce, sell, deliver, and manage information products and related services over the Internet. We focus on the notion of information marketplace, a virtual location that enables i-commerce, describe the business and domain model for an information marketplace, and discuss the role of intermediaries in this environment. The domain model is used as the basis for the software architecture of the OPELIX system. We discuss the characteristics of the OPELIX architecture and compare our approach to related work in the field

AN IDENTITY MAP OF MODERN ZAGREB

Istraživanje identitetske razmjene između pojedinca i ideje o gradu (zajednici) teorijski je uspostavljeno na ideji o identitetskom sustavu koji projektno može pomoći podizanju razine identifikacije. Istraživanje je provedeno na terenu, dokumentiranjem komunikacije u javnom i privatnom prostoru te istraživanjem stavova građana o vrijednostima koje identificiraju grad Zagreb. Analiza rezultata upućuje na sklonost građana da prepoznaju grad u kojem žive kao vrijedno i dobro mjesto ali istovremeno je situacija u prostoru bitno drukčija i upućuje na nižu razinu identitetske razmjene.Research into the identity exchange between individuals and the idea of a city (community) is theoretically established on the idea of an identity system which when projected can assist in raising the level of identification. Research was carried out on the ground by documenting communication in public and private space and by surveying the attitudes of citizens about the values that they identify with the city of Zagreb. Analysis of the results indicates the tendency of inhabitants to view the city in which they live as a valuable and good place. However, at the same time, the situation on the ground is significantly different and suggests a lower level of identity exchange

Efficient Probabilistic Subsumption Checking for Content-Based Publish/Subscribe Systems

Abstract. Efficient subsumption checking, deciding whether a subscription or publication is covered by a set of previously defined subscriptions, is of paramount importance for publish/subscribe systems. It provides the core system functionality—matching of publications to subscriber needs expressed as subscriptions—and additionally, reduces the overall system load and generated traffic since the covered subscriptions are not propagated in distributed environments. As the subsumption problem was shown previously to be co-NP complete and existing solutions typically apply pairwise comparisons to detect the subsumption relationship, we propose a ‘Monte Carlo type ’ probabilistic algorithm for the general subsumption problem. It determines whether a publication/subscription is covered by a disjunction of subscriptions in O(k md), wherek is the number of subscriptions, m is the number of distinct attributes in subscriptions, and d is the number of tests performed to answer a subsumption question. The probability of error is problem-specific and typically very small, and sets an upper bound on d. Our experimental results show significant gains in term of subscription set reduction which has favorable impact on the overall system performance as it reduces the total computational costs and networking traffic. Furthermore, the expected theoretical bounds underestimate algorithm performance because it performs much better in practice due to introduced optimizations, and is adequate for fast forwarding of subscriptions in case of high subscription rate.