Art and exhibition activity in the interwar period in the area of Rijeka

Okosnica rada temelji se na likovnoj i izlagačkoj djelatnosti u Rijeci, u razdoblju između dva svjetska rata, odnosno u periodu od 1919. i dolaska G. D´Annunzija u grad do 1939. godine i početka Drugog svjetskog rata. Ovaj je period nerazdvojiv od svojeg povijesnog konteksta koji je u neposrednim poratnim godinama bio obilježen brojnim turbulencijama u kojima glavnu ulogu igra karizmatska osoba pjesnika-vojnika Gabriela D´Annunzija. Za njim u Rijeku dolaze i brojni avanturisti, ekscentrici te umjetnici-futuristi koji, iako ne ostavljaju značajne likovne radove, obilježavaju kratki i burni riječki futuristički trenutak. Za razliku od ovog kaotičnog razdoblja, aneksijom Rijeke Italiji 1924. godine situacija u gradu se vidno smiruje, što je uz osnivanje Umjetničkog sindikata značilo pozitivni poticaj za razvoj organizirane likovne i izlagačke djelatnosti. Likovna scena se u svakom smislu budi, a dolaskom mladih umjetnika s raznih europskih studija, dobiva novu avangardnu struju, pored već postojećih tradicionalista. Među njima se svakako istakla avangardna četvorka – R. Venucci, L. de Gauss, M. Arnold i M. Raicich koji su uzdrmali tadašnju likovnu scenu. Usporedno s likovnim, događa se i izlagački uzlet, kada se pod organizacijom Umjetničkog sindikata Kvarnera organiziraju sindikalne izložbe, ali i međuprovincijalne, državne i međunarodne. Na taj su način umjetnici dobili mogućnost prepoznavanja i na široj likovnoj sceni od one riječke, a publika mogućnost upoznavanja sa suvremenim likovnim tendencijama. Najveći problem koji je pratio izlagačku djelatnost bio je specijalizirani izložbeni prostor kojeg Rijeka nije posjedovala, a iako je postojala inicijativa za osnivanjem Galerije moderne umjetnosti koja bi sakupljala i izlagala djela riječkih i talijanskih umjetnika, ona nije provedena u djelo.The framework of the work is based on art and exhibition activities in Rijeka, in the period between the two world wars, i.e. in the period from 1919. and the arrival of D´Annunzio in the city until 1939. and the beginning of the Second World War. This period is inseparable from its historical context, which in the immediate postwar years was marked by numerous turbulences in which the main role is played by the charismatic person of the poet-soldier Gabriele D´Annunzio. He was followed in Rijeka by numerous adventurers, eccentrics and futurist artists who, although they do not leave significant works of art, mark a short and turbulent futuristic moment in Rijeka. In contrast to this chaotic period, with the Italian annexation in 1924., the situation in the city visibly calmed down, which with the establishment of the Art Union meant a positive stimulus for the development of organized art and exhibition activities. The art scene is awakening in every sense, and with the arrival of young artists from various European studies, it is gaining a new, avant-garde current, in addition to the already existing traditionalists. Among them, certainly stood out the avant-garde quartet – R. Venucci, L. de Gauss, M. Arnold and M. Raicich, who shook up the art scene at the time. Along with art, there is an exhibition ascent, when under the organization of the Art Union of Kvarner are organized union exhibitions, but also interprovincial, national and international ones. In this way, artists were given the opportunity to be recognized on a larger art scene than the one in Rijeka, and the audience was given the opportunity to get acquainted with contemporary art tendencies. The biggest problem that accompanied the exhibition activity was the specialized exhibition space that Rijeka did not own, and although there was an initiative to establish a Gallery of Modern Art that would collect and exhibit works by Rijeka and Italian artists, it was not implemented