20–26 September 2026
Museum-Museo Lapidarium, museum park and public spaces of Novigrad-Cittanova
The 17th edition of the International Festival of Visual Arts Arterija was held under the title ¡HOLA MEXICO!. Developed in collaboration with curator and artist Sonia Siblik, the programme connected contemporary artistic practices with different aspects of Mexican visual, musical and performative culture.
Mural in Public Space
One of the central processes of the festival was the creation of a collaborative mural by Lalok (Juan Muñoz Sotelo) and Marco Grajeda on the wall next to the Museum.
Murals occupy a special place in Mexican artistic tradition. Since the development of Mexican muralism in the early 20th century, painting in public space has become an important medium for articulating history, social relations and collective experience, as well as a way of making art accessible to a broad public.
The mural in Novigrad-Cittanova was created over several festival days, in front of passers-by and visitors who were able to follow its development. The working process thus became part of the everyday life of the town, while the completed mural remained in public space as a lasting trace of this year’s Arterija.
Workshops in the Museum Park
The participatory part of the programme unfolded through a series of multi-day workshops open to the public.
Sonia Siblik led a workshop in Mexican cartonería, a traditional technique for making sculptural objects from paper which in Mexico encompasses a wide range of utilitarian, decorative, ritual and artistic forms.
Artist Rubí Juárez led the workshop Drawing Is Easy, focused on a direct approach to drawing and collaborative work with the audience.
Artist Talks / The Museum Presents
As part of the talks programme, Hector Salazar presented his practice at the intersection of art and science. The conversation explored the relationship between scientific and artistic methods, experiment, observation and research into matter.
The programme The Museum Presents also featured Dragana Sapanjoš and Davor Sanvincenti, connecting the festival’s Mexican focus with artistic practices from the local and Istrian context.
The visiting artists also toured the studios of Novigrad-Cittanova-based artists Đanino Božić and Dragana Sapanjoš, extending the festival programme towards the local art scene and the everyday spaces of artistic work.
Music and Dance
The musical programme throughout the week featured Luxana Lozano, Neivi Martínez and Armando Carrillo, bringing traditional and contemporary Mexican songs to the museum park.
Grupo de Danza Tradicional Atoyac presented traditional Mexican dances through performances and a promenade through the town. Movement, music and costume extended the festival from the Museum into the streets and public spaces of Novigrad-Cittanova.
Final Exhibition
The exhibition opened on 25 September and brought together works developed and installed during the festival week, along with works by artists who participated in the project remotely.
The exhibition included painting, sculpture, photography, video and objects, presenting different approaches to Mexican cultural symbols, traditions and contemporary experience.
Works by Sonia Siblik, Miguel Valverde, Marco Grajeda, Lalok (Juan Muñoz Sotelo), Francisco Rubiel, Rubí Juárez, Chespi, Sofía Cecilia Andretta Juárez, Juan Jorge Bautista, Carolina Licón, Melina Lluvia, Paloma Siblik, Sara Ruiseñor, Gabriele Oberreiter and Gabriele Sabitzer were presented in the exhibition.
The Mexican context was further expanded through works by artists whose practices are connected to previous stays and work in Mexico. Marlen Glavić presented black-and-white photographs connected to the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. A video by Ines Borovac emerged from her residency in Mexico and her research into telenovelas and the representation of female characters. Davor Sanvincenti was represented by photographs from the series El Tiempo en reposo entre la Tierra y el Cielo, connected to his work and exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Oaxaca.
Mexican Literature Week
The festival programme also extended to the City Library Novigrad-Cittanova, where Mexican Literature Week was held from 21 to 25 September, featuring a thematic selection of Mexican authors available throughout the week.
Participants
Visual artists:
Sonia Siblik, Miguel Valverde, Marco Grajeda, Lalok (Juan Muñoz Sotelo), Francisco Rubiel, Rubí Juárez, Chespi, Sofía Cecilia Andretta Juárez, Juan Jorge Bautista, Carolina Licón, Melina Lluvia, Paloma Siblik, Sara Ruiseñor, Gabriele Oberreiter, Gabriele Sabitzer, Marlen Glavić, Ines Borovac and Davor Sanvincenti
Artist Talks:
Hector Salazar, Dragana Sapanjoš and Davor Sanvincenti
Music programme:
Luxana Lozano, Neivi Martínez and Armando Carrillo
Dance programme:
Grupo de Danza Tradicional Atoyac
Studio visits:
Đanino Božić and Dragana Sapanjoš
Collaboration and curatorial concept:
Sonia Siblik / Museum-Museo Lapidarium
Following the festival, part of the exhibition remained at the Museum, several works were donated to the Museum collection, and the mural by Lalok and Marco Grajeda remained in the public space of Novigrad-Cittanova as a visible trace of the 17th edition of Arterija.
