Location: University Gallery, University of Split (Ruđera Boškovića 31)

Dates: September 15 - September 30, 2025

At the University Gallery in Split, in partnership with the Ana Marušić Foundation, on 15 September 2025 the exhibition Joško Marušić: TODAY we are, tomorrow we are not – cartoons from the weekly Danas (1982–1992) will open, remaining on view until 30 September. The exhibition presents a selection of political cartoons created during a period of major social and political change, when current events were transformed into witty and incisive commentaries on reality.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see 50 reproduced cartoons and 6 originals—works that, in addition to their satirical content, also bear Marušić’s distinctive artistic style, unique in its expression and form. The cartoons from Danas seamlessly combine recognizable stylized figures, color, and detailed backgrounds with powerful satirical metaphors.

As a draftsman and cartoonist, Joško Marušić distinguished himself particularly in the weekly Danas, where between 1982 and 1992 he developed his recognizable artistic signature. His cartoons not only mocked politics but also revealed the absurdities of everyday life, capturing the weaknesses and contradictions of society. This is precisely why they continue to function today as both an artistic expression and a valuable historical document.

In the catalogue foreword, historian Tea Luburić highlights:

“(…) In Danas, his cartoons dissected current issues for a full decade, merging satirical sharpness with a distinctive artistic hand. They were small portrayals in which politicians, bureaucrats, and ‘ordinary people’ alternated—the very figures we recognize from our own daily lives. Under his pen, current politics, social deviations, and everyday life were transformed into universal scenes of human weakness and grotesque. In fact, Marušić’s irony always had two sides: a critique of the system and warmth toward the individual. It is precisely this duality that made his works recognizable and timeless.”

The exhibition at the University Gallery in Split presents a selection of cartoons published in Danas during a pivotal period of recent history. It reminds us of the role of cartoons not only as a medium of satirical resistance but also as a historical document—a testimony to the political, social, and cultural processes at the end of the 20th century. And it reminds us of what is perhaps most important: sometimes the farthest one can see is—through laughter.

More information is available at: https://www.facebook.com/Sveucilisna.galerija