Irena Šimić
Senior professional associate – documentalist
E. isimic / ipu.hr
B. CRORIS profile
Biography
Graduated in art history from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb in 2009. Since 2011 works as a Senior Professional Associate in Science at the Institute of Art History (IAH), focusing on processing, cataloguing, preserving, digitizing and presenting IAH collections, including Photoarchives, Architectual Plans, Drawings and Records Collectionsm and Personal Archival Collections.
Contributed to several research projects, mainly funded by the Croatian Science Foundation: ARHZAG (2023–), The Cycle – European Training in Photographic Legacy Management (2020–2022), Ekspozicija (2020–2024), GLOBE Exchange (2020–2023), ARTNET (2014–2018) and DUCAC (2014–2017).
Since 2014 mentoring art history student in volunteering and internship programs in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communication Sciences at the University of Zagreb (with Lina Šojat, Head of IAH Library).
Scholarly contributions extend to the role of executive editor and associate for various publishing and exhibition projects at the Institute. From 2009 to 2022 member of the editorial board of scholarly journal of modern and contemporary art and architecture Život umjetnosti.
In 2022 enrolled in postgraduate doctoral studies in History of Art, Cultural Heritage and Visual Culture at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, University of Zagreb.
Within the broad spectrum of topics, research interests include research methodology, documentation and presentation of cultural heritage, photography and photographic archives, architectural history, digital humanities, opens science, digitization, and copyright.
Member of the Croatian society of art historians and ICARUS Hrvatska.
Bibliography (selected)
Books
Sandra Križić Roban, Irena Šimić, Branko Balić, Institute of Art History, Zagreb, 2022.
Conference participation
„Umijeće nasljeđivanja – održive prakse obrade i opisa osobnih arhivskih fondova“, 27. seminar Arhivi, knjižnice, muzeji (glavni organizator: Hrvatsko arhivističko društvo), Poreč, 27.–29. studenoga 2024. (s Linom Šojat i Filipom Kartelom)
“Skice (iz) arhiva Ane Deanović”, Otkrića, istraživanja, prezentacije – znanstveno-stručni skup u povodu 105. godišnjice rođenja Ane Deanović (1919.–1989.), Odsjek za konzerviranje i restauriranje umjetnina, 13. rujna 2024. (s Linom Šojat)
“What is the Image when the Image is All? On the Exhibition(s) of the Photographer Nenad Gattin”, international symposium „Razstavljanje na Slovenskem III“ (Exhibiting in Slovenia III), Ljubljana, 11–12 April 2024
“Gattin on Meštrović”, international conference „Ivan Meštrović. Croatia and the World“, Institute of Art History, Klovićevi dvori Gallery, Ivan Meštrović Museums, Zagreb, 26th and 27th february 2024
“Između antike i romanike – ranosrednjovjekovna arhitektura kroz pisane izvore i fotografiju Nenada Gattina”, Umjetnički dodiri između Istoka i Zapada, 13. Dani Cvita Fiskovića, Odsjek za povijest umjetnosti Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu – Društvo povjesničara umjetnosti Hrvatske, Orebić, 4.–7. listopada 2023. (sa Srđanom Beckom)
“Tragom baroka u fotografijama Nenada Gattina”, U službi baroknog kiparstva. Znanstveni skup povodom stote obljetnice rođenja Doris Baričević (1923.–2016.), Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu – Institut za povijest umjetnosti, Zagreb, 7.–8. rujna 2023.
“Od zapisa do nove digitalne slike – digitalizacija zbirki fotografskih negativa Branka Balića i Nenada Gattina”, Dvanaesti festival digitalizacijskih projekata, Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica, Zagreb, 4.–5. svibnja 2023.
“Fundamenti povijesti umjetnosti”, panel „Od realizma devedesetih godina do sakralnog slikarstva: nekoliko aspekata povijesnoumjetničkog prinosa Ivanke Reberski“, 5. kongres hrvatskih povjesničara umjetnosti, Galerija Klovićevi dvori – Institut za povijest umjetnosti, 10.–12. studenoga 2022.
“Unboxing Gattin”, international conference, Discovering Dalmatia VII: Travel Stories: The Grand Tour, Travellers, Travel Itineraries, Travelogues, Cvito Fisković Centre, Split, 8–11 December 2021
“Post scrpitum for Grgo Gamulin”, conference dedicated to Grgo Gamulin, Institute of Art History, Departement of Art History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb, 7–8 October 2021. (with Lina Šojat)
“IIIF in Croatia”, panel discussion, annual conference IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework), 24 June 2021. (participants: Koraljka Kuzman Šlogar, Vlatka Lemić, Goran Zlodi, Marijana Tomić, Benedikt Perak, Eva Cetinić, Željko Trbušić, Kristijan Crnković, Irena Šimić, moderator)
“Local Time Machines in Croatia: shifting perspectives towards realities”, 6th ICARUS days in Croatia “Archives – borders, identities, reflections”, online conference, Faculty of philosophy, Rijeka – ICARUS Hrvatska, 25–26 March 2021
“Rebuilding Libraries in Time of Overlapping Crises” (with Lina Šojat, Magdalena Blažić and Filip Kartelo), „Solidarity in culture. Heritage protection under conditions of crisis“, international conference, National and University Library, Zagreb, 18–20 March 2021
“SOS for Zagreb – resources for research and reconstruction of the city”, International Archive Week, “Archives and knowledge society”, ICARUS Hrvatska – University of Zagreb, Zagreb, 10 June 2020
“Photographic resources of the Institute of Art History important for the research of architectural plastic in Zagreb”, Croatian sculpture from the 19th to the 21st century – origin, function, representation (institution project, workshop), 3 June 2020
“Preserving ideas – notes about special photographic collections at the Institute of Art History in Zagreb”, Capturing the Past, international conference organized by Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) and Croatian State Archive (HDA), Zagreb, 22–24 May 2019
“Documentary photography in the research of the urban landscape of Croatia in the second half of the 20th century”, Photographic heritage in museums, Museum documentation centre – Museum of contemporary arts, 25–26 October 2017
“Records of the perception of the Urban Landscape of Dalmatia – Sources available in the Institute of Art History“, Discovering Dalmatia II, Centar Cvito Fisković, Split, 24 May 2016
“Photoarchive Branko Balić in the process of digitization”, 5th Festival of Croatian Digitization Projects, National and University Library, 20–21 May 2015.
Public lecture
“Anonimous photography”, 8th Days of photography of the Tošo Dabac Archive, ATD, Museum of Contemporary Arts, 1 December 2016
“Photoarchives and transfer of knowledge – experience of Branko Balić”, 7th Days of photography of the Tošo Dabac Archive, ATD, Museum of Contemporary Arts, 6 November 2015.
“Architectural photography by Krešimir Tadić”, 6th Days of photography of the Tošo Dabac Archive, ATD, Museum of Contemporary Arts, 24 November 2014
Conference proceedings
“Image and word – legacy of Radovan Ivančević at the Institute of Art History”; “Bibliography of Radovan Ivančević”; “Filmography of Radovan Ivančević” (with Krešimir Juraga), in: Đurđa Kovačić, Martina Petrinović (eds.), Radovan Ivančević (1931–2004), proceedings of the scientific conference, Zagreb, 9–10 June 2014, Society of Croatian Art Historians, Zagreb, 2016
“Interpretation and evaluation possibilities of urban heritage an example of photographic legacy of Krešimir Tadić”, proceedings of the international conference Spatial and development possibilities of cultural heritage within the project HERU (Heritage Urbanism), Faculty of architecture, University of Zagreb – Croatian Academy of Science and Arts, Zagreb, 22–23 October 2015.
“Regulatory and conservation plan for the historical parts of the city of Zagreb (1937) by architect Bruno Bauer”, in: Andrej Žmegač (ed.), Proceedings of the 3rd Congress of Croatian Art Historians, IPU, Zagreb, 2013
Professional papers, reviews (selected)
Razgovor s Ivom Prosoli. O fotografiji i Toši Dabcu – umjetniku svojeg vremena, u: Kvartal, 1-2, 2023., 6-25
Monumentalna knjiga o fotografiji u Zagrebu 19. stoljeća, u: Kvartal, 1-2, 2022., 48-53.
Contemporaries: Ivan Čižmek, sce. / dir. Ana Marija Habjan, Tamara Bjažić Klarin, cam. Mario Britvić, mont. Bogdan Tankosić, doc. film, HRT, 2022 (associate)
Ostavština Nenada Gattina (Legacy of Nenad Gattin), in: Kvartal, 1–2, 2017, 78–81
Tragovima fotografije u povijesti umjetnosti (Traces of photography in the history of art), in: Kvartal, 3–4, 2016, 64–67
Architectural model as a photographic negative, in: Čovjek i prostor, 5–8, 2016 (744-747), 81–85.
Photography in Croatia: Branko Balić, sce. Irena Šimić, ed. / dir. Ana Marija Habjan, cam. Mario Britvić, mont. Nenad Vuković, doc. film, HRT, 2016
Ptice sunca i mjeseca (Birds of the sun and moon), review of Dora Kovačević exhibition Kalendari, Gliptoteka HAZU, 1–5 February 2009, in: Vijenac, 390, 12 February 2009
All that and even more - a review of the Exhibition of Croatian Design 0708 and a proposal for the context, in: Život umjetnosti, 84 (2009), 84.
Laureates of the DPUH award “Radovan Ivančević” for 2008, in: Kvartal, 1–2, 2009, 22–24.
Interdisciplinarity on sculpture, review of the professional symposium “Original in sculpture”, Museums of Hrvatsko Zagorje, Antun Augustinčić Gallery, Klanjec, June 4–6 2008, in: Kvartal, 3, 2008, 69–71.
Poetic photographic work, review of the Sandro Đukić exhibition arch_0001_089_output / 2008, Galženica Gallery, Velika Gorica, 3–24 December 2008, in: Vijenac, no. 389, 29 January 2009.
Publishing projects (associate)
Život umjetnosti – magazine for contemporary visual arts, 89, 2011, co-editor with Sandra Križić Roban and Ivana Hanaček, thematic issue: “Zero point of meaning: Non-functional, Non-representational, Elementary, Experimental and Conceptual Photography in Croatia”
Ljiljana Kolešnik (ed.), Socialism and Modernity: Art, Culture, Politics 1950–1974, Institute of Art History ‒ Musem of Contemporary Arts, Zagreb, 2012 (executive editor); ISBN IPU 978-953-7875-00-8.
Milan Pelc (ed.), Heritage in focus, Institute of Art History, 2011 (executive editor); ISBN IPU 978-953-6106-80-6.
Katarina Horvat Levaj, Doris Baričević, Mirjana Repanić Braun, Academic Church of St. Catherine in Zagreb, IPU, Zagreb, 2011 (associate) ISBN 978-953-6106-86-8.
Sandra Križić Roban, At second glance: the positions of contemporary Croatian photography, Institute of Art History ‒ UPI-2M, Zagreb, 2010. (executive editor); ISBN 978-953-6106-89-9.
Olga Maruševski, Iso Kršnjavi kao graditelj, Irena Kraševac (ed.), IPU, Zagreb, 2008 (2nd edition; associate); ISBN IPU: 978-953-6106-73-8.
Exhibitions
Branko Balić – The Attentive Observer, Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb, 29 October – 24 November 2019; organisers: Museum of Arts and Crafts and Institute of Art History: co-author: Sandra Križić Roban; curator: Iva Prosoli; exhibition layout design: Mirna Horvat; visual identity: bilić_müller studio
Život umjetnosti – 50 years: When, how, with whom and for whom does art live?, HDD Gallery, Zagreb, 22 September – 4 October 2016; Croatian Design Society – Institute of Art History, curatorial team: Marko Golub, Irena Šimić, Marija Borovičkić, Sanja Horvatinčić, Sandra Križić Roban
Zero Point of Meaning. Non-functional, Non-representational, Elementary, Experimental and Conceptual Photography in Croatia, Art Pavillion, Zagreb, 17 June –17 July 2011; Hrvatski fotosavez, concept and curators Sandra Križić Roban, Ivana Hanaček i Irena (Gessner) Šimić
Workshops (selected)
Bilježenje prostora fotografijom od urbanizma do dekoracije: Nenad Gattin i Dioklecijanova palača u Splitu, radionica za studente Fakulteta građevinarstva, arhitekture i geodezije Sveučilišta u Splitu, Centar Cvito Fisković, 21. i 22. srpnja 2022. (s Anom Šverko)
The Cycle, eduactional training in european photographic legacy management, Institute of Art History, Zagreb, September – December 2021 (training program leader and project associate)
From the photographic original to the (new) photographic image, 9th Days of photopgraphy of Tošo Dabac Archive, 21–22 November 2017 (with Lana Lovrenčić)
What, how and why to digitize?, photo digitization workshop, Open Days of the Institute of Art History, 14–15 October 2015 (associate: Paolo Mofardin; guests: Hrvoje Gržina and Pero Dabac)
Professional training (selected)
Time Machine Academy on IIIF: Open standards for interoperable functionality in digital asset repositories, Time Machine Organization (online), October – November 2021
IIIF online training, 1–5 February 2021, organizer: IIIF Consortium (Glen Robson)
Building Digital Skills and Literacies for Museums and Digital Archives, workshop, 20–22 November 2019, Zagreb (organizers: The Institute for Development and International Relations, Culture24, Brighton, UK)
Photography: recognition, preservation, description and digitization, Summer Archival School, 19‒21 September 2017, Žrnovo, Korčula (organizers: Croatian State Archives, State Archives in Dubrovnik, ICARUS Croatia)
Perspectives of digital humanities in european scientific cloud, workshop organized by Ruđer Bošković Institute, Centre for informatics and computing (Horizon2020, EGI-Engage i Indigo-DataCloud), 12th July 2017
APAE – Conference and School on Authority, Provenance, Authenticity, Evidence, University of Zadar, Department of Information Sciences – UCLA, Department of Information Studies, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, Zadar, 25–28 October 2016
Annual Symposium on Copyright, HDAP-ALAI, Zagreb, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022
5th Zagreb Archival Day: archives and archivists as guardians of heritage in the context of social development, identity, memory and criticism, Zagreb Archival Society, Zagreb, 29 November 2014
Preservation of Diverse Photographic Collections, workshop on preservation of photography, The Getty Conservation Institute ‒ Croatian State Archive, Zagreb, 16 July 2013