What is New Carnival #1?
We began with masquerade traditions associated with the carnival and masks that are deeply rooted, in connection with nature and its cyclical changes of seasons. We want to re-shape a traditional segment of the identity of Rijeka and its neighbouring localities through citizen participation, ecology, collective expression of creativity and a performative experiment. New Carnival #1 started following the City of Rijeka nomination for the European Capital of Culture 2020. New Carnival #1 is just one among many actions of New Carnival, a project in progress.
(eco)workshop = experiment!
We began with an eco-action on the 1st of January, 2015. in the canyon Rječina, which included the gathering of debris from the river, natural waste, and various residuals from the city’s creative workshops. From the gathered material, on the workshop held on the 7th of February, 2015. in ex-Bernardi, mentored by four young Rijeka artists, we created numerous musical-instrument-masks.
Workshop mentors: Tomica Grubiša, Jadranka Lacković, Ines Milčić and Marijana Vargić.
DIY masks
We engaged numerous social network users in the making of masks by giving them matrices of mask-shapes upon which they could intervene creatively. Their masks were presented on social networks and on the exhibition for which we printed them out and shared them with the visitors.
Exhibition opening & eCollective experimentation
New Carnival #1 had a grand finale during the end of carnival fever, on an (in)convenient friday the 13th of February, 2015, when the workshop participants and the general public gathered in the Archeological park Principij for an eCollective experiment resembling traditional masquerade gatherings and marches.

The printed masks were worn by the visitors and the masks made during the workshop were hung on the walls of the Gallery Principij. The exhibition opening was intensified by the VJ-ing session of a young Rijeka artist ŽBašković.
Students of elementary and secondary schools, as well as students of the University of Rijeka, participated in the project.
The project was realised in the association with the Office for Culture of the City of Rijeka in accord with the candidature of Rijeka for the European Capital of Culture 2020. The project was supported by the Student council of the University of Rijeka.

New Carnival (on vacation) in Belgrade!
New Carnival presented itself in a summer edition to Belgrade with an international exhibition of illustrations New Carnival (on vacation). The exhibition was opened on the 17th of July in Street Gallery where the local power Džedaj, Šumski, Tifani Rubi, Pekmez Med, Ojo Magico, Dunja Janković and Dragan Kordić Mor, participated with German artist Boris Hoppek and Italian artist DEM. Given that one of the objectives of New Carnival is a promotion on an international level, the cooperation with Street Gallery followed as a logical step forward in the further creation of project.
Street Gallery (Ulična galerija) alone is a unique exhibition space in Belgrade that was created with the revitalization of the neglected passage in the center of Belgrade to allow the use of public space for gallery purposes as well as a wider availability of art to random (and deliberate) passengers. The program of the gallery usually exposes engaged art and one of its important characteristics is the fact that it is open to the affirmation of young artists.

New Carnival (on vacation) in Belgrade /// Photo: Boris Burić & Jadranka Lacković