Exhibition concept: Zdenko Kuzmić
Exhibition design: Željko Kovačić
Šime Radovčić, newspaperman and photojournalist, was born in 1924 on the island of Kaprije, in the commune of Šibenik. He was educated in Zagreb where he has lived and worked since 1945.
The main role of the photojournalist is to provide an image of the current events from all areas of human interest, always, though, only what is typical and characteristic, interesting above all, as well as faithful, complete and intelligible through the image. If the shot is well handled, it will outlive its current moment and take on a completely different value – that of a historical document. Perhaps it is in this that the most important role of journalistic photography lies.
In brief: only the photographs of a good photojournalist will go beyond a one-off use. For their creator, they provide the permanence of art. Rare indeed are those who have managed this, and among them a special place is occupied by Šime Radovčić, photojournalist and reporter, whose very large work, published in many of our newspapers in Croatia, has recently been given in its entirety to the Zagreb City Museum.
Why?
Because Šime Radovčić has devoted the whole of his life and work to the city, its life and the people living in it. Loving his city and his fellowcitizens, on going into retirement he gave most generously to them, donating the whole of his work as a photojournalist.
Making use of the means and opportunities distinctive of the technique of photography and not going outside the framework of its givens, he developed his own way, creating his own personal journey, within the framework of the wide range of everything that was going on in photography in this country and during the time of his active work. This is best shown by his simple, one might say totally human, approach to everything his attention was directed towards – the details he offers us are never out of the range of people, they are in all of us and are a part of what we call, simplifying it, the everyday. It is that, too, but visually articulated with a very clear and uncomplicated language.
Zdenko Kuzmić
Pictures from the exhibition
photo Miljenko Gregl, ZCM
Exhibition catalogue
Kuzmić, Zdenko; Đorđe Zelmanović. Šime Radovčić : Zagreb newspaperman and photojournalist.
Zagreb : Zagreb City Museum, 1999
