27/03 2025
Selected Finalists of the Golden Watermelon 9.0 Award
The jury, consisting of Oleg Šuran, Olga Majcen Linn, Ketrin Milićević Mijošek, and Dora Ramljak, has selected the finalists for this year’s Golden Watermelon 9.0 Award. Out of a total of 32 applications, 7 finalists have been chosen.
The announcement of the award winner will take place at an exhibition of selected finalists, which will open on April 18, 2025, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Istria in Pula, and will run until May 18, 2025.
List of finalists:
1. Sara Bilić – Living Will – Poetics of Visible and Invisible
In a world where digital memories are stored, recycled, and algorithmically filtered, ‘Living Will’ critically examines our relationship with mortality and impermanence through spirituality and sensory experience, questioning how we cope with loss, memory, and legacy. Through speculative design and augmented reality (AR), the project offers an alternative vision of inheritance, enabling interaction with invisible digital traces left behind by an individual. The focus is on object-based, auditory, or spatial connections to memories, creating a genuinely personal yet universally understandable form of expression. Unlike traditional methods of memorialization, ‘Living Will’ explores new approaches to preserving memories. Users are not merely passive recipients of past narratives but active participants in shaping them. The central part of the project is a video that conveys the atmosphere and potential of ‘Living Will’ as an interactive, reflective practice, emphasizing the sensory and emotional dimension of memory experiences. It raises the question: Can technology become a tool for transcendence? – providing space for a new kind of spiritual experience within the digital realm.
BIOGRAPHY: Sara Bilić is a multidisciplinary designer specializing in sustainability, sustainable development, and strategic design. She earned her Master’s degree from the Design for Planet program at Design School Kolding in Denmark, where she developed the project ‘Living Will – Poetics of Visible and Invisible’ as her thesis. Her work explores the intersection of technology, nature, and human experience, emphasizing how design can challenge existing paradigms, foster empathy, and initiate critical discussions about alternative futures. By combining design methodologies, user research, and critical thinking, she develops holistic and applicable approaches to social, ecological, and economic sustainability. Through speculative narratives and systemic approaches, she investigates how we can reshape consumption and design new infrastructures and systems that address today’s most pressing challenges. Her approach is deeply interdisciplinary, relying on resource awareness and stakeholder engagement to create long-term and meaningful change in design, technology, and beyond. Sara’s work operates at the boundary of design and art, exploring how technology shapes emotional experiences and cultural rituals. Through critical and speculative design, she navigates the tensions between the physical and digital, the sensory and conceptual, and the spiritual and algorithmic, creating provocative interventions that challenge possible futures.
2. Dora Križnik, Filip Kočić i Dominik Višnjić: THE ONLY THING YOUR SKIN NEEDS IS A PURE MOISTURIZING FORMULA
The only thing your skin needs is a pure moisturizing formula – an artwork consisting of three parts: a ready-made object (a jar of cream), an AI-generated survey that visitors complete to receive a custom anti-aging formula, and an AI-generated video of a plant withering under the formula’s influence. This work explores the impact of digitalization and AI on humans in the technocene – an era of rapid technological development.
The first part, a jar of cream with an AI-generated label in post-internet aesthetics, symbolizes digital technologies. The second part, formulas generated through the survey, represents different aspects of technology’s impact on humans. The third part, a video of a plant withering, was developed through artistic research. An AI tool was prompted to simulate a plant’s decay, resulting in a video where leaves fall yet simultaneously regrow. Since the plant never fully withers, it suggests AI does not grasp the concept of death – aligning with hauntological theories on a socio-cultural climate where nothing truly dies but is instead reconfigured into new forms. Everything except humans, who cannot escape mortality. While biological change is gradual, rapid technological progress forces humans into constant readaptation – an endless search for new formulas to secure survival in the digital age. The plant begins to wither when the anti-aging formula is generated – dying both because of the cream and despite it. Digital technologies can be fatal if misused or if one fails to keep up, yet even when used correctly, humans remain bound to their nature. Technology will not save them. It does not understand death.
BIOGRAPHIES: Dora Križnik (Čakovec, 2000) is a second-year graduate student of art history and English language and literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka. In 2024, she was a member of the Advisory Board of the Galerija SKC in Rijeka, and since 2025, she has been working as the gallery’s director. In May 2024, she participated in an Erasmus+ project, completing an internship at the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen. During the 2023/2024 academic year, she wrote art critiques for Novi List and has independently curated eight exhibitions, in addition to co-curating another eight as part of a curatorial team. Together with Dominik Višnjić, she was last year’s winner of the A4 program competition organized by the Museum of Fine Arts in Split (Galerija umjetnina u Splitu).
Filip Kočić (Rijeka, 1999) completed his undergraduate studies in computer science at the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka. He currently works as a video game designer and programmer and develops applications in his free time.
Dominik Višnjić (Varaždin, 2000) graduated in art pedagogy in the class of prof. dr. art. Celestina Vičević in 2024 and is currently working as an assistant lecturer at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka. In his work, he employs alternative graphic techniques, resulting in artistic installations that take a holistic approach to engaging various human senses. He has exhibited in around ten solo and twenty group exhibitions, among which the international exhibition GraficaRi at the Kortil Gallery in Rijeka and the Croatian triennial of graphic arts at Klovićevi Dvori Gallery in Zagreb stand out. He has also received an award in the A4 competition at the Gallery of fine arts in Split.
3. Morana Mandac: MY BLUE LIGHT GLASSES
The work looks at the importance, or rather the irrelevance, of a person and their identity in comparison to technology, and both the internal and external struggle with the individuality of existence. With the advancement of technology, there is also a great advancement in consumerism. The phenomenon of advertising and convincing consumers to invest in something that will supposedly significantly improve the quality of their lives, we are able to witness by following the ‘viral’ products that change from day to day. In this case, blue light blocking glasses are an item that should protect the human eye from the harmful rays of the screen that are inevitable in today’s world. However, after researching the effectiveness of the glasses and consulting with professionals, I came to the conclusion that anti-blue light glasses are just another marketing gimmick. Their effectiveness has not been proven, but certainly many people felt the need to buy them. I am one of those people. Although I did not feel any improvement from the glasses, I continue to wear them because they finally fulfilled my desire to wear glasses. So I found myself in a loop of convincing myself that they are useful, rather than admitting that I wanted something just because I wanted it. I think that’s one of the fastest growing dangers of technology – the availability of the illusion it gives us instead of self-conscious acceptance of the situation. It allows us to be convinced that there is a more important reason for our simple desires, and in doing so, it undermines the ease of living.
BIOGRAPHY: Morana Mandac (Sinj, 1999) graduated from the Franciscan Classical Gymnasium in Sinj, and graduated with honors at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, majoring in Graphic Arts (2023). During her studies, she exhibited at joint exhibitions of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, and held her first solo exhibition in 2023 at the Kranjčar Gallery in Zagreb. She participated in a student exchange programme at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade (2022). As the author of visuals, she has participated in the Festival novog zvuka in Sinj for three consecutive years with the UPSUS association (2023/2024/2025); she is the author of illustrations published by Croatia Records (2022) and Hrvatski Telekom (T5G Future by ALU, 2022); she is a participant in the Belgrade project Obuci grafiku (2022).
4. Lucija Marin: Collected Memories
In a time when digital archives replace physical traces of memory, and personal and collective history become data sets, “Collected Memories” explores the fate of memory in an era of rapid technological evolution. As processing power and algorithms organize and optimize information, the question arises: what happens to fragments of the past that do not fit into classification systems? The “Collected Memories” spatial installation has been evolving over the past 18 years of my life. Since the age of twelve, I have been collecting receipts, documenting and tracking my movement through space and time in a diary-like manner. This process has recorded my growth and personal development while also raising the question of the traces we leave behind as we consume selected products. Each receipt is a trace of my life, a materialized memory. They bear witness to my actions and choices, my preferences and needs—fragments of my experiences, which I have connected, shaped, and given meaning to. For the creation of this installation, I used only receipts that I personally paid for, those directly linked to my choices and active participation. Each of them (more than 5000 in total) represents a story of its own, a memory of a past event. The awakening of memory is also influenced by the traces found on the receipts: fingerprints, coffee stains, raindrops, watercolor marks, or smudges from bakery food. These receipts have gone through processes of production and transportation, passed through the hands of cashiers, the people who were with me or around me, and finally, my own hands. This work reflects the tension between archiving and erasure, between the physical and the digital, between the natural flow of memory and its automation. “Collected Memories” functions as an analog time capsule within a digitally conditioned reality. Opposing the culture of endless optimization and maximization, this work does not strive for efficiency or data reduction but insists on imperfection, complexity, and the physical presence of memory.
BIOGRAPHY: Lucija Marin (Zagreb, 1995) is a multidisciplinary artist exploring themes of memory, transience, nature, and the impact of consumerism on the environment. She graduated in Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 2020. Through site-specific installations, video works, paintings, and ready-made objects, she examines the relationship between personal and collective memory, ecological concerns, and cultural traditions. Her works often incorporate natural materials such as seeds, gauze, and plants, as well as discarded plastic and synthetic waste, highlighting both fragility and resilience. Inspired by natural cycles, Slavic mythology, and the philosophy of impermanence, Marin questions the boundaries of identity, belonging, and awareness through her practice. She has exhibited in over 40 group and 9 solo exhibitions in galleries, museums and public spaces. Notable group exhibitions include Drava Art Biennale 2021 at Gallery Koprivnica, Situacija at the 35th Youth Salon in Zagreb, Re-Start Experience at Gallery SKC in Rijeka, RE: Regionalno izumrli at Oris Zagreb, and Archaea at Chiesa di Santa Lucia in Ferentino, Italy. She is a member of the Croatian Association of Fine Artists and the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association.
5. Pavle Mijuca: Endless Becomings of Seaside Resorts
Endless Becomings of Seaside Resorts is a series of works that explores and analyzes coastal development in Scheveningen Bad, the Netherlands, and Žnjan, Croatia. The series consists of two works: the research paper of the same name and Grand Hotel, Grand Toy—a multi-part piece featuring posters and custom-made toy packaging. The research paper juxtaposes the histories of both maritime regions while examining their similarities and differences. It focuses on the Croatian coast, known for its islands and pristine nature, which is currently facing overdevelopment and significant regulatory changes in coastal development. The essay was written in December 2022, when the Croatian government was adopting the latest revisions of the Law on Maritime Property and Seaports. Following that, the work speculated on the future of the Croatian Adriatic coast based on these changes. Grand Hotel, Grand Toy presents posters advertising two infamous hotels—the Grand Hotel View in Postira, Croatia, and the Grand Hotel Kurhaus in Scheveningen Bad, the Netherlands—as fictitious toys. These sandcastle bucket prototypes, modeled after mass-chain hotels, symbolize the urgent need to address the global overdevelopment of coastal areas. The posters use advertising tropes to critique the excessive foreign corporate influence in tourism and the prevalence of “cookie-cutter” architectural and economic models. The other part of the work features custom-made toy boxes containing a publication designed to resemble an instruction manual, often found in toy packaging.
BIOGRAPHY: Pavle Mijuca (Belgrade, 1999) is an artist and spatial researcher. His work delves into researching power structures behind city planning and architecture, often critically reflecting on issues such as gentrification, illegal construction, and unregulated planning. In order to disseminate this information, he develops site-specific characters, such as a tour guide, an architect, or an investigative journalist. These impersonations are developed as performative pieces. Additionally, he produces objects that serve as tools and play a performative role in his practice.
6. Stela Mikulin: Intimate Dialogue
Intimate Dialogue is a research project that explores various themes through a series of digital dialogues, with this iteration focusing on aspects of artistic practice. This edition delves into the theme of life in art, featuring artists and curators from the Echo Curve Project. In an era of accelerating technology and automated communication models, the project utilizes a digital collaboration platform—an online whiteboard—as a space for anonymous and authentic exchange, allowing participants to intuitively and spontaneously share their experiences and challenges. The dialogue unfolds through a series of questions and illustrations: “What drives you?”, “How important is confidence in art?”, and “What are your biggest fears?”. Artists respond at a pace that contrasts with the rapid nature of digital interactions, creating a network of reflective exchanges that expand the understanding of artistic creation. While technology shapes new systems of communication, Intimate Dialogue resists algorithmic optimization, affirming digital spaces as safe places for authentic dialogue. In a gallery context, these conversations become artifacts of collective introspection, capturing artistic identities at a specific moment in time. The project continues to expand, opening space for new participants and social groups, exploring the potential of digital platforms in liberating dialogue beyond conventional communication models.
BIOGRAPHY: Stela Mikulin (Zagreb, 1996) is a visual artist and holds a Master’s degree in Art Education. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Zagreb in the class of Assoc. Prof. Art. Gordana Bakić-Vlahov and was a participant in the fourth generation of WHW Academy in 2022. Her artistic research focuses on identity, memory, and space, which is reflected in her solo exhibitions such as “Poetics of Place” (2023, Galerija Događanja, Zagreb; 2024, Mavena, Split), “Archive of the Absent” (2023, Galerija Loggia, HULU Split; 2021, Galerija Šira, Zagreb), and “Experimental Self-Portrait” (2022, Galerija VN, Zagreb). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad, including “Post it” at Trienal Tres Pesos in Mexico (2023) and “You Can’t Discourse Without Disco” at Galerija Nova in Zagreb (2022). In addition to exhibitions, she has been actively involved in various artistic projects such as “ECO CURVE, EXP Project” (2024) and “Soundgate Zagreb” (2023–2024), both of which took place on the international scene. She is the recipient of the Izidor Kršnjavi award from the Department of Art History at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, recognizing her contribution to the field and outstanding achievements in art.
7. Leo Subanović: I live online
Exploring my own transformation into digital media, the metamorphosis of the body into a computer arises, reflecting the merging of man and technology. By scanning my own body and transforming it into a jacquard tapestry, the relationship between the digital and the material is questioned. Sending the work for processing into textiles thousands of kilometers away shows digital data exchange. The choice of the USA as a jacquard-making site highlights its technological dominance and global influence in the digital space. The colors in the tapestry are created by optical mixing during weaving, in a similar way they are created in the RGB system on digital screens highlighting the combination of organic and digital. The work asks questions: What remains of us when we become a series of data, who controls it? My body scans become textile patterns, information fragments of virtual reality. By taking away his physical presence, the work questions identity and ownership in the digital era. By combining classic weaving and digital tools, the work encourages reflection on the future of human existence.
BIOGRAPHY: Leo Subanović (Zagreb, 1999) took his first steps in the world of textiles during his childhood, when he performed at the World Puppet Festival PiF as a member of the puppet group of the Zagreb Youth Theater under the leadership of Natalie Murat-Dean. These first artistic activities stimulated his interest in textiles and various craftsmanship techniques, which he later focused on his education. After graduating from the School of Applied Arts and Design in Textile Design, he continued his studies at the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb. While still in high school, in 2016, he won the award for the group project at the 43rd. Ambients in Zagreb in the product design category. Later during college, he collaborated with the company ReGalerija in the production of carpets, and for his work he received a special recognition at the exhibition of Croatian Design 21/22. He participated in the Textile Biennale in Slovenia in 2023. Attended the ERASMUS+ graduate program at the Academy of Arts in Łódźu , Poland. He is a member of ULUPUH since 2025.
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The Golden Watermelon Award for Young Artists, initiated by the Metamedij Association in 2017, aims to create a dynamic platform for critically examining contemporary cultural phenomena through the lens of new media and interdisciplinary artistic practices. Each year, through a carefully designed conceptual framework, the competition encourages young artists, artists, and artistic collectives to explore complex social, technological, and cultural constellations—from questioning existing social patterns in the digital age to investigating intersections between science and art, language and media contexts. The distinctive character of the Golden Watermelon lies in its ability to construct a conceptual space that interweaves theory, critical practice, and experimental artistic approaches. By supporting the development of young artists working at the crossroads of new media, interdisciplinary research, and innovative practices, the project continuously maps the dynamic transformations of the contemporary Croatian art scene. Through collaboration with prominent domestic experts and cultural institutions, the Golden Watermelon Award becomes a generator of theoretical discourse that explores the boundary zones between art, technology, social theory, and critical practice.
Financed by: Kultura nova Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Pula, Istria County, National Foundation for Civil Society Development
