The visual identity of the 74th Dubrovnik Summer Festival, entitled “New Citizens,” is the latest design of visual communications expert Zoran Đukić, a sort of continuation of last year’s Between the Stone creative solution inspired by Dubrovnik’s ambience and natural elements, the flora growing from between the stones which are a key part of the city’s scenography.

Explaining this summer’s concept, Đukić points out how for centuries Dubrovnik has been building its identity through a continuous conversation with the world. “By exchanging and importing goods, knowledge, art styles and talents, the City developed and kept up with the times. At one point, this image froze, like a photograph on a postcard. The City turned to stone. It became clear what the City was and what it was not – and the line between ‘old’ and ‘new’ was drawn.” The 74th Dubrovnik Summer Festival artwork attempts to soften that sharp line. It contains images of typical plants of the Dubrovnik area – the familiar silhouettes of gray-green agave and prickly pear contrasting with the white walls. Dubrovnik coral plant and Dubrovnik jacobinia, with names that clearly speak of their origin, celebrate summer with colours and shapes of their flowers. However, prickly pears were first spotted on the island of Lastovo in 1911 and they originate from Mexico – just like agaves, brought to the area a century earlier. The palms under the bridge at Ploče are from California, while those at Posat are from the Canary Islands. Dubrovnik coral plant came from Guatemala and our jacobinia is of Brazilian origin.” Finally, Đukić questions the boundaries between what is considered ours/Dubrovnik’s and what is foreign/someone else’s, asking “When and how does the ‘new’ incorporate into the ‘old’? And is such alchemy still possible?”

Zoran Đukić is a visual communications designer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in creating thoughtful and innovative visual identities, publications and exhibitions for a wide range of clients in the cultural sector. He is the founder and head of the đkć d.o.o. studio, and he prefers to design visual identities and theatre posters.