The exhibition Anatomy of Smoke – A Retrospective of a Habit, one of the most ambitious museum projects in recent years, is on view at the Rector's Palace in Zadar until September.
The exhibition presents a unique story of art, design, film, propaganda, and the social changes that have shaped more than five centuries of tobacco history.
The project is the result of a collaboration between the National Museum Zadar, collector Dario Marenić, and external collaborators. It is based on a selection of objects from the Marenić Collection, one of the most significant and comprehensive private collections in Croatia.
For more than two decades, collector Dario Marenić has systematically assembled over 10,000 works of art, historical objects, and rare collectibles, organised into 21 thematic collections.
Zbirka obuhvaća slike, skulpture, grafike, reklamne plakate, fotografije, razglednice, knjige, uporabne predmete i brojne druge artefakte koji svjedoče o razvoju umjetnosti, dizajna i vizualne kulture u nekoliko stoljeća.
The collection includes paintings, sculptures, prints, advertising posters, photographs, postcards, books, everyday objects, and numerous other artefacts that document the development of art, design, and visual culture over several centuries.
According to the National Museum Zadar, the exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through more than five centuries of tobacco history—from the sacred rituals of pre-Columbian America, where smoke played a spiritual and ceremonial role, through the royal courts and bourgeois salons of Europe, to the modern era, in which marketing and popular culture transformed tobacco into one of the defining habits of contemporary society.
The exhibition reveals how tobacco evolved over the centuries from a ritual symbol into a global commodity, and how artists, the film industry, and advertising helped create its glamorous image.
"The National Museum Zadar is committed to presenting exhibitions that offer new perspectives on cultural heritage and visual culture. Anatomy of Smoke – A Retrospective of a Habit is precisely such a project. Through the exceptionally valuable Marenić Collection, we are introducing visitors to a unique collection that transcends the boundaries of private collecting while opening a dialogue on art, society, design, marketing, and everyday life," says Marin Ćurković, Director of the National Museum Zadar.
He adds that Anatomy of Smoke is not an exhibition about smoking; rather, it is an exploration of how art, propaganda, psychology, and market forces have shaped our habits, identities, and perceptions of freedom over decades.
A special section is devoted to public relations pioneer Edward Bernays and his famous Torches of Freedom campaign, which transformed the cigarette into a symbol of emancipation, style, and social prestige, while Hollywood further reinforced this myth through film stars and popular culture.
The exhibition also examines how these same mechanisms continue to evolve in contemporary society—from electronic cigarettes to digital marketing and new forms of visual communication—culminating in a clear message about the harmful effects of smoking and the importance of critically examining the influence of advertising on everyday life.
The exhibition features valuable artworks, prints, advertising posters, photographs, pipes, lighters, cigarette cases, and other rare objects, including works associated with renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring, alongside works by numerous other Croatian and international artists.
Source: tportal