Scene
cover photo: Tomislav Dodig-unsplash
In the year marking the 130th anniversary of the ceremonial opening of the Croatian National Theatre building in Zagreb, the HNK opened the doors of its new, contemporary stage, HNK2, this Monday.
The historic occasion was marked by the performance of Slava umjetnosti 2.0 (“Glory of Art 2.0”), a special program directed by Krešimir Dolemčić that bridges the past and the future, tradition and innovation. The performance was inspired by the ceremony held in 1895 to inaugurate the original HNK building, and in its modern interpretation it brought together the ensembles of Drama, Opera, and Ballet.
What made this opening notably different from that of 1895 was the participation of BSH, who concluded the evening’s program with a set by Aldo Morro and Yakka. This was not the first time BSH entered the HNK space, introducing electronic music into one of Croatia’s most important cultural institutions, whose program is traditionally based on the three artistic branches of drama, opera, and ballet.
Yakka reflected on the experience in a post shared on Instagram, writing: “Closing at the opening! After 130 years of HNK in Zagreb, the opening of HNK 2 marked a new chapter in the theater’s history. It was an honor and a pleasure to close the ceremony with a DJ set alongside the @bshevents crew”
The fact that electronic music played a role in marking a new chapter for the country’s most prominent theatre, a culturally significant event for Croatia, demonstrates how this scene is increasingly becoming part of the national cultural identity. It also offers encouragement and hope that the electronic music scene, often said by its own members to be fading, is in fact still alive and evolving.
