Matko Meštrović

Born 1933 on the island of Korcula, Croatia. Art and culture historian. Lives in Zagreb.

High school completed in Split. Graduated in History of Art and Culture from the Faculty of Philosophy, Zagreb University (grad. 1958). As a French government grantee spent six months in Paris in 1961. From August 1969 to July 1970 as an IREX grantee was at the following universities in the United States: Columbia University, New York, UCLA, Los Angeles (Art Department and Journalism Department), MIT, Cambridge (Center for Advanced Visual Studies), Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia (The Annenberg School of Communication). Ph.D. thesis defended at University of Zagreb in 1978. He was a professor at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb.

In 1961 he initiated, with Božo Bek and Almir Mavignier, the network New Tendencies and was one of its leading forces. In 1968 he was a member of the organizational committee of »Tendencije 4 – Computers and Visual Research« and co-publisher of the magazine Bit International (and editor of bit international 4 in 1969), which appeared from 1968 – 1972 and concentrated on questions of the interlocking of technology/science, art, design and media.

1956–1964 worked as art critic for Radio Zagreb. 1959–1966 founding member of Gorgona.

The 60s were the period of his life completely devoted to the newly established Center for Industrial Design, in 1964-1968 as the head of information department. Then, he was also very closed to ICSID (the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design). His interest in technology and information science goes back to activities in the Croatian Sociological Society and the International Association of Mass Communication Researchers (IAMCR) in the 70s. Being the consultant to general manager of Zagreb Radio and Television (1970-1987), he tried to introduce the most advanced professional and theoretical know-how concerning public information. He was director of the Institute for Culture of Croatia for five years (1987-1992).

He is senior research fellow at the Zagreb Institute of Economics where he initiated the research project Cultural capital and development strategy of Croatia.

Authored books

• From Single to General (1967)
• Outlines Without Patterns (1978)
• Theory of Design and Environmental Problems (1980)
• The World, Consciousness and Dependence (1983)
• Goods and Freedom (1995)
• Reality Time (2002)
• Matko Meštrović (ed.), Social Capital and Transition in Croatia (1998).
• Matko Meštrović (ed.), Globalization and Its Reflections in Croatia (2001)

Articles

• Matko Meštrović, "Computer and Visual Research – Ways of thinking and scope of acting" 2004 [1]
• Matko Meštrović, "Global Crisis and Social Earth" [2]
• Matko Meštrović, "Culture - Commonness of the Common?" [3]
• Matko Meštrović, "Art and Technology - Yesterday and Today", 1998 [4]
• Matko Meštrović, Obrisi bez obrasca (Contours without patterns), Mladost, Zagreb, 1970
• Matko Meštrović, "Ideology of New Tendencies", 1963

http://avantgarde-museum.com/kolekcija/ht/autor.php?lang=en&autor=116
http://dada.compart-bremen.de/node/4504