The classical unwritten law of building, which states that a) the work will last longer than intended and b) it will cost more than intended, has proved to be true in the case of the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art. The foundation was laid in 2003 and the original finishing date was late 2006, however it is in 2009 that we should witness the completion of this much awaited cultural centre. The original construction budget of 350 million kuna has also been exceeded by another 100 million. As a result Zagreb has been without a fully functioning Museum of Contemporary Art for several years, since the old museum premises closed their doors to the public to prepare for the move.

The Museum’s history stretches back more than 50 years and in that period it played a crucial role in the making of contemporary Croatian art and placing it within international artistic trends. This was especially true in the 1960s, when the institution was one of the leading centres for experiments with new technology and the first computer art through their New Tendencies project. The innovative artistic practice of the 1970s was not just presented, but also evaluated in important exhibitions at the end of the decade, and MSU carried its progressive activity on until the beginning of this decade, when they organised a major introspection of contemporary artistic practice in the exhibition ‘Here Tomorrow’ that spread across the town.

As the palace that hosted the MSU in the Upper Town proved to be inadequate, solutions were sought for a new location and purpose-built architecture. The new museum is strategically located across the river Sava in New Zagreb, on the exact axis of the famous ‘green horseshoe’ that stretches from Zrinjevac Park via Strossmayer Gallery, Umjetnički Pavilion, Lisinski Concert Hall and the National Library. It is close to the recently redesigned Bundek Recreation Area and flanked on the other side by Zagreb’s most wanted shopping centre, the Avenue Mall.

Igor Franić, the Croatian architect who designed the building in the spirit of the functionalist tradition, was inspired by the shape of the meander. This sign has special significance in Croatian art history, thanks to the influential artist Julije Knifer, who from his Gorgona days in the 1960s stayed devoted to that single motif, which he painted countless times in black and white. Once finished, visitors will enjoy an impressive 4800m2 of exhibition space, as well as a library, restaurants, multimedia room, children’s workshop and the obligatory museum shop.

As part of the preparations for the move to New Zagreb, the MSU recently published a complete catalogue of their collection, which consists of more than 4000 works by 900 artists. The highlights of the new display will include EXAT 51, New Tendencies, the experimental films of Ivan Ladislav Galeta and Tomislav Gotovac and conceptual artists such as Goran Trbuljak, Sanja Iveković, Dalibor Martinis, as well as the recently purchased Atelier Kožaric.

The long delays and poor communication between the City of Zagreb and the Ministry, the main financiers of the project, have also provoked the art scene to engage. Croatian artist Željko Badurina decided that the only way to help the new museum out of its impasse was to turn to a higher power, so he decided to pay for a mass in the Church of St.Catherine, close to the building of the old MSU. The Minister of Culture and the Mayor of Zagreb failed to turn up to pray together, although several curators from the museum did. The priest led a prayer for the swift completion of the building, its new role in cultural life of the city, and so did the many artists present. Reportedly there was a horrible storm during the mass, with thunder and lighting, and rain coming through a church window that the wind blew open, all of which was interpreted by the artist as a promising sign from above.