At first sight these momentous questions seem quite peculiar, and the initials WHW do not exactly roll off the tongue in English (the Croatian pronunciation ‘Vay-Ha-Vay’ is always used by those in the know) but against the odds, this four-woman curatorial collective from Zagreb has succeeded in becoming a well-known global art brand. ‘What, How and for Whom’ refers to the three basic questions that can be asked of every economic organisation, what is produced, for whom, and how it is distributed. They have turned these questions into principles that serve as a check list for every project they curate.

WHW emerged in 2000 with their first show celebrating the unlikely date of the 152nd anniversary of the Communists Manifesto. Influenced by celebrated Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, the exhibition sought to draw attention to the manifesto’s continuing relevance in the search for alternatives to a ruthless economic system, despite the failure of its central prediction that capitalism was doomed. The show’s impressive line up of artists and writers drew international attention to the WHW team, made up of Sabina Sabolović, Nataša Ilić, Ana Dević and Ivet Ćurlina, and broke new ground in the self-definition of a post-communist East European identity.

Over subsequent exhibitions, WHW expanded on their curatorial exploration of the combination of social issues, politically-sensitive topics, and suppressed memories. One of the most interesting shows was Collective Creativity in 2005, which displayed the work of artist collectives from all over the world in a major German museum. It featured groups from Argentina to Russia and everyone from Gilbert and George to the Slovenian neo-avant garde group Irwin, exploring issues such as whether visual art has too be so individualistic and how a collective of authors work together to produce a single work.

Despite their swift international curatorial career, WHW did not neglect the Zagreb scene. After their takeover of a quiet downtown gallery in 2003, strategically positioned between the notorious independent Radio 101 and the avant-garde theatre ZKM, they soon turned it into a do-not-miss venue. The new management cleared out the gallery cellars, doubling the exhibition space and creating an ideal film screening room. For a four-member collective, collaboration was a logical approach, and WHW sought to connect NGOs and alternative cultural centres throughout Croatia, through their exchange initiative Clubture.

Their programme for Galerija Nova consists of a multi-layered mix of exhibitions, lectures, and screenings, all keenly documented in the Galerija Nova newspaper. A significant aspect of their practice is a continuous publishing activity, apart from the gallery newspaper, they have produced numerous catalogues, as well as edited books by well-known cultural theorists, which are always printed in a recognisable red and black layout designed by close associate Dejan Kršić. Recent appearances in the gallery have included Janes Janša, a Slovenian artist who famously changed his name to that of his country’s serving Prime Minister, Dubrovnik art celebrity Slaven Tolj, socially-engaged Zagreb artist Andreja Kulunčić, and forgotten modernist sculptor, Vojin Bakić.  

The next big challenge facing WHW is to live up to high international expectations after they were invited to curate the Istanbul Biennial in autumn 2009. The biennial is one of the most forward-looking gatherings of the international art calendar, and it’s a significant achievement, and cause for great excitement and speculation in the art world, that the Croatian all-girl collective got the job. They will no doubt use their favourite questions ‘who, what and for whom?’ as a guide in selecting artists and devising a concept that will appeal to art audiences abroad and at home.   
Maja and Reuben Fowkes