Zagreb - Zdenka Badovinac, the former long-serving director of Moderna Galerija, the Ljubljana Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, has won the open call to head the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU).

According to a report by the Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List, Badovinac pipped three other candidates to the post, including the incumbent director Snježana Pintarić.

The vetting commission's pick now needs to be endorsed by Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević.

The Croatian paper writes that judging by first reactions on social media, most of the staff at the museum are happy with the change of director.

The MSU's collection comprises over 12,000 works by Croatian artists since the mid-20th century in various media from painting to sculpture, drawings, prints to photography, video, film, installation to online art.

An acclaimed curator, Zdenka Badovinac served as director of Moderna Galerija from 1993 to 2021. She bid for another term, but Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti appointed Aleš Vaupotič as her successor in April.

Badovinac initiated the first collection of East European art, 2000+ Arteast Collection.