Snapshots by Passionate Photographer Tito on Display in Ljubljana
On until 25 May, it will feature 70 photos from a collection of some 30,000 Tito snaphots kept by the Museum of Yugoslav History.
The selection of the photos, taken between 1960 and 1979 and ranging from personal moments to impressions from trips abroad, was made by the Belgrade museum's curator Momo Cvijović and Croatian photography expert Želimir Koščevič.
Cvijović wrote that "too much is known about Josip Broz's political activities and too little about his artistic work", but added that Tito, who used state of the art gear, had failed to move beyond mediocrity.
"He stays consistent. With time his photos even got worse. A real professional!" he added.
The pair however pointed out that the photos have a "directness" about them, that Tito was a statesman exposed to different facets of social and political life and, as Koščevič wrote, "never considered himself an amateur".
According to Cvijović the collection of the Museum of Yugoslav History provides excellent material for those wishing a better insight into the communist ruler's personality and thereby an extraordinary basis for various studies.
"On the other hand its most diverse content is extraordinary and presents a kind of supplement to the official photo files...which in terms of archives and documents makes Tito's rule the most comprehensively covered period in the history of these parts," Cvijović added.
Despite of his amateur status, Tito's work was displayed in galleries as well and some his photos also made it into photo magazines.
The show in Cankarjov dom's Mala galerija was put up in cooperation with the Belgrade Museum of Yugoslav History and the Lang photo gallery in Samobor. Since last spring the exhibition has travelled from Tito's birthplace in Kumrovec to Samobor, Varaždin, Rovinj and Budapest.