{"id":35495,"date":"2026-01-19T14:59:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/?p=35495"},"modified":"2026-01-19T14:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:59:05","slug":"adriatic-treasures-exhibition-at-club-zona-tells-the-stories-of-the-adriatic-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/news\/adriatic-treasures-exhibition-at-club-zona-tells-the-stories-of-the-adriatic-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAdriatic Treasures\u201d exhibition at Club Zona tells the stories of the Adriatic Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Sunce Association proudly announces the photography exhibition “Adriatic Treasures<\/strong>“, created as part of the photo competition of the ASPEH \u2013 <\/strong><\/a>Adriatic SPEcies and Habitats of coastal areas<\/strong><\/a><\/em>. The exhibition can be viewed at Club Zona (Jerina St. 1, 21000 Split) from 19 January to 9 February <\/strong>and brings together 16 photographs by 11 authors<\/strong>, including award-winning works by Marko Longin, Valentina Buni\u0107, and Damir Zurub<\/strong>. These photographs reveal not only the aesthetic beauty of the Adriatic Sea, but also the fragility of its habitats and species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From conest to exhibition: stories behind the lens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition is the result of a photo contest<\/a> that ran from 30 June to 10 September 2025<\/strong> and was open to all lovers of nature and photography. Participants could submit up to five photographs in two categories: “Adriatic wildlife<\/strong>“, focusing on the loggerhead sea turtle, ferruginous duck, and Kentish plover; and “Adriatic habitats<\/strong>“, highlighting Posidonia seagrass meadows, muddy and sandy seabeds that are not covered by the sea at low tide, and\u00a0submerged or partially submerged sea caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition attracted 50 photographers from Croatia and Italy<\/strong>, while the selection of winners was entrusted to a three-member expert jury: Ante Gugi\u0107<\/strong>, an experienced cinematographer and owner of the Filmofil production company; Milan \u0160abi\u0107<\/strong>, a photojournalist and documentary photographer with international experience; and Jurica Gali\u0107 Juka<\/strong>, a travel writer and award-winning photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Izvor: Maja Prgomet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ultimately, the photographs by Marko Longin, Valentina Buni\u0107, and Damir Zurub captured the jury\u2019s attention, offering a unique perspective on the beauty and vulnerability of the Adriatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Valentina Buni\u0107\u2019s photograph leaves a strong impression through its skilful use of contrast between Posidonia meadows, sand, and an isolated boat, combined with a horizontal compositional division that creates visual balance and calm tones. A particularly intriguing detail is the perception of the boat resting on a natural bridge connecting two Posidonia meadows, adding narrative depth and layered meaning to the image. Marko Longin\u2019s photograph offers an interesting viewpoint and perspective, emphasizing the connection between a marine organism and the Posidonia habitat, \u2013 commented Gugi\u0107, who has been documenting nature, people, and events through his lens for more than 15 years, always with the same enthusiasm and open perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Photographs that go beyond mere documentation\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The jury agreed that all three winning photographs not only met the competition\u2019s theme, but also demonstrated a highly thoughtful approach<\/strong> and a strong sense of composition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 I believe the selected photographs go beyond mere documentation and offer visual storytelling, which for me is the most important aspect of good photography, \u2013 said Milan \u0160abi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Autor: Marko Longin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Autorica: Valentina Buni\u0107<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Autor: Damir Zurub<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In addition to the three winning works<\/strong>, the jury selected 13 more photographs<\/strong>, forming the full exhibition that will be open to the public at Club Zona from 19 January to 9 February. The exhibition will also be presented to the international scientific and professional community at future ASPEH events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 I would especially highlight the photograph by Nives Bor\u010di\u0107, which masterfully contrasts a forest of dying Posidonia with a lush, healthy green forest in the background. Through what appears to be a simple image, she succeeds in conveying the long and complex history of Posidonia decline, leaving a powerful aesthetic and ecological impression, \u2013 \u0160abi\u0107 emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A frame that inspires change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, the photo contest was not merely an opportunity to win awards or recognition. Its primary aim was to inspire nature lovers, photography enthusiasts, professionals, and amateurs alike to observe and document the Adriatic, its species, and its habitats through the lens, thereby raising awareness of the importance of preserving marine biodiversity. Nature conservation organizations are among those that use photography as a powerful tool to attract attention, raise funds, and influence policy change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Through the ASPEH project, we strive to reduce pressure on ecosystems and develop joint strategies for protecting key species and habitats. Photography is a powerful means of connecting people with nature and increasing environmental awareness, \u2013 explains Vida Zrn\u010di\u0107, project manager at Sunce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although nature is accessible to us almost everywhere, it never poses for anyone<\/strong>, which makes nature photography a challenging pursuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 To photograph nature, you first need motivation, dedication, time, and appropriate equipment. A \u2018winning\u2019 photograph is one that stands out, is visually striking, and tells a clear story, \u2013 says Juka, drawing on his experience as a jury member at the world\u2019s largest photography competition, 35AWARDS 2024, which featured around 110,000 photographers from 160 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gathering before the Swap fair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A special opportunity to meet the photographers, exhibition organizers, Sunce members, and Adriatic enthusiasts will take place on the first Tuesday of the month, 3 February<\/strong>. Ahead of the traditional Swap Fair at Club Zona<\/strong> (6:00\u20138:00 PM), visitors are invited to a casual gathering with light refreshments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visitors will be able to enjoy the exhibition in a relaxed atmosphere, socialize, learn more about Sunce\u2019s work in nature conservation, and perhaps later take part in the exchange of items<\/strong>. More information on how to give old items a new life can be found in a related article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 This exhibition is an opportunity to connect individuals who love the Adriatic and want to learn more about its habitats and species<\/a>, while also contributing to a shared goal: preserving our natural heritage. Every species counts, and every habitat matters, \u2013 concluded Bruna Tomi\u0107, communications manager for the ASPEH project at Sunce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"aspeh-interreg-eu\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From 19 January to 9 February, visit Club Zona to see the Adriatic Treasures exhibition, showcasing the beauty of the Adriatic as well as the vulnerability of its habitats and species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":35476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1269,5],"tags":[1267,1380],"class_list":["post-35495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aspeh-adriatic-species-and-habitats-of-coastal-areas-en","category-news","tag-aspeh","tag-jadranska-blaga"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35495"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35497,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35495\/revisions\/35497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunce-st.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}