The culture of smoking – From Taboo to Taboo

Glyptotheque HAZU, an art institution in Zagreb, Croatia, wanted to explore the link between smoking, art, and the concept of taboo.The resulting exhibition focuses on the role of smoking in Croatia’s artistic and popular culture over the last 150 years.

Playing with the idea of taboo, we designed an anti-exhibition – a display that hides the exhibits even from the museum itself. We created a completely new space, with no apparent walls, floor or ceiling,where the only structures are cylindrical display rooms. Softly illuminated from within, they invite visitors to take a closer look. But only after stepping inside are the objects of taboo revealed.