Kuća Fotografa, or "photographer's house" in English, was once the home and studio of Nikica Karavida and his wife. Nikica was born in Novigrad and was active as a photographer between World War 1 & 2.
After his death the house stayed in the hands of the Karavida family and was lived in until the early '90s. During the war in Croatia it was damaged and looted like many other houses in Novigrad and remained absent of life until 2015.
The concept behind the renovation process was the same as the concept for my first house project in Novigrad, Kuća Kamena. Special attention was given to find a balance between architectural traditions of the area, local materials and elements of contemporary design. In this process, all the regulations that are imposed on the houses in the old town center of Novigrad, as set out by the conservation department of the Ministry of Culture, were respected.
From the first time I stepped into the courtyard of the Karavida property I had the idea of contrasting it with the interior of the house. As a result, I opened up the courtyard to the neighbouring houses to maintain a social, open environment, a kind of gathering point. In contrast, the house was modeled to suit a couple, truly dedicated to each other, offering a more secluded, intimate and private atmosphere.
This bridge between public and private space is also reflected in the photographs on display inside the house. All were shot in Novigrad by Nikica*. Through them he documented the lives of his contemporaries as well as telling his own personal story.
I would like to express my gratitude to family Karavida, Jadran Anzulović, Joško Dujić, Tim Stolzenburg and Tom de Gay.
Boris Kajmak