The conference “Visual Languages of Puppetry” will take place on March 30 and 31, 2026, in Virovitica, as part of the 16th International Puppetry Festival – Lutkokaz, held in Virovitica from March 29 to April 1, 2026.
The conference will bring together 15 scholars, artists and experts in the field of puppetry from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Italy. The focus of their presentations and discussions will be on the visual, technological and dramaturgical aspects of puppets and puppetry, as well as masks in both traditional and contemporary performance contexts, and the visual elements of stage play in puppetry—past, present and future.
“Visual Languages of Puppetry” is part of the institutional research project “Culture, Identity and Sustainability: New Scientific Paradigms of Traditional and Contemporary Cultural Spaces (KultID)”, conducted by the University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek and the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, and funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
The members of the programme and organising committee are Jurica Novaković, Igor Tretinjak and Katarina Žeravica from the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
Monday, March 30, 2026
1:00 – 4:00 PM, County Hall of Virovitica-Podravina County – Presentations
- Marijana Petrović, Visuality – The Stage Language of Puppetry
- Livija Kroflin, Puppetry, Visuality and Misunderstandings
- Jelena Paligorić Sinkević, Transformations of Dramaturgy in Contemporary Puppetry Today
- Zdenka Đerđ, The Play and Interplay of Figuration and Abstraction on the Croatian Puppetry Scene
- Matteo Spiazzi, Does the Mask Belong to Puppet Theatre or Actor’s Theatre?
- Nika Bezeljak, Fragments of Curiosity
- Maša Radi Buh, The Problem as a Potential Method of Creating a Puppet Performance
5:00 – 7:00 PM, County Hall – Round Table and Discussion
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, County Hall – Presentations
- Tjaša Juhart, The Visuality of the Puppet as a Museum Object
- Igor Tretinjak, How Visual Artists Changed Croatian Puppetry
- Ivana Slunjski, Puppetry as a Space of Dream
- Jelena Stojanović-Patrnogić, Repertoire Policy as a Reflection of Time and Audience
- Ljiljana Dinić, Space, Motifs and Objects as Visual Language in the Performance Alice’s Dreams
- Irina Somborac, Puppetry in the Age of Digital Technologies
- Iva Nemec, Visual Dramaturgy of Kamishibai: Between Tradition and Contemporary Performance Practices
- Jurica Novaković, From Words to Images
2:00 – 5:00 PM, County Hall – Round Table and Discussion
ABSTRACTS (SHORTENED)
Day One
Marijana Petrović, Visuality – The Stage Language of Puppetry
Contemporary puppet theatre is rapidly evolving visually in search of new forms, while its essence—poetics—remains. Puppetry can primarily be defined as a theatre of animation, where action takes precedence over words and theatrical logic may transcend the logic of reality. Objects become metaphors, acquiring new meanings and roles, transforming into generalised signs of human behaviour. The aesthetic paradox of the puppet lies in its imperfection, which, when transformed into artistic reality, becomes a form of beauty. Its strength lies in symbolism, figuration, and conciseness.
Livija Kroflin, Puppetry, Visuality and Misunderstandings
Puppetry is widely considered a visual art, yet questions remain about the extent of this definition. While it is accepted as part of theatre, misunderstandings arise when visual artists treat puppets as autonomous artworks, as if created for exhibition rather than performance.
Jelena Paligorić Sinkević, Transformations of Dramaturgy in Contemporary Puppetry Today
Are words sufficient, or must they transform into metaphor? Language becomes symbolic and inclusive, while visual and interactive forms may be closer to new generations. The paper explores whether metaphor enables stronger identification and communication.
Zdenka Đerđ, The Play and Interplay of Figuration and Abstraction on the Croatian Puppetry Scene
The presentation examines visual artists’ contributions to puppetry throughout the 20th century, from Picasso and Klee to Croatian artists such as Babić, Deželić, Brajković, and Bourek, highlighting the shift from individual to collaborative artistic creation.
Matteo Spiazzi, Does the Mask Belong to Puppet Theatre or Actor’s Theatre?
The paper explores the mask as a conceptual and performative bridge between puppet and actor’s theatre, challenging traditional divisions and redefining relationships between body, gesture, voice and presence.
Nika Bezeljak, Fragments of Curiosity
Curiosity drives creativity and sensory exploration. Puppetry activates perception through symbolic, metaphorical and magical dimensions, existing on the boundary between the animate and inanimate.
Maša Radi Buh, The Problem as a Potential Method of Creating a Puppet Performance
Drawing on Bojana Cvejić’s concept of the problem as a choreographic thinking tool, this presentation explores whether visual elements in puppetry can be approached similarly, especially after a performance is completed.
Day Two
Tjaša Juhart, The Visuality of the Puppet as a Museum Object
The paper addresses what happens to puppets after their stage life ends, contrasting the idea of their “death” with their museum “afterlife,” where the visual and sculptural qualities take precedence over performative aspects.
Igor Tretinjak, How Visual Artists Changed Croatian Puppetry
The history of Croatian puppetry is presented through key transformations initiated by major visual artists, who shaped not only the visual but also the overall artistic direction of performances.
Ivana Slunjski, Puppetry as a Space of Dream
Analysing works by Dubravka Crnojević-Carić, the paper explores puppetry as a medium for expressing dream-like, symbolic, and existential themes through rich visual staging.
Jelena Stojanović-Patrnogić, Repertoire Policy as a Reflection of Time and Audience
The presentation examines how artistic choices are shaped by contemporary conditions, audience expectations and institutional constraints.
Ljiljana Dinić, Space, Motifs and Objects as Visual Language in Alice’s Dreams
The analysis focuses on how visual elements become primary carriers of meaning, creating an autonomous stage language beyond literary narrative.
Irina Somborac, Puppetry in the Age of Digital Technologies
The paper reflects on the tension between handcrafted puppetry and digital systems, emphasising that technology should expand, not replace, the essence of puppetry.
Iva Nemec, Visual Dramaturgy of Kamishibai
The presentation explores how visual sequencing, rhythm and performance techniques shape meaning in this image-based storytelling form.
Jurica Novaković, From Words to Images
The purpose of the presentation is to encourage puppet theatre professionals to relieve the puppet of the verbal burden by drawing inspiration from painting, especially Pre-Raphaelitism and Abstract Expressionism.