Water Polo and Art at CWF - Croatian Water Polo Federation
First of all, let's immediately clarify the acronym – CWF. This stands for the Croatian Sports Museum, which is set to open its doors this year in the center of Zagreb. Designed as a national institution that preserves and celebrates sports and sporting achievements in Croatia, this museum will naturally feature our sport prominently. After all, water polo is one of the most successful and prestigious sports in Croatia.
In addition to various water polo exhibits showcasing clubs, the national team, and prominent individuals, the Croatian Sports Museum recently acquired another exhibit that combines water polo and art.
The academic painter Ivana Musić donated her oil painting entitled "Water-polo," sized 140×190 cm. The piece was displayed in 2000 at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, as part of the exhibition "Art&Sport 1948-2000" held before the Olympic Games in Sydney. The exhibition was organized by the IOC, whose then-president Juan Antonio Samaranch was also the president of the jury selecting the works.
– I would like to thank the Croatian Sports Museum, Director Mrs. Danira Bilić, and the whole team for accepting this donation. It is a great honor for me that the painting will be part of the collection alongside numerous items and trophies of Croatian athletes, representatives, and Olympians – said Ivana Musić, who delivered the painting from her studio.
The artwork will be part of the permanent exhibition on the ground floor, adjacent to the section on the greatest achievements of Croatian water polo since the country's independence. The oil painting "Water-polo" depicts a water polo player wearing the number 7 cap, similar to the one worn by Milivoj Bebić, one of the best Croatian water polo players in history.
Milivoj Bebić's Memorabilia
Olympic champion and runner-up, the top scorer of the former country's national team, a member of the Hall of Fame of Aquatic Sports, donated to the Museum the blue and white number 7 cap from the national team, as well as the white and blue number 6 caps from his Split club POŠK from the 1980s. Bebić played for the senior national team of the former country from 1977 to 1986 and, in addition to Olympic gold and silver, and European silver, he also won gold at the Mediterranean Games in Split in 1979, which he also donated to the Museum in Zagreb. He also added commemorative medals from the Olympics in 1980 and 1984, as well as flags and badges from POŠK with which he celebrated the 25th anniversary of winning the European title last year.
– There was no doubt that I would donate them. We have no alternative; my items will remain for future generations. The Croatian Sports Museum means a lot; all athletes, clubs, events go down in history and remain permanently recorded. Without such institutions, everything would be left in private archives and probably would disappear. The Museum is the continuation of bearing witness to achievements – stated Bebić, admitting that only with the passage of time did he become aware of the value of the successes he had achieved.
– Now I see that they carry a certain weight, especially when I look at the current successes of our athletes, I see how difficult and demanding it is to achieve that – Milivoj Bebić concluded.
