Research team
Leader
doc. art. Manuel Šumberac - He holds a master's degree in animated film and new media from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. He is a member of the Croatian Society of Filmmakers and the president of the Animated Film Branch at the Croatian Society of Filmmakers. He is active in the field of animated film and illustration. He is the author of animated films, music videos, commissioned films, children's books, book covers and a number of publications on the domestic and foreign markets. As an assistant professor, he teaches at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb, at the Department of Animated Film, the courses Computer Animation 1, 2, 3, 4 at the Undergraduate University Study of Animated Film and Computer Animation at the Graduate University Study of Animated Film. He has received multiple awards for his work, at Croatian and international festivals and events.
doc. art. Ida Loher - She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb at the Department of Education. Her work is marked by the interweaving of artistic, pedagogical and activist activities, and artistic expression by the exploration of different forms. She founded the theater for children and young people Tigar Theater, within which she is engaged in production, art design and conducting educational workshops, as well as researching experimental theater forms. She regularly exhibits at solo and group exhibitions and in the realization of artistic and educational projects for young people. She researches the field of video games as an art form, uses elements of video games in her work and tries different ways of interacting with the audience. She participated in the Edu4Games project - the development of occupational standards and qualifications and new study programs in the field of video game design and development, as well as in the artistic research of Interactive Art Practice, after which she led the launch of the Introduction to Visual Design of Video Games module at the Academy of Fine Arts. She is the head of the working group for the development of the new study program Visual Art of Video Games.
Within the project, they will explore the artistic potential of the relationship between video games and virtual reality and VR as a tool for a different perception of art forms. They will mentor students in their research process in the field. They will incorporate the experience of their own and student research into the expansion of the Module course and the constant refinement of the course of the new study program. They will participate in the presentation of the results of the project/exhibition and lectures. They will participate in the organization of workshops for teachers and students.
Deputy Head
doc. art. Ida Loher - She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb at the Department of Education. Her work is marked by the interweaving of artistic, pedagogical and activist activities, and artistic expression by the exploration of different forms. She founded the theater for children and young people Tigar Theater, within which she is engaged in production, art design and conducting educational workshops, as well as researching experimental theater forms. She regularly exhibits at solo and group exhibitions and in the realization of artistic and educational projects for young people. She researches the field of video games as an art form, uses elements of video games in her work and tries different ways of interacting with the audience. She participated in the Edu4Games project - the development of occupational standards and qualifications and new study programs in the field of video game design and development, as well as in the artistic research of Interactive Art Practice, after which she led the launch of the Introduction to Visual Design of Video Games module at the Academy of Fine Arts. She is the head of the working group for the development of the new study program Visual Art of Video Games.
Within the project, they will explore the artistic potential of the relationship between video games and virtual reality and VR as a tool for a different perception of art forms. They will mentor students in their research process in the field. They will incorporate the experience of their own and student research into the expansion of the Module course and the constant refinement of the course of the new study program. They will participate in the presentation of the results of the project/exhibition and lectures. They will participate in the organization of workshops for teachers and students.
Associates
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Art. Darko Masnec - is a visual artist and animator whose work explores the relationships between play, movement and visual storytelling, combining classical animation and gag structure with abstract, modernist aesthetics. His animated films, video games and exhibition projects have been screened at international festivals and in the context of contemporary art, often at the intersection of analogue and digital production. He received his PhD with the topic 'Zagreb School of Animation - Artistic and Market Practices in the Context of Video Games'. He launched the first course related to video games at the Academy of Fine Arts. He participated in the project Edu4Games - development of occupational standards and qualifications and new study programs in the field of video game design and development, as well as in the artistic research of Interactive Art Practice, after which he participated in the launch of the module Introduction to Visual Design of Video Games at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Within the project, they will explore the artistic potential of the relationship between video games and virtual reality. They will mentor students in their research process in the field. They will organize and lead the part related to international cooperation. They will participate in the presentation of the project results through exhibitions and lectures and in the design of new course content.
doc. art. Jelena Oroz - She holds a master's degree in animated film and new media from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. She is the author of several short animated films, including Two on Two, Letters at the End of the Forest and No Place, screened and awarded at numerous domestic and international film festivals. In addition to her authorial work, she actively collaborates on projects of domestic and foreign
author, where she contributes to the creation of the visual identity of animated films, character design, scene design and animation creation. As an assistant professor, she teaches at the Department of Animated Film of the Academy of Fine Arts
of the University of Zagreb. The focus of her artistic and pedagogical work is the field of 2D animation, with a special emphasis on exploring the expressive possibilities of hand-drawn and digital animation.
Within the project, she will explore the artistic potential of 2D animation within 3D space, i.e. within the virtual world. She will integrate the acquired knowledge and experience into the courses she teaches (Classical Animation) and thus expand the possibilities of applying 2D animation in the study program of the Department of Animated Film. She will participate in the presentation of the results of the project/exhibition and lectures. She will participate in the organization of workshops for teachers and students.
doc. art. Sebastijan Dračić - He graduated in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts. He has exhibited at a number of solo and group exhibitions in Croatia and abroad. He is a two-time scholarship holder of The Pollock-Krasner Foundation in New York (2012 and 2019). His works are in numerous private and public collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka. He participated in the artistic research of Interactive Art Practice, after which he participated in the launch of the Introduction to Visual Design of Video Games module at the Academy of Fine Arts. He is a member of the working group for the development of the new study program Visual Art of Video Games.
Within the project, they will explore the artistic potential of connecting classic art forms and virtual reality. They will participate in the presentation of the results of the project - the exhibition part and in the design of content for courses related to video games.
Martina Meštrović, Expert Associate - She graduated in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb. She is active on the contemporary art scene, with numerous solo and group
exhibitions in the country and abroad. Since 2004, she has been working within the Creative Union art collective, where she participates in the production of animated films as a set designer, animator and director.
She is the author of four animated films screened at the world's most important film festivals, and her work has received multiple awards in Croatia and abroad. In addition to auteur films, she collaborates as an animator on numerous animated and documentary projects of domestic and foreign productions, and has directed and animated a large number of commissioned films. In addition to her artistic practice, she is actively involved in education – she is a long-time leader of animation workshops for children and young people. Since 2024, she has been employed at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, at the Department of Animated Film, where she works as an expert associate for the production and distribution of student films.
Within the project, they will explore the narrative structures of a work of art within virtual reality and explore and apply the artistic potential of a number of animation techniques (pixilation, 2D animation, collage) in virtual reality. They will participate in the presentation of the project results and in the design of content for animation-related courses.