IN MEMORIAM - Andi Bančić
IN MEMORIAM: Andi Bančić (1968. – 2026.)
With deep sorrow, we received the news that our dear colleague, friend, cultural worker, and artist Andi Bančić has left us. He was a professor of visual arts, a long-time head of visual arts activities at the Poreč Open University, and the organizer and director of the International Sculpture School “Montraker”.
Andi Bančić (born in 1968) was much more than a professional associate; he was the kind soul of our institution. He completed his secondary education in Pula at the “Branko Semelić” Secondary Education Centre, after which he enrolled at the Faculty of Education in Rijeka, where he earned the title of Professor of Visual Arts, thus laying the foundations for his rich career and artistic vocation.
His professional path, which began as early as 1996 at the Poreč Homeland Museum, later continued at the Poreč Open University, where until 2009 he worked as Head of Visual Arts Activities, later as an administrative officer, and remained to this day the most important part of every visual arts event in our city.
He also left his mark as one of the founders and members of the artistic association Šikuti Machine from Svetvinčenat, in which he was actively involved.
Among his colleagues and fellow artists, he was greatly loved—as a collaborator and as a colleague whose presence brought a calm, relaxed atmosphere in which everyone felt comfortable. Andi was an indispensable part of almost every event at the Poreč Open University. Thanks to his versatility, he took on many roles: organizer of art exhibitions, photographer, graphic designer, IT specialist, technical support—simply put, a constant source of help whenever needed, both for the visual arts department and for everyone who was part of the institution. His wide scope of work encompassed everything—from the technical setup of the most demanding exhibitions to curatorial concepts, educational work, and photography.
As a trained professor of visual arts, he devoted his life to promoting art, but in the most beautiful and humane way.
Colleagues and fellow citizens will remember him as an exceptional man whose composure brought calm to every project, and whose willingness to help—regardless of the difficulty of the task—was boundless. His expertise was not only theoretical, but was rooted in deep empathy and generosity with which he approached every artist, amateur, or child in art workshops. His indelible legacy remains in the refined aesthetic sensibility with which he shaped the exhibition programs of the Poreč Open University, from the oldest Croatian group exhibition of contemporary art, Annale, to the group exhibition of amateur artists Profutura, as well as all exhibitions of the Open University, and in his long-standing role as Head of the International Student Sculpture School Montraker in Vrsar.
He was involved in the Sculpture School “Montraker” from the very beginning—first as a student, and later for many years as its organizer and director, the one who knew everything: every detail and every small thing, every secret of stone and of people. He was the link between stone, students, and mentors, leading the project with love and dedication.
He was an enthusiast of the old school. His passing leaves a void that will be impossible to fill, but his kindness remains as a lasting guide for all of us. Through his positivity, calmness, warmth, and devoted work, he left an indelible mark on the cultural life of the community.
Thank you, Andi, for every piece of advice, every gentle word, and the kindness with which you made us better.
POREČ OPEN UNIVERSITY,
Director Vesna Tripar with colleagues