08/10/2026
We were deeply saddened to learn about the death of dear colleague and friend Boris Marte. WHW first met Boris when he came to Zagreb in the early 2000s, while the Erste foundation was still taking shape. He knew how to support, advise and give space to people. That’s a rare combination and he stayed with us over twenty years, through good and bad times and in various collaborations. It was Boris’ ability to understand that there were no set solutions, and his sensitivity in responding to specific, complex and historically loaded situations that marked him out. He brought tangible curiosity and openness to every meeting. He knew that cultural funding needs to cherish what it finds, rather than dictate what it thinks ought to exist. And probably most importantly, Boris always understood the value of one of the most precious and most underrated ingredients of cultural work: the value of trust in each other and in a shared desire to make something meaningful, both socially and artistically. We will miss him very much.
