Valamar Pical Resort

Fabulart is the visual brand storyteller. Through an artistic concept and original artwork, we portrayed the unique motifs from our brand strategy. The concept is inspired by the stone labyrinth in Pical Bay and the historic Parenzana railway.

Croatian academic artists created paintings, sculptures, and ceramics to visually convey the brand's story. The artistic concept brought together more than 50 Croatian artists, each interpreting the uniqueness of this hotel in their own original way. Some of them include: Miran Šabić, Đanino Božić, Ana Sladetić Šabić, Elvis Berton, Aleksandar Bezinović, Mirko Zrinšćak, Predrag Todorović, Natalia Borčić, Siniša Majkus, Ida Blažičko, Alex Knapić, Svjetlan Junaković, Diana Trohar, Damir Sobota, Ana Ratković Sobota, and Irena Škrinjar. Among them are works by renowned artists such as Dušan Džamonja, Ivan Picelj, and Zlatan Vrkljan.

The natural beauty of the Parenzana serves as inspiration for the art in the V-level area, while the underwater stone labyrinth in Pical Bay inspired the family section. The central area is inspired by Poreč and the magnificent wall and floor mosaics of the Euphrasia Basilica.

Pical Resort has become a gallery of unique artistic experiences, communicating the distinctiveness of its micro-location through art. All artworks throughout the hotel were carefully selected by a curatorial team consisting of Đanino Božić, a renowned artist and long-time collaborator of Valamar’s “Riviera” Art Colony, Dr Art. Miran Šabić, anaward-winning artist and assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, and Dr Sc. Jerica Ziherl, art historian, director of the Lapidarium Museum in Novigrad, and long-time artistic director of Valamar’s “Riviera” Art Colony.

In addition to works from the “Riviera” Art Colony and Valamar’s own art collection, the hotel is adorned with original artworks by Croatian and international artists, created according to motifs from the brand strategy. The hotel’s common areas and guest rooms feature artistic photography created through the “Along the Paths of Parenzana” photography competition, while the artistic sculpture triptych at the main entrance includes works by artists from Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy.

Based on motifs from the brand strategy, original and custom-made works by award-winning artists from Croatia, Istria, and abroad were carefully selected. The artworks are displayed throughout the lobby, restaurants and bars, common areas, hallways, and guest rooms.

Miran Šabić is the author of woodcuts depicting abstract motifs of the stone pine, the beautiful tree surrounding the resort, as well as the Istrian hills and Sečovlje salt pans, once located along the Parenzana route. His works can be found in the guest rooms, which represent a small journey along the Parenzana.

Artist Ana Sladetič Šabić created illustrations for the wallpaper in the massage rooms by combining watercolor and ink drawing techniques. Abstract motifs of the Parenzana also inspired her designs for the glass walls in the sauna area, while her works additionally depict beautiful underwater stone labyrinth motifs. The artist also created pieces for the central area, inspired by the history of Poreč.

Istrian artist Ðanino Božić, through his geometric works on metal surfaces, brought to life the idea of Poreč’s mosaics and the Roman street grid.

In her artwork displayed in the Quattro Terre restaurant, Diana Trohar combined the characteristics, colors, and textures of the four types of soil found in Istria. Her work invites guests to explore its distinctive forms and surfaces.

Artist Damir Sobots drew inspiration from ancient vases and Roman mosaics. The details and motifs within his work guide visitors on a journey of discovering Poreč’s ancient heritage. Selected works by Aleksandar Bezinović evoke the route once travelled by the historic railway.

At the very entrance of the resort, guests are welcomed by a triptych of sculptures created by artists from Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy – the three countries once connected by the Parenzana railway. Alongside the sculpture “Iter” by Croatian artist Ida Blažičko, there are also works by Slovenian artist Jure Markota, “Izvor” and “Crtež i san,” aswell as “Interazione. 10” by Italian artist Gianpietro Carlesso.

The common areas connecting the different wings of the hotel were designed as exhibition spaces showcasing works by local and international artists. Our goal was for guests walking through the hotel corridors to feel as though they were entering a beautiful gallery of a unique artistic experience.

The ground floor corridor guides guests through works by participants of Valamar’s Art Colony, as well as works by artists from Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy – countries once connected by the Parenzana railway. These works lead visitors through various painting techniques, methods, and artistic perspectives.

The first-floor corridor features selected works by Quintino Bassani depicting Istrian landscapes. The idea behind this exhibition was to create the feeling of travelling by train and observing the Istrian scenery, as though looking through the window of a railway carriage.

On the -1 level, a unique visual exploration of art begins through works from the international art movement New Tendencies. The artistic language of this movement is inspired by the relationship between art and science, encouraging a distinctive form of visual exploration.

Selected works from the Art Colony displayed on the -2 level take visitors through various forms of abstract and figurative painting. The richness of expression across different generations of artists creates a unique artistic experience that blends classical and contemporary artistic forms.

As part of the artistic concept, photographs by renowned Istrian photographers were selected alongside works by a new generation of artists who captured impressive scenes along the Parenzana route through their lenses. Pical resort opened in 1979 and was the first high-category hotel in Poreč. Its opening was immortalized by Vladimir Bugarin. The photographers portray Pical in the 1980’s, its beautiful natural surroundings, and guests enjoying the hotel.

Renco Kosinožić is one of the most prominent Istrian photographers, whose works displayed at Pical Resort showcase the beauty of the Istrian landscape and bring the spirit of life along the Parenzana closer to every guest. He was among the first photographers in Croatia to master aerial photography. Once a route of discovery and curiosity, the Parenzana continues to inspire exploration through Renco’s captivating photographs of the Istrian landscape.

The theme of the competition focused on unforgettable scenes and unique features of Parenzana. The goal was for guests to experience the authentic surroundings and the beauty and diversity of the historical heritage and nature through each photographer’s personal interpretation.

The selected photographs are also featured in a special photo monograph that reveals the story of Parenzana to guests. From the stunning vistas of Motovun and Grožnjan, the Sečovlje salt pans, to breathtaking viewpoints, the monograph introduces visitors to the unique experience of the historic Parenzana route.