engleski

Apoxyomenos—Underwater Cultural Heritage and Museum in the Service of the Local Community

Seventeen years ago, a bronze statue of a young athlete was discovered near the island of Lošinj. It was named Apoxyomenos. Immediately after the statue was discovered, its extraordinary cultural and artistic importance initiated a more general discussion about cultural heritage and the need to preserve it. The beauty and portrayal of details of this unique artistic underwater find have put Croatia and the island of Lošinj on the world heritage map. The Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj is fully dedicated to underwater archaeology. In this museum exhibition, one exhibit, presented in an entirely modern concept of artistic projection and promotion, changes the perception of the cultural-heritage space, extending it from the coast to under the sea. Ever-growing public interest in underwater cultural heritage has changed the perception of underwater archaeology, and even the local community has begun to see it as a scientific discipline, which is not an end in itself, but serves and benefits the community. In this social environment, Apoxyomenos, which started off as a tourist attraction, is gradually becoming a brand and a basis for cultural tourism and, as such, makes an essential contribution to the economy of the region.

Apoxyomenos ; museum ; local community ; cultural tourism

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