DoctoralthesisbyNelaMilicArtsandComputationalTechnologyGoldsmiths,UniversityofLondonMay2016Title:BalkanisingTaxonomy:Howtocaptureandtransferanexperienceoftheevent–thecaseofBelgradeprotestin‘96/’97

2

Declaration 4Instructionsforthereader 5Acknowledgments 6Abstract 7Keywords 8TableofContents:ListofFigures 3Introduction 9-24Chapters:1.LiteratureReview 25-532.ResearchMethodology–ARTillery 54-873.TheRealmofMemory–Mediality 88-117CaseStudy:BalkanisingTaxonomy4.ArchiveasPractice-Re-enactingthepast 118-151Caststudy:BG:LOG5.ReflexivityandPositionality–Narrativecartography 152-181Conclusion 182-195Glossary 196Appendices: 1971.Copyrightagreement 1972.Questionnaire 198-2053.Protestparticipantsandresearchcontributors 206 4.ConditionofResearch 207-2095.Extractsfromtheselectionofinterviews 210-223Bibliography 224-236

3

Listoffigures:Figure1:BelgradeistheWorldpostcard 8Figure2:Poster:Armsagainstrobbers 21Figure3:Inspirationsoftwaregraphofthegenealogyofmemorystudies 27Figure4:Firstdraftsofthearchivemapandthefirstdigitallayoutofit 49Figure5:Familypracticeor‘storaging’ 54Figures6–11:Photographsbyunknownauthors 66Figure12:Myparent’shouse 70Figure13:CouponsbySkart 74Figure14:Finaldigitalmapoftheprotest 78Figure15:BalkanisingTaxonomysymposium,2008 104Figure16:DisplayofphotographsfromBalkanisingTaxonomyexhibition 107Figure17:PhotographsfromtheBalkanarchiveatGoldsmithsUniversity 109Figure18:ThecatalogueofBalkanisingTaxonomyproject 114Figure19:Postcard(front)fromthepilotproject 131Figure20:Chaineddoormat 133Figure21:Picturesfromworkshopparticipants’familyalbums 137Figure22:Picturesfromworkshopparticipants’familyalbums 144Figure23:Jelena’sfamilyalbum 149Figure24:TheworkshopatVracar’spensioner’sclub 151

4

Declaration:HerebyIdeclarethatthisworkismyown.NelaMilic

5

Instructionsforthereader:

HowtoapproachthistextThistextaccompaniesmyprojects’websitesandlinks,whichprovidecrucialinformationforfollowingmyarguments.http://www.kulturklammer.org/nm-protestmaphttp://www.kulturklammer.org/days-of-remembrance-pilotforBG:LOGprojecthttp://www.kulturklammer.org/bglog-mapa-BG:LOGprojectmaphttp://www.kulturklammer.org/view/179-BG:LOGprojectbloghttp://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/balkanising-taxonomy-1starchiveforthethesishttp://daljenecesmoci.wordpress.com-1stprotestarchiveandbloghttp://vimeo.com/19207332-YugoYogaprojectvideohttp://fourthland.co.uk/nela-milicmotion2-HereComesEverybodyprojecthttp://www.cafebabel.co.uk/culture/gallery/migration-and-women-exhibition-londons-wedding-bellas.html-WeddingBellasprojectinformationAuthorshipandimagesTheimagesinthetextarefrommyarchivesandmapsnowavailableonline.TheyaremostlyfromtheprivatecollectionsofmyresearchcontributorsthatIrefertowhenpossible,buteventhoughtheyweregiventomeby‘theowner’,theyoftendonothaveassignedauthorshipass/hecouldnotlocateit.ManyBelgradersrefusetheengagementinprojectsthatarerecordedordisplayformality,soitisimperativetounderstandthatthisresearchcouldnotyielditsartefactsifdeviseddifferently.Facebookpagesthatopenedandclosedduringmyresearchwereassignedtotheeventitself,ratherthantoaperson.ThemostrelevantisStudentskiprotesti90-ihsetupbyMilosMiljatovic:https://www.facebook.com/pages/%D0%A1%D1%82%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-90-%D0%B8%D1%85/125939594139887?fref=tsBelgrademediaorganisationslikeB92providedsomeoftheimagesviaitswebsitesintomyarchivetoo,especiallytheonesthatmark15yearssincetheprotest.OtherlocalprofessionalsthatshotimagesforprintmediamostlyendedupintherepositorythatReutersprovidedtomeinabulkbydates,withoutauthorship.Manyauthors,outoffearchosetobeanonymouscontributorstobothReutersandmyrepository.Methodologychaptercoverstotheissuesaroundtheauthorshipandimages.Seetheenclosedmemorycardforthefulllistofimagesandsitesthetextillustrates.

6

Acknowledgment:Formygrandad,whocarriedmybooks.

7

Abstract:

TheSerbianuprisingin1996/1997wasanattempttooverthrowthedictatorshipof

presidentMilosevicafterheannulledelectionsbecauseoftheoppositionparty’s

victory.Ashamedbytheunsuccessfuloutcomeoftheirprotest,thepeopleofthe

capitalBelgrade,haveneverproducedanarchiveofthephotos,bannersandgraffiti,

whichemergedduringthesedemonstrations.ScarceinformationontheInternetand

theinabilityofthemediatorevealthedatagatheredduringtheprotesthasleftthe

publicwithoutafullaccountoftheuprising.Myprojectisthatarchive–themapof

images,leaflets,badges,flags,vouchers,cartoons,crochets,poemsetc.,anonline

recordoftheelucidatedprotestavailabletotheparticipants,scholarsandthepublic.

Thenarrativesofthiseventhavebeenlockedwithinthecommunityandthereareonly

oddvisualreferenceshiddeninpeople’shouses.Myresearchhasgeneratedthem

throughinterviewsandimageelicitationthatlooksattheuprisingbyanalysingthese

accumulatedhistoricrelics.Presentedinsectionsonthewebsite(timelines,artists,

routes)andpagesofartformats(poems,photos,badges),thisoverviewofthe

geographical,politicalandsocialcircumstanceswithinwhichtheprotest’sartworkwas

produceddemonstrateshowitinfluencedtheactionsofthecitizens.

Thisurbanspectaclewasenthusedbythecreativeparticipationexposedinthewalks

ofthemassesthatbecametheforceoftheprotest.Thereflexivemethodofmy

practice,justlikethiscommunalapproachattheuprisingchallengesdominant

representationsofculture,historyandpoliticsfromthewholeoftheBalkans.

Myonlinepackageforcapturingthepast(hi)storiesshiftstheofficialnarratives,

predominantlyfromtheWestandsaturatedbythewarsofthe‘90sintoonlyone

possibilityamongothers.ItmapsthefailedrevolutioninSerbiaunderMilosevicfrom

itsbeginnings,revealingtheaccomplishmentofacademics,artistsandcitizensburied

underthewarstories...

8

Keywords:TheBalkans,protest,positionality,memory,digitalarchive,Belgrade,

event,mediation,representation,historisation,ethnography,narrative,map

Figure1:Belgradeistheworld,theimageusedonthepostcardfromtheprotest,

unknownauthor,anonymouscontribution1

1Thebannerinthisphotographwasatthestartoftheprocessionandoftenincompanyofanotherone

-Zajedno(“Together”coalition).RastkoSejicclaimstheauthorshipofthesloganonthebanneraswellasthesign“Straight”.However,thedrawinghasallegedlybeendonebyZoranMujbergovicandthesigninthedigitalformtransferredbyBojanJankovicandKostaMilanovic.SlavisaSavicalsoassertshimselfasthedesignerofthefirstbannerwrittenbyhand.

9

INTRODUCTION2

Theterm‘balkanising’wasintroducedattheendofWorldWarOnetoillustratethe

dissolutionoftheOttomanEmpireintheregion,butitwasusedpredominantlyinthe

mediaasageopoliticalsynonymfor‘fragmenting’(adivision,asplit,adetachmentofa

regionoragroupintosmallerandoftenmorehostileunits),andasametaphorforthe

recenthistoryoftheBalkans,especiallythedisintegrationofYugoslavia.Atfirstitwas

only‘mediaspeak’,but‘balkanisation’quicklyspreadinacademia,providingthis

negativeconnotationtothewholeoftheBalkanPeninsula,picturingitasthe

underbellyofChristianEurope.Onasubtlernote,‘balkanising’canalsomean

‘degenerating’,being‘animitation’ratherthantheoriginal.Itimpliesaderogatory

qualityoftheBalkansemployedbyacademiaintheWestwheretheregionhasa

subordinateposition.

MyresearchisproclaimingpowerwithinthatconditionofthelackofWestern

validation.Ittriestodeconstructandchallengethatstrategyofdemeaning,

underminingandlookingdownoninordertoelevatetheBalkansfromthespaceithas

beenallocatedthroughthedominantnarrativeoftheWest.Itprovidesaninsightinto

theworkings,technologyandmethodsofsuchedifice.AmethodologythatWestern

societiespridethemselveswith–ordering,indexingandclassifying3isestablishedasa

toolthatbuildstheWest’sownidentity(supremacy,divorcedfromviolence,economic

power)anditisreversed.

Westerncolonisationinintellectualandterritorialmeanshasbeenthelifeworkof

EdwardSaid4,andthisinevitablyunderpinsmywriting,butpostcolonialtheoryproves

2Thisintroductionhasbeensubstantiallychangedanddevelopedfromitsshorterversionpublishedin

AudiovisualMediaandIdentityIssuesinSoutheasternEurope2011Pistrick,E.,Scaldaferri,N.andSchwörer,G.(Eds.)CambridgeScholarsPublishing

3Thestudyofnaturewasstimulatedin17thand18thcenturiesinWesternculturebytheurgetorevealtheorderandharmonyasthoughttobeprovidedbyGod.Scientiststhenbelievedthatthediversityoflivingorganismsobeyslawsthatcouldbedisclosedbythewayorganismsweretaxonomised.Theseearlyindexesareprecursortothesystemsthatweusetoday.Developersofsuchsystems“attempttocarvenatureatitsjointsandtoconstructwaysofgroupingphenomenathatreflecttheirnaturalstate”.Millon,T.(1991)Classificationinpsychopathology:Rationale,alternatives,andstandards.JournalofAbnormalPsychology100:245–261

4Said,E.W.(1935–2003)wasaPalestinianAmericanliterarytheoristandintellectual,oneofthefoundersofthecritiqueofpostcolonialism.HeisbestknownforthebookOrientalism(1978),atermheredefinedastheWest'spatronizingperceptionsandculturalrepresentationsofthe“East”-MiddleEastern,Asian

10

notreadilyavailableinthecaseoftheBalkans.ItisOccidentalism5ratherthanthe

orientalismestablishedbySaid(1978)thatistheculturalparadigmthatappliestomy

projectanditwillbediscussedinrelationtopositionalitydiscourseandarchival

practice.Iarguethat‘balkanisation’hasbeenconstructedasaformofwestern

orientalism,achievedthroughtaxonomyandItrytooverturnsuchanimpositionas

immaterialcolonialheritagebyinterferinginthearchivalprocesses.

Bothwords–‘balkanising’and‘taxonomising’areverbsrepresentingactionsof

separation,but‘balkanisation’evokesnegativedissemination,destructionand

ruinationwhiletaxonomisingisseenasavirtuethroughwhichwecreate-order,store

anddefine.TheexampleshereillustratethetensionsbetweentheBalkansandthe

WestEurope-whatistodowiththeBalkansiscorruptedwhilstWesternmethods

providequality.Therefore,Iuseapartitiontechniqueforinauguratingandanalysing

thearchive(ofahistoricalevent–aprotestagainsttheregimeinBelgradein

1996/1997)toprovethattheyarethesamepractice,sensitivetowhousesitandhow

andhence,theyarestrategicandpoliticallycharged.

Sincethebeginningofmyresearch,theword‘balkanisation’hasgonethrougha

processofrevision,mainlybySerbianacademicswhotriedtomakeitalighter,more

positiveterm,byembracingitasanoptionforalternatives,soitevenappearsin

Wikipedia6.ArchitectJovanovicWeiss7(2006)inhisblogstartedtheinvestigationof

theword‘balkanization’indetail:

“Itusedtobehostile,butrecentusagesofthetermshowthepotentialof

Balkanizationvis-à-visdemocraticprocesses.”AnotherSerbianacademic,Grubacic

(2010)embracedBalkanisationasradicalmethodofoperationinhisbook“Don’t

mourn,Balkanise”,challengingthesettlednegativeconnotationsoftheword.

andNorthAfricansocieties.AccordingtoSaid,Orientalistscholarshipisaproductofimperialismthatproduceditandhence,demonstratesmainlyitsdesireforpower.BernardLewisrejectedthatwesternscholarshipwasbiasedagainsttheMiddleEast,buthethoughtthatOrientalismdevelopedasafacetofEuropeanhumanism,whichwasindependentoftheEuropeanimperialism.

5Opposite,inversionofOrientalism,anti-westernism,dehumanizingviewoftheWest6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanization

11

So,theBalkans(asthecarrierofthemeaningoftheterm‘balkanization’)couldbe

depictedasterrainofresistance.Myresearchisacontributiontothatdevelopment,

anattempttoaddaninnovativetypeofdemocraticsystemexpandingintheregionat

averyslowpaceandadoptingcapitalismasitsfirstphaseofnegotiationwiththis

historicalnoveltyinthearea.

“It'snothowlittleweknowthathurtsso,butthatsomuchofwhatweknowain'tso.”

ToniMorrison,quotingtheoldfolks

WhenIstartedcompilingthearchiveofprotestagainstMilosevicinBelgradeduring

1996/1997,Icameacrosslargeandcontinuouslydevelopingdiscoursesofmemory

andevent.Theseresearchdomainsarecolouredby‘positionality’,atermcoinedby

Rogoff(2000)anddrawnfromtheideaof‘situatedknowledge’laidoutbyHaraway

(1988)inresponsetofeministapproachestoobtainingknowledgeaspartial

perspectives.Inordertoengagewithpositionality,Ihadtoreflectonmyownscholarly

circumstanceandthinkthroughmyprojectasanartist,aparticipantandawitnessof

theprotest.ThesearejustsomeoftheattributesIassignedtomywork.Itriedto

excludeglobalisation,feminismandmigration(eventhoughIworkedontheproject

WeddingBellas8takingpreciselythesetopicsduringtheresearchformythesis).

Thoughtheseareareasofinteresttome,withinaframeworkofaPhDIhadtoput

themtooneside.

Cook(2005:16)writesthatresearchers’identitiesandpracticesmakeadifference:

“Researchcanonlyemergeoutofthem.Taintedbythem.Reproducingthem.”Inthe

caseinfrontofyou,thisisevident–IamnotonlydealingwithaneventthatIam

implicatedin,butIgrewupundertheregimethatIamwritingaboutanditinevitably

leftanimpactonmybodyof/andknowledge,affectedbythethendominantideology

inSerbiaandexpandedintheWestinyetanotherframedcontinuum.

8MoreontheWeddingBellasprojectisavailablein:Milic,N.2015AnArtisticJourneyThroughthe

ExperiencesofRefugeeandMigrantWomeninLondon.LaBarbera,M.(Ed.)IdentityandMigrationinEurope:MultidisciplinaryPerspectivesSeries:InternationalPerspectivesonMigration(13)http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/population+studies/book/978-3-319-10126-2

12

Withthearchiveofprotest’sartefacts,Iamgarneringdataonrelationshipsamong

peopleandobjectsproducedatthedemonstrationwiththedesiretoincludeanother

viewofSerbiaanditsnationinthemetanarrativeoftheBalkansintheWest,inwhich

theregionappearsas‘apowderkeg’.Thetaskofchallengingthisalmostuniversal

representationofSerbiaistwofold,andrequirestheparalleladdressofSerbia’s

developmentsatthetimeanditsrepresentationtoday.Theprotestwasadifferent

sideofSerbiaduringitsdictatorship,butthatdictatorshiphasbeenwrittenaboutin

themainstreammediaandacademiasomuchthatSerbiaisacceptedintheeyesof

theworldundertheunifiedparadigmsofviolenceandnationalismwithoutanyother

aspectsbeingconceived,regardlessofthefactthatmanyofitscitizensopposedthe

regime,whichnowseemstodefinethem.

ThisabsurdstandardizingoftheimageofSerbiaintoamonolithicpicturehas

extendedtothewholeoftheBalkansintheyetagainhomogenizedrealmoftheWest

devisingapataphysicalphenomenon,acreationofanon-sensicalentity.Todorova

(1997)explainsitbyunpackingthemetaphorofthebridgeandcrossroadsofthe

BalkansasitispremisedontheendorsementoftheEast-Westdichotomy,an

essentialisedoppositionandanacceptedfundamentaldifferencebetweenOrient(as

theEastwheretheSunrises)andOccident(astheWestwheretheSunsets).

Gerolymatos(2002:4)affirmsthisview:

“WesternleadersrefertotheregionasthebackdoortoEurope…orEurope's

doorstop.Whattheseeuphemismshideis,perhaps,thewishthattheBalkanswere

locatedanywhereotherthaninEurope.”

So,theBalkans’realitywouldratherbeafiction.Myarchivetherefore,containsboth

ofthosedialectics:historicalaccountsandempiricaltropesofmemory–myownand

thoseofmyresearchcontributors.Itisuptoarchiveuserstofindtheirown‘fact’init.

AseveryarchiveisanartworkduetotheprocessesofitscreationthatIdeem

inevitableforitsestablishmentandmaintenance,mineisnotlookingtobepartofthe

archivalscience,buttheartworld.Itismoreinterestedinhowtotransferthe

experienceoftheprotestviaitsartefactsthanweaveitshistoricalnarrative.

13

Thereweremanyprotestsbeforethisone,mainlyagainstthewarsandMilosevic’s

policies-bothlocalandforeign.MemorableisthedemonstrationinMarch1991when

thestruggleagainsthisregimestarted,buttheprotestwassmallerinsizeandlargerin

scale–fewerprotestersrequestedhisresignationandsothegoalsofthe‘demo’

stayedunobtainable.In‘96/’97,thesmall,humorousactionsbythecitizenrywere

abouttobreakdowntheregime.Ittookuntil2000forthistofinallybeachieved9.

“Myfavouriteactionwaswhenwebroughtbottlesofwaterandwerespilling

themonthestreetbehindthepolicesotheywantedtogotopee.”

Tupanjac,V.201110

Jansen(2001)arguesthatthereisadirectrelationshipbetweenEuropeanpoliticsand

discoursesthatframehappeningsinSerbia.HeclaimsthatSerbianpoliticsisoutlined

byandimportsagendasfromEuropeanandworldcontexts.Therefore,thenon-violent

characteroftheprotestinserteditintoglobalfociofdemocraticresistance.

Furthermore,whathasbeenwrittenaboutitcreatedanetworkoftextual

referentiality.Said(1982)describesthisinteractionasa‘travellingstrategy’where

writersreferenceeachotherintheirliteraturecreatingacompact,fixedandpowerful

bodyofknowledge.Forexample,theoppositionmediafoundsimilaritieswiththefall

oftheBerlinWall:“acordonofheavilyequippedriotpoliceprotectedwhatintheeyes

ofmanywasthelastbastionofcommunisminEurope”(Jansen,2001).However,this

wasonlyaglimpseofcivilianpeacefulpracticeintheoverpoweringheapofresources

aboutthewars.

Said(1982)developsthetravellingtheoryofpartialrepresentationviagrouping

varioustypesoftextsasastrategyforsubjugatingtheEastthatworksinparallelwith

thedirectcoercionthattheWestadministersagainsttheEast.Heemphasisesa

processoftacticallocationbytheauthorwhopositionshim/herselfinthetextin

9Followingthepresidentialelectionon24September,theoverthrowofSlobodanMiloševićoccurredon5

October2000.Wikipediarevealsthattherearemultipleissuesonthistopic,supportingthemultipleaccountsoftheeventandcontributingtomyargumentsontheproblemswithhistory…

10Tupanjac,V.ininterview2011

14

relationtotheOrient.Theauthor’schoiceofnarrativeformsdisplayedinaparticular

waybuildstheirparadigmabouttheterritoryandthatconstructionoftheOrient

whilstbeingoutsideitmakesone‘TheOrientalist’.InthisthesisItootravelfrom

outsidetoinsideoftheBalkansandviceversa,searchingforapositionwithinboth

worlds,wonderingwhosevoiceIamrepresentingatwhatpointsandwhy,whilst

fightingthepossibilityof‘beingOrientalist’becauseIamwritingfromtheWest.

Foucault(1969)alsoconsiderslanguageasadomainofdomination,whereweallfight

toachieveasafeandsoundposition.Inhisessay“Whatisanauthor?”(1969)he

wondersaboutthepersonaandtheroleofthewriterwhoadoptsanindividualview

onhistoryandliterature,appropriatingsignsandthewholediscoursesforthepurpose

ofinteriorexpression.ByfindingthepositionthroughsuchpracticeIdonothopeto

dominate,butallowmyselfandtheBalkanstokeepitsintegrity,cultureandvalue.

IaminfluencedbyDerrida’swritingstyle–thewordsmattertomeasIkeep

debunkingtheirmeaninganddividingthem.Itakethembacktotheiroriginand

investigateprefixesandadd-ons,makingsurethatmymessage,whichcomesthrough

historyishi-story:aconstruction.Furthermore,Derrida(1993)himselfaskedwhat

remainsofMarxismtakenhereintheWestasanintellectualmovementin

contradictiontocapitalism.Withoutsocialiststateswhatfuture,possibility,or

philosophycanweoffertoEastEuropeancountriesnow,afterconflicts,revolutions

andtransitionshavesettledintomostlycapitalistregimes?InthisresearchIponderon

whatcanIproposetoSerbiafromtheWestapartfrombuildingupitsreputation,the

valuethatcouldinviteadesireforevenstrongerexploitationbytheundying

imperialistsoftheWest?

MyPhDjourneywentthroughvariousstagesthatoftenleftmenumbfromthisduality

ofexistenceastheauthorfromtheEastandtheWestandlandsthatIhavewondered

through–hereintheWestandthereintheEastandIsometimesfoundmyselfsilent

becauseIdidnotwanttowriteinEnglishatall,letalonecreatenarrativesfrom

LondonaboutBelgrade.Hence,Iincludethereflectionsonthatschisminthe

positionalitychapter,buttheburstsofmyconsciousnessaboutthissplitidentityare

15

expressedasnarrativeinterruptionsoftheacademictextthatthereaderwillcome

acrosshereasincidentsfromlife,shapedasperformancesofmanuscript.

‘Thefacts’

Inthemunicipalelectionson17thNovember1996,inalmostallcitiesofSerbiathe

oppositioncoalitionZajedno11(“Together”)won.Theresultswereoverruledthrougha

blatantinterventionbythegovernmentinthecivilserviceandjudicialinstitutions.

Hundredsofthousandsofcitizens(somedays250,000)reactedbycomingoutonthe

streets.Thereweremassanti-warandanti-regimeprotestsinSerbiaduringthearmed

conflictsyears(from1991to1999),butruthlesspoliceactionstoppeddemonstrations

andthecountrysunkintowars,nationalisteuphoriaandeconomicruin.Political

opposition-tired,disillusioned,preoccupiedwitheverydaysurvivalandtheemigration

oftheyoungandtheeducated-appearednon-existent.

Butthatwinterin’96/‘97,theelectoralresultssetoffovertdissentthatlastedfor

threemonths.Theco-ordinatorsweretheZajednocoalitionandstudentcouncilsof

Serbianuniversities.Theparticipantsweremainlyyoungormiddle-aged,well

educated,urban,andmiddleclass(BabovicandMilic,1997).Politically,theyranged

fromcommittedpeace-activiststoardentnationalists.Thestreetstrollerslooked

schizophrenicintheir‘Westernbest’,whichconsistedofUSbrandsandstylesaswell

aslocalwoollentraditionalclothing.Theypromotedcosmopolitanismandaffirmedthe

ideaofBelgradeastheworldcity.

“Therewasariverofyoungpeople,oneenergy,agoodone,almostlikeafestivaleventhoughsomeonemightthinkofthisnowashideous,butsomethingwasintheair…”

Posta,M.200712

Serbia’sprotesters,howevertheyfeltabouttheirheritage,hadaninterestinand

enthusiasmforWestEuropeancultures.Theirvisualandtextualreferences–pictures

11Zajednopoliticalcoalitionwassetupin1996anditconsistedofSerbianMovementforChange,

DemocraticParty,CitizensAllianceofSerbia,SerbianDemocraticPartyandDemocraticCentre12Posta,M.interviewin2007

16

andstatementsonbadges,couponsandgraffitiinthecapital,wereofademocratic

natureandtheydemonstratedadesiretobeacceptedassuch–modernEuropean

insteadof‘atriggerhappy’nationwhichwaspaintedintheworldmediamainlyaswar

criminals.Protestorswereeagertobetakenasmembersofcivilsocietybypartakingin

peacefulmovementandopposingtheviolenceexecutedontheordersoftheSerbian

regime.Anillustrationofsuchadesirewasabannercarriedatthefrontofthewalking

procession,designedbySlavisaSavic,stating“Belgradeistheworld”–notsomecrazy

placewhereleadersdowhattheywantandeverybodyfollows.

ThelandscapeofBelgradeandtheurbancharacteroftheprotestweresymbolically

connectedtotheimaginaryplaceofEurope.Thenotionof‘urbanity’referredtomany

constructs-‘Western’,‘modern’,‘sophisticated’,‘educated’,‘civilised’,aslearned

throughculturalvaluesdepictedthroughtheEast-Westexchange.Itwashardto

distinguishwhere‘Europeanness’startedandwhereitended,butwhateverybody

knewwasthatwearenotwitnessingBalkan-nesswewereusedto(Jansen,2001).

Thosewhowereconstantlycriticaloftheregimeemphasizedtheimportanceof

cosmopolitanismandcelebratedacommunalidentity.Protesters’accessoriesgave

risetoapettytradeinpostcards,badges,whistles,raincoats,plastictrumpetsand

othersouvenirsthatwereinsigniaofaglobalprotestoridentity.

Virtualreality

Theattemptbythegovernmenttostoptheprotestwasanattempttoadjustreality,

astheywere“supervisingthestandardproceduresofrealitycorrection”(Curgusand

Babovic,2007)mainlythroughdictatingthenationalmedia'scohesiveexpression.

“Torefusetoacceptthevalidmakingofsenseisinfacttorefusetoaccept

existingastheonlyvalidmodelforlife.Atsuchmomentstheonlythingthatmakes

senseisnottomakesense.Afullyarmedpoliceman,attendegreesbelowzero,will

notlearnanythingfromafewpagesoftheMetaphysics,norwillhebeashamedof

that,becausehe‘isonlydoinghisduty’,nothingpersonal.Thereadingofthe

Metaphysicsisthedrawingofalineofdemarcationbetweentwosensesoflogic,two

waysofmakingsensewhichdonotexcludeeachother,butwhichcancoexist,thus

17

heraldingapluralistsociety.Thatdemarcationlineisjustthebeginningofacultural

rebellion”(CurgusandBabovic,2007).

Aristotle’sMetaphysics(350BC)illustratesadimensionofSerbia'sdemonstrations

againstthenpresidentMilosevicthatmorepreciselyoccupiestheterrainof

pataphysics-aphilosophydedicatedtostudyingwhatliesbeyondtherealmof

metaphysics13.Itisaparodyoftheoryandmethodsofmodernscienceanditisoften

expressedinnonsensicallanguage.Thisapproachisusedinsectionsofmythesisto

supportthespiritofdemonstrations.WriterJarry(1960:131)definedpataphysicsas

“thescienceofimaginarysolutions,whichsymbolicallyattributesthepropertiesof

objects,describedbytheirvirtuality,totheirlineaments.”Anotherpataphysicist,

Artaud(1925)wrote:“Thereisformetheevidenceintherealmofpurefleshwhich

hasnothingtodowiththeevidenceofreason.”

Thoseprominenttheatrepractitionerswereignitingtheideaofperformativeobjects

orindeed,theirwholecollections.Inmyview,thedigitalrealmallowsand

demonstratessuchobjectcondition,forcingthemto‘explode’,openup,play,rather

thanstaydefinedintheiredges,materialsanddimensions.AsLatouradvises(1991)

wemustgiveobjectstheirownlife,agencyandautonomyandnotturntheminto

judgmentsbyclassification.

Allphenomena,includingthearchive,forthepataphysicistaretotallygaseous.Inthe

lineofdeliberatedillogic,theneedtocreatethearchiveofobjectsfromtheprotestis

encouragedbytheseintellectualsanditsformatdefinedbyBaudrillard(circa1950):

“Wearenothingmorethanastateofvirtualfart”.Thevirtualityof‘thereality’found

inBelgrade'shappeningsiswhatcallsforthedigitaldisplayintheobjectarchivethatI

built.

“Thisisametaphysicalstruggle.Spiritsareatwar.Primitivismandfriendliness,

smilesandcynicism.We’llseewhowins(butnotonTV,that’sforsure).”

13Metaphysicsexamineswhatcanbeassertedaboutanythingthatexistsjustbecauseofitsexistenceand

notbecauseofanyspecialqualitiesithas

18

Boom!Magazine,1996

IdecidedforthisresearchnottohaveFacebook,Twitterorothersocialmedia

accountsasarguablyexpectedindigitalhumanitiestoday,buttopromotecommunity

valuesinsteadofindividualandcommercialinterestsofthosecorporatemedia

networksthroughthepracticeoflivedexperienceofpataphysicsfromthe

demonstrations.Ijoined,listenedtoandstayedwith‘non-sensical’peopleinthisway

andembarkedoneducationinphilosophywherehavingsenseisessential.Iruna

closedblogasapost-mortemoftheresearchprocessandIkeptmywritings,methods,

fieldnotesandinterviewsunfinishedasifIamsafeguardingtheirpotentialratherthan

sealingtheirdestinyviamyownformulationofthem.Mydataisunrulythisway,like

thecrowdoftheprotest,causingadisruptionoftheacademiccategorisingprocess

itself,balkanisingitstaxonomy.

Strangerthanfiction

TheSerbian‘stopmakingsense’strategygrewoutofitspresenceinthenational

‘reality’evenbeforethecitizens'revolt.Ithasbeenemployedbythestateandits

impositionisdifficulttograsp.Thegovernment’sinstrumentalisingofillogicalcontent

andmethodwassoconfusingthatitleftpeopleperplexedandthereforeparalyzed

action.InthecourseofadecadeofMilosevic'sreign,variousgroupsinSerbiawere

addressedasone-timeterroristsandtheotherpatriotsandhisinternationalalliances

equallyshiftedfromoneextremetoanother.

Protestersembracedthisconstantmediationof‘reality’byadoptingallrolesthey

weregiventhroughoutMilosevic'sruleatonceandspilledthemoutinoneofthe

crucialactionsofthedemonstrations–thewalkfor88daysoftheprotest.Walkingas

apersistentmovementbecamepolitical(Jansen,2001)anditsparticipantswore

badgesnamingSetacorSetacica(Walker-m/f).Theprotestpresenteditselfas

performanceofself-consciouscitizens,whichwaselucidatedbythebanner‘Cogito

ergoambulam’inLatinfor‘Ithink,thereforeIwalk’.Apartfromreinforcingtheidea

19

thatthiswasaprotestbyflaneurs14andotherpeoplewithintelligenceandeducation,

itevokedtheCartesianrationalistaxiom15,whichunderliesenlightened‘European

civilization’.Thiscarnivalofcharactersnowconfusedthegovernment'smedia

machine.Whocausesthisvast‘publicdisorder’thatisspreadingdailybyscooping

thousandsinitsspiral?TheWalkersbecamefascists,bogusrefugees,foreign

journalists,manipulatedcitizens,Karadzic'ssoldiers,turbo-folksingers,chetniks,

liberals,monarchists,rockers,anarchists,social-democrats,parasites,hordes,

enemies,traitors,vandals,cheaters,destroyers,ultranationalists,CIAagents,drugged,

anddegenerateelements.“Itwasasifitwereanewformofrapidandradical

mutationwhichhadcaughtthewholesocietyoffguard...”(CurgusandBabovic,1997).

Whilegivingtheeventsaninternationalflavour,incontrasttotheregime’sself-

isolation,protesterspurposefullyplayedwiththefrequentaccusationsoffifth

columnism16.Inthisway,theregime’sdepictionsofthedemonstratorsasmadeupof

foreign-fundedmercenarieswereansweredpromptlybywavingtheflagofSerbia’s

supposedarch-enemy–Germany(Jansen,2001).Furthermore,theycreatedthe

Walker’sGlossarytodefinetheiractsandinstructothersinthebehaviourpractice.

AsCurgusandBabovic(1997)conclude,“Facedwiththisstrategy,the(mainstream)

mediacouldonlyacceptitspataphysicsorsimplynotreportit.”Itchosenottoreport

it,relyingonthehalfofSerbiathatwasstilllivinginruralareas,sowithoutaccessto

happeningsonthecitystreets.Thisruralcommunitywouldhavebeenpresentedwith

theregulardoseofprime-timenewsbulletinsonstatetelevisionthatseemedtostart

backwards–withtheweather;anotherexampleofillogicpracticedbythe

government.Protestersreactedbywearingrosetintedglasses,shellingthetelevision

14Flaneur–Benjamin,W.defineditinhisArcadesproject(1920-1940)asastrollerofboulevardsinParis15RenéDescartes(1596-1650)thoughofthatbodyandmindareseparatedandwroteaboutitin1648in

hisLadescriptionducorpshumaine(TheDescriptionofthehumanbody),whichispublishedposthumouslybyClerselierin1667:“Thebodyisanautomaton,amachine.Themindstandsapartfromandoperatesindependentlyofthebody”

165thcolumnismissubversion,sabotageandunderminingofalargergroupofpeoplefromwithin.ItisestablishedduringaSpanishcivilwarbygeneralEmilioMolawhocountedoncitizenssupportfrominsidethecityagainstthegovernment.

20

centrewitheggsandmakingacacophonyduringthebroadcast,sothenewscouldnot

beheard.

Morethanadecadesincetheprotest,Iamtryingtocreateacommunityofoptimists,

activistsandenthusiastsinordertoreviveSerbia’scollectivespiritandheartenits

considerationinthecurrentgovernancewrappedupinblameculture.

“Theprotestwassuccessfulinasmuchasitidentifiedthedeviationsinside

thestatusquoandwasnottooffersolutionsforcorrectingit.”

CurgusK.V.1997

Owningtheside-lineswasencouragingthecreationofcriticalmassoftheprotestas

‘theoutsiders’totheregimethickenedthisexternalmembershipbyengagingthe

moreactivecitizens.Tothestate,theirpassionatebehaviourwasanarchicand

destructive,buttherewerenotanysignsofaggression–peoplecalmlyand

persistentlytooktothestreetsinfamily,workandneighbourlyunits.Civilsociety

becamevisibleandovernightsaturatedthenationalistfolkparaphernaliaomnipresent

inpublicspace.

Thischainreactionbetweendemonstratorswasasintriguingastherelationsbetween

theobjectsthattheycreated.Theirartefactsweremadetospeaktoeachother:

placards‘Cedo,ozenime’17(Cedo,marryme)heldbyfemaleprotesterswere

addressingoneoftheprotestleadersanditsmeaningwasalongthelinesof‘Keepit

up,man!Holdoninthere!Hereisabitoflovetokeepyougoing...’ratherthanan

actualinvitationtomarriage,butatthattimeofanincreasedsenseofpossibility,

marriagewouldhavenotbeensurprising.Soonafter,themaledemonstratorswould

carrytheplacards‘Cedo,ozenime’toaddfuntoreactionsofbothpartiesinvolvedin

thisproposal,subtlyunderminingthedominantmachodiscoursebroughtbythewars

thattheregimewasinvolvedin.Thissenseofthepossible,whichAppadurai(2010)

deliberatesoninrelationtothearchiveswhich‘mimesocilaity’andbuildidentities,I

chosetothinkofasaconstantstateofprotestandmyownpoliticalposition.

17CedomirJovanovicwasaleaderoftheprotestwalksandisnowcontemporarySerbianpolitician,

presidentofLiberalDemocraticParty

21

Figure2:Poster:Armsagainstrobbers,unknownauthor,anonymouscontribution

Ifpoliticsistheartofthepossible(Bismarck,1867)thereishopewithinpower,

becausethereisnoexitfromtherealmofpossibility(Appadurai,2010);thepossible

cannotbeexhausted.Politicsisartpreciselybecauseitreflectstheimaginative.

Resistanceemergesasareactiontopoliticsandtheprotesttestifiestothis.Its

slowness,durationandpersistencedepictedthepotentialtochange-onecanobserve

thedevelopmentsofrevolutionsandtracktheabilityanddisabilityofpoliticalactsin

relationtotheimaginaryofthosestatesforwhichtheuprisebecamearealevent

developedpreciselybecauseofthenotionofthepossible.Weimagineourselvesinthe

futureandonlythenarewepromptedtoact.

Rhizometryofarchive

Drawnfromthebotanic,Deleuze’srhizomeisaconceptof‘imageofthought’(1980).

InAThousandPlateaus(1980),itisopposedtoanarborescentideaofknowledge,

whichworkswithflat,verticalandlinearconnections,dualistcategoriesandbinary

choices,liketheonesexistingbetweentheEastandtheWest.Rhizomeallowsfor

multiplicity,non-hierarchicalentrancesandexitsindatarepresentationand

interpretation,butitalso,inmyview,weakenstheopposition.Ifwearealways

lookingforthe‘thirdway’tomanagecontrasts,wearenotbringingtheopposites

closer,butpossiblywideningthespacebetweenthem,tighteningthestrainbetween

thesides.

22

Furthermore,theprotests’physical,digitalandon-linecollectionunveilsthenecessity

foradualpresenceoftextandimagewithouttemporalorspatialthreshold.The

inabilitytoapproachitfromanydefiniteperspectiveoftimeandspacecomesfrom

thenotion,asMilevska(2006:5)argues,thatthereisn’tasingleintroductiontothe

archive(arche–truebeginning);thereareonlycompoundanderraticbeginnings.

Whenwehitthefirstentry/point/record,weonlyfindthattherearemoreaccessesto

it.“Allhumanartefactsandpracticeshaveextensionintime,whetherornottheyhave

extensioninspace.Theirfreightofpastisessentialtotheirmeaning”,claimsSegal

(2013:6),butthesoleencounterbetweentheresearchersandthesoughtdocumentis

whatmakesresearchmatter.“Thearchiveisalabyrinthwithmanydeadendsandno

shortcuts”(Milevska,2006:5).Thatsearch,myresearchitselfisanunstablearchive

anditisrarelynewfactualinformationthatexcitesmesomuchastheevidenttension

ininterpretationsoftherecordswhenplacednexttoeachother.

Thearchivebothincludesandexcludes-itworkstopreservewhilesimultaneously

doingviolenceinthisact.Collection,orderingandcataloguingareinherentlyviolentas

deliberatedinBalkanisingTaxonomy18.Thisisdemonstratedbythemethodwhich

allowedustoseeonlythegivenitemsfromthetextilecollectionandonlythe

illuminatedelementsofthem,sowecouldunderstandjustpartsofthestoriesthey

carryinlinewithhowwereadandrecordhistory–throughbits.

“Whenpeopleactivelyconstructandco-constructtheirownsocialreality,fluidand

multipleperspectivesoftheworldemerge:thereisnosingletruth”(CoatzeeandRau,

2009).Thiscompelsustoassessandre-assess,tointerpretandtore-interpretour

knowledgeenterprises.“Itisthroughacontinuousoscillationbetweenhypothesis

formulationandrevisionthatwemovetowardsunderstanding”(CoetzeeandRau,

2009).Archivescanprovideuswithit.

18Milic,N.2008BalkanisingTaxonomyprojectAccessibleat:http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/balkanising-

taxonomy[29/12/2014]

23

Ifurtheruseminetocountertheregion’sinvisibilitybymakingtheBalkans’cultural

pastmoreknowabletobothhistoricalandartresearch,sotheclichésofBalkan-ness

arediminishedandtheimpactoftheirimpositionisrevealedasanimperialact.

Towardsdigitalmemory

Assmanndefinesculturalmemoryasthe"outerdimensionofhumanmemory"

(1992:19),whichencompassesconceptsof‘memoryculture’(Erinnerungskultur)and

‘referencetothepast’(Vergangenheitsbezug).Zerubavel(1996)seesthat

understandingofcollectivememorytakenasculturalandanotiontoimplynotonlya

commonlysharedpast,butalsoajointlyrememberedone.VanDijck(2011)furthers

thatparadigmwhensheexaminessocialmediaworlds,suggestingthesubstitutingof

thetermcollectivememorywith‘networked’or,insupportofHoskins(2009a;2009b),

‘connectivememory’.

Thiswayofbuildingonthecanonofthestudyofmemoryisnotsimplyadeepeningof

it,butamediationandanappropriationforourtimes,whenwemostlyworkdigitally

withmemory.Thetransformationsthatareoccurringbecauseoftheswitchfromthe

analoguetodigitalarereflectedinthedilemmaPlatosetupbetweenanamnesisand

hypomnesis.Heinsistedonthecarefulconsiderationofthedirectexperiencenow

beingrecordedandsotakeninanddistributedwithinaparticularorderthatshapesit.

Archivecannotbeanythingelsebutanunsuccessfulattemptatrepetitionof

experiencebecauseithasguidelines,formsandtechniques.Hence,online‘collective

memory’or‘culturalheritage’is“theresultofdatalinkedupbymeansofcomputer

codeandinstitutionalprotocols”(VanDijck,2011).

Theconceptualre-namingsofculturalmemoryarethereforeconstrainedbyscientific

parametersandeventhoughitisspreadacrossthefieldofhumanities,thediscourse

ofmemoryismoreandmorereducedtorigidcalculationsandcorporativetemplates

thatonlinepresencedemands.Ihavetriedtocombatthatbyworkingwitharchive

activists,mediaartistsandpublicengagementorganisations(IRWIN,Kulturklammer)

whoseprofessionalethicsstemsoutoftheinterestforcommunityempowermentthat

Ihavebeenledbytoo,accordingtothenatureoftheprotestitself.Byadding

24

subjectivedimensiontotheexperienceofprotest,ithasbeenmade‘real’andits

consequencesevidentinallaspectsoflifethatItriedtoencapsulate.

ThearchivethatIcompiledisassembledbytheprotestersnowbasedinBelgrade,but

alsoaroundtheworldduetotheirexileandthecontinuousbraindrainfromthe

country.ItaddressestheknowledgegapinrecenthistoryofSerbiainordertoupdate

itsaccountinthe‘grandnarratives’(Lyotard,1979)andestablishanonlinepackagefor

capturingthepastsinour‘computerisedsociety’.Itisaplatformformeetingofvoices,

whichhavebeenpreviouslyquietedordissolvedintothenoiseoftemporarypolitical

pressures.Thepurposeofitistodevelopthestorageofculturalmemory,aprototype

forencouragementofarchiveasactivism.Itallowsthroughdigitalre-enactment,the

processofevaluationofthepastinaforumuntiedtopredetermineddirections.Iam

hopingthatinsuchenvironment,wherepastisjointlydiscussedbythepeoplefrom

andinthepresent,thedirectionofthefuturewillbefound.

25

CHAPTER1

LITERATUREREVIEW

“Europetodayisapowderkegandtheleadersarelikemensmokinginan

arsenal...Asinglesparkwillsetoffanexplosionthatwillconsumeusall...Icannottell

youwhenthatexplosionwilloccur,butIcantellyouwhere...Somedamnedfoolish

thingintheBalkanswillsetitoff.”

Bismarck,O.1878

Thefieldofresearch

Memorystudiesscholarshipgenealogystartsherewith‘culturalmemory’,aterm

coinedbyJanAssmann(1992)asmemorysituatedwithinbothhistoryandmyththat

hasbeendevelopedfromHalbwachs‘sunderstandingof‘collectivememory’(1950)as

dependentonthesocialgroupthatcreatesit.AssmannandHalbwachsbuiltonthe

priorwritingsofDurkheimandevenearlier,Aristotle’sandPlato’sandprovidedthe

firststepinthetrajectorythatErllandNunning(2008)makeaboutthetopicintheir

Culturalmemorystudies:aninternationalandinterdisciplinaryhandbook.They

inauguratetheplaneof‘transculturalmemory’andIuseErll’sandRadstone’swork

(2010)asguidelinesthroughthevastmemoryparadigm.Radstoneoutlinesthe

journeythroughthememoryplanefromtheMiddleAgestomoderncontroversiesin

Memory:Histories,Theories,Debates.Eventhoughmemorystudiesre-figures

humanitiesasthestudyofcultureandgivesscopeforneverendingresearch,

Radstonegivesaclear,directedandeffectiveoverviewofthefield.Herapproach

offerssomecomfortwithregardstothepossibilityofapplyingphasesofmemory

studiesdevelopmenttomyinvestigations,especiallyitstechnologicalstagethatmarks

theendofthe20thcentury.

Radstone(2010)workswithmemoryinthehopeofpreventingtherepetitionofwars

ledbythemanipulationofmemory.Byprovidingaroutethroughthestudies,she

alleviatestheburdenoftheinterlinkedandmultimodalloadthatwecarryin

expeditionsonmemoryterrain.Shewritesaboutfragilityofmemoryandthepowerof

itatthesametimeasweconstantlyrefashionit,whichisdescribingmyartisticand

26

scholarlypraxisandunderpinsthemainquestioninthethesis–howdoesonecapture

andcontain,transportandtransmit‘theexperience’?Howcanweconveytoothers

whatwehave‘lived’?

Shedividesthetheoriesbyalinearvista–yearsofitsdevelopmentaswellasthe

themesthattheycover.However,asahistorian,thissetwayofpresentingknowledge

troublesthesoleattempttothinkofmemoryasadiscursiveconceptbecauseone

method–ofahistoricalscienceleadsthewayintoitsunderstanding.Wearegrateful

foraguidedpaththroughthedeepforestthisstudyisandquestioningitwouldadd

yearstoourinvestigations,butonehastoacknowledgethatdisciplinaryinstructions

howeverhelpful,leavemuchofthefindingsoutofthemainroadtheytravelon.

ArchivalscienceaswellasmediaarcheologypopularisedbyParikka’snewmedia

theory(2012)equallyprovidearigidframeworkofhistoryanditsmethodforthe

purposeofmyinvestigation.

Todefinememory,IreachedforCoatzeeandRau’sdelineationsfrom2009asthey

uncovertheconstantproductionofmemoryanditsveryprocessof‘becoming’apath

towardstheunderstanding.Ialignwiththisviewinmythesis,presentingmyown

‘becoming’throughtheprocessingofmemory.Thecartographiceyethatdisplaysit

coversthepassagesandbecomings,temporarybarriersanddecodableforcesthat

permitustoincludechangeabilityanddislocationintotheprotestoverview.

Iusecontemporarytheoryinmyexplorationsofmemory,especiallyfromarticlesin

thejournalEurozine(http://www.eurozine.com),19whichhasbeenprominentin

galvanizingwritingfromacademicsthatarechallengingEuropeanhistories.Key

examplesaretheworksof:Nora,exploringtheselectiveapproachtonational

memory,Arendt,disruptingofficialnarratives,Todorova,deconstructingnarrative

hegemonyoftheWest,Ranciere,discussingdemocraticvalueoftheelite,Huyssen,

debatingsimulationandmediationandSchlogel,canvassinghiddenhistoriessittingin

institutions.TheysetuptheoreticaloutlinesinmemorystudiesandlikeotherEurozine

19Eurozinewebsite:Accessibleat:http://www.eurozine.com[25.1.2015]

27

contributors-Lessing,Stefanovski,Berger,Pavic–haveenteredthemainstreamin

literatureandvisualarts,bothofwhichdealwithrepresentationsandinformmy

research.Theyalsoprogressmyargumenttowardsacknowledgingthenecessityof

includingartsinmemorystudiesbecausetheyprovide‘theoutside’(Assmann,1992)–

thesocial,aswellas‘theinside’–theprivateexperienceofmemorymadevisible.The

diversityoftopicstheauthorsabovecover,testifytotheurgencyofthenegotiation

betweenpublicandpersonalthatisdifficultforthemethodologicalexaminationof

memoryindisciplinesthatfirmlyholdtotheirtraditions.

Memoryfieldandthetechnologicalboom

Memoryhasbeenatopicthatatthebeginningofmyresearchopeneditscavesand

salvesofmaterialburstoutdefiningaphilosophicalenquiryofitsfieldsinceAristotle

(350B.C.E.)whodescribedmemoryasastateofaffectionconditionedbytime.I

devisedmyownhistoricaloverviewsofmemorystudies(Figure1)andproduceditin

visualformtoremindreadersandmyselfaboutthespectrumofdatacomingoutof

thiscolossaldiscourse.

Figure3:Pictoriallearningtoolofthegenealogyofmemorystudies,author:NelaMilic

Ifocusonmemoryandnewmediatechnologies,usingtheworkofHuyssen,Hoskins,

VanDijck,Levy/Sznaider,Hirsch,Rothberg,Landsberg,Sturken,Erll,JanandAleida

28

AssmannandBarthes.Mostofthemhaveintroducednewtermsforadaptingmemory

studiestothecontemporaryworld:connectivememory(Hoskins,2009),multi-

directionalmemory(Rothberg,2009),andglobal/cosmopolitanmemory

(Levy/Sznaider)forexample.

Huyssenopenedandruledenquiryinmediatedmemoryasaproductoftheriseof

technologyinthe‘90s.Kuhn(re/mediatedmemory,1995),Zelizer(visualinmemory

2001),Hirsch(postmemory,2008)andEsposito(telematicmemory,2003)continueto

workwithmemorydependentontechnologies,butinthelastdecade,writingon

digitalmemoryhasdevelopedexplosivelypreciselybecauseitisdisseminatedthrough

digitalplatforms.Welearnaboutitfrommanywhoprovideanewterminologyfor

modernconstructsthatarereliantonthemedia–globitalmemory(Reading,2012),

transactivememory(Wegner,1986)transmedialmemoryandpremediation(Rigney,

2008),digitalmemory(VanDijck,2007),prostheticmemory(Landsberg,1995)and

tangledmemory(Sturken,1997).Notall,however,areasreliantonnoveltechnologies

asonitsconsequence–theadvancementoftheliteratureonmemory.Digital

technologyhasallowedcomparativeanalysis,whichhadnotbeensoreadilyavailable

beforetheInternet,butmemoryscholarsarestillatinfancywhenitcomestothinking

throughthattechnologyratherthansimplyuseitfordisseminationofthework.

Thismodernglossaryrevealsthegravityofthetaskforacontemporarystudentinthe

subjectofmemoryandexposesthecurrentstateofmemorystudies-immersedinthe

humanities,stretchingthroughscience,anddemandingfromthoseinterestedinthis

discoursetoworkininterdisciplinarywaysandmastermoresubjectsthanever.The

technologicalflourishingrequiresthatfromallofuseveryday,butthisis

unprecedentedinthememorystudiesfield,astechnologyisexactlywhatnowadays

allowsformemorytobethoughtof,captured,handledandstored.Thisisthereason

formyworkingontheBalkansintheareaofmemorystudies–itsdiversityistheonly

waytoprovidejusticefortheBelgraderebellion,butworkingacrossmanysurfaces

inevitablyleadstoavoidingdepthinsomeofthem.Ihavetriedtocombatthisbythe

constantarchivingofthevariedrecordsaswelloftheprocessofresearch.

29

Taylor(2010)considerstheshiftofourtimestodigitalarchivingandwondersifthis

possibilityofarchivingofeverythingandthesolepracticeofarchivingbeingavailable

toeveryoneisinessence,anti-archival.Foucault(1969)wouldcelebrateitschallenge

totheexistentstructuresofknowledgeandtheopenquestioningofinstitutional

authorityaswellasthedataitself,butisitpossibletoarchiveagainstthearchive?

Wouldhecallitcounter-archiving,archo-activismorevenarchiveanarchism?

Inthe‘90sHuyssen(1995)gaveinstructionstothestudyofthetechnologyofarchive.I

amengagingwithhisworkonmediationthroughinformationprocessingandthe

jerkinessofthatexperiencebyusing‘timecapsules’,reflexivedisruptionsthatare

bombardingthethesistextatselectedpoints.Huyssenfurtherdeliberateson

simulationasopposingandsimultaneouslyenthusingourdesireforanchoring,which

ishowIemploymymemoryofprotest–asare-enactmentoftheexperienceinorder

tosettleforoneplace,onepeople,onetimewhilesearchingforanotherplace,

anotherpeople,anothertime.Tomoveontoanotherexperience,Iamtryingto

encircletheoneoftheprotest,sotofind,agreewithandacceptwhoIwasandwhere

Iamnow.

“Archivelivesitsownlifeandthatresistanceisfantastic,fascinatingandwhen

youfaceitonceandseriouslyinvolveyourselfinitoryouareyounganddoingsomeworkwithit,youunderstanditisalivevalue.”

Celovic,J.201120

MemoryfieldandEasternEurope

Ihavetriedtochallengetheorientalistdiscourseoftheregionthroughoutthisthesis

andtosituateSerbiaandthewholeoftheBalkansinthecontinuumofaglobal

nationalismtrendinsteadoftreatingitasregionspecificandsupportingtheassertion

oforientalismontoaparticularterritory.However,thetraditionalviewoftheCold

WarturningintotransitionalconditionsofEastEuropeanstatesafterthefallof

communismanditspost-socialisthistoriographiesoverpowermyarguments.

20Celovic,J.ininterview2011

30

Nationalistandneo-liberaltransformationsofnewcountriesarealsopartofthe

totalitarianviewoftheColdWar’snarrativefromwhichitisdifficulttobuilddifferent

theoreticalpositions.InthelasttwodecadesBakic-HaydenandHayden(1995),Wolff

(1994),Todorova(1997)andotherwritershavebeentryingtobreakthatcycleof

defining‘dispossessed’EasternEuropethroughthegripofliberalcallsforEU

accession,freemarkets,civilsociety,electoraldemocracyandpoliticalculture.They

warnagainst‘nestingorientalism’(Bakic-Hyden,1995)andthetroubledrelationship

thattheBalkanshaswithWesternEuropeancivilisation,whichinturn,oughttobe

examined(Wolff,1994).

Bakic-HydenandHyden(1992)developedtheirthinkingontheidentitybetweenthe

OttomanOrientandWesternEurope,whichcoincidedwithregionalterritorialshifts,

butwasstillsituatedwithintheEuropeanimaginary,deepeningthedifferencethat

alreadyexistedbetweenthenorthwestandsoutheastofYugoslavia,drawingnational

bordersasdivisionsincultureandleavingtheBalkans(BosniaandSerbiaespecially)in

thedomainoftheprimitive.Oldtwists,theysummarise,werecreatedanew.

Still,thetransition,evenintheirwork,seemstobeafetishizedreformparallelwith

theoneoftheColdWarandthatevolutionisbestillustratedintheartworksfromthe

Balkans–itsfilms,literature,visualandevensocialmovements.Ihavechosentodraw

myreferencesfromsomeofthisculturalproductionbecauseitpresentsSerbia’s

realityasasignificantmodernpoliticalandsocialphenomenon,ratherthanjusta

tragic,utopian,historicalinstance.

InOrientalismSaid(1978)positionstheauthorsofWesterntextsinrelationtothe

Orient.Iusethis‘Orientation’toexposetheBalkansnarrativeimperativesandaddto

themthemechanismsofdominantvisualmediathatalsobelittlecontributionsfrom

theBalkans.

Forexample,Serbia’santi-globalisationsolutionsregisteronlyaslocalstruggles.The

BalkansisreducedtoalaboratoryofWesterncapitalism,buttheresidentsofthat

terrainareexperimentingtoo,tryingtofindamoregenerousanswerthatcould

31

possiblyfreethemfrompreconceivedideasoftheir‘future’societybroughttothem

bytheWest.ToimaginedemocracyintheEastasitexistsintheWest,isa

misconceptionofdemocraticvaluesthemselvesasthisdoesnotgiveanopportunity

forthesocietytodevelopinitsownformandpace.Realmsofmemoryscholarshipas

wellas‘democratisation’advicescomefromtheWestwithalibertarianconceptof

freedom.ManipulationofliberalidentitypoliticsthereandintheBalkanssometimes

servesthepurposeofsilencingprotestingvoicesthatmanifestopinionsofthemany.

TheworkofnumerousNGOs(Womeninblack,Mediacentre,Citizensinitiatives...)

thatwerealmostnon-existentuntilthewarsinthe‘90sisnowseenasfavouring

minoritiesthatdidnothavestatesupportbutwithoutthestrongstate,itisonlythe

minoritiesthathaveavoicethroughthatvast‘thirdsector’.Theinequalitystays,itis

justreversedandtemporarilywithoutastructurethatcouldfortifythechangein

approachesofmajorityandminority.

Writingongothicmoralityinpost-Sovietsociety,Khapaeva(2009:1)remindsthatwe

needtobecarefulabouttheinsidestrugglesonthelocalterritories:

“Personalloyaltytowardssuperiorsandrespectforhierarchyconstitute

gothicsociety'smostimportantandonlyuncontestedlaw.”

Itisfromsuchintenselyengrainedmythsthatadifferentsocietyoughttobeimagined

bythepeoplefromtheBalkans.However,itisonethingtoquestionone’sownsociety

andanothertoassociateitwithprimitivismthatisimposedbyoutsidersandto

ridiculeitforthatsameimposition.Ihavechosentosituatemythesisbetweenthose

twoapproachestomemory–theglobalonethatstemsoutofthelocality,and‘critical

remembering’,atermusedbyFalkenstein(1999)whenaddressingIrishmnemonic

practicetodescribetheexcavationofone’sowncommunitymemory.

“Iviewallofthatperiodromantically,Iwassurvivingittooemotionally,thereweresomanythings,nowsomepeoplemaybefromtheirangleseeitdifferently,soallofitforthemismixedup,butIcannot,Iknowexactlybythedatewhenitwastowhen…IneverevenspokeaboutittopeoplewithwhoIamsharingthosememories,norweeverrememberit,likeithashappenedanditisgonenow.Iamreallydisappointedthatlastyearwas20yearsof9thofMarchorthosejubileeshappenlike

32

15yearsofprotestandthereisnotevenonelineonTV–thereissomeonefromsomeorganisationwhosays,“WeshowedMilosevic”.Thereisnotalittleprogramme,differentangles…Thatisreallysad,especiallybecausesomeofthepeoplewhoareonthetopnowweremadethen…” Savic,S.200721

HistoricalactivityafterthefallofcommunismfascinatedSchlogel(2008)whowas

equallyconsumedbythematerialfoundbydiggingoutthepast,aswellasinthe

insatiabledesireofordinarypeopleandprofessionalsforit.Schlogelbelievesthatthis

matrixofinterestsforobjectsandstoriesisthecruxofpoliticaldebatetoday,

differentiatingonlyaccordingtothelevelsofliberalisationofthesocieties–more

accesseswehavetotheheritage,themoreenchantedwebecomewithit.

MemoryfieldintheBalkans

Todorova’stheory(2004)restswithinthedomainofpositionalityasperherdefenceof

theBalkans.Shemanagedthisbymarkingthehistoricalprocessesthatworkedagainst

theformationoftheBalkansasadecayingandbackwardland,andidentifyingthemas

placesofhopeandprosperity.ButTodorovapinscollectivememorytothenationand

Iamshowingoneexampleofsuchanunderstanding–myownculturalpraxisof

politicalrebellion,knowledgeproduction,migrationandidentitystruggle,which

comesoutofthisdiscoursethatisdeliveringan‘imaginedcommunity’(Anderson,

2006).Todorova(1997)ascertainsthathegemonicpowerandtheessentialismleftas

theonlyoppositeforcetoit,arethetwopolesofEast-WestcontentionandIfollow

thisview,deepeninghercriticalfindingswithexamplesfrommyownexperiencesof

bothconstructs.

Todorovaconsiderslanguageascentralintheconstructionofnationalityandethnicity,

butsherescuesthepeopleoftheBalkansfromthegreaterinterestarousedbythose

latterentitiesratherthanbytheirculture.SheexplodedthetopicofBalkanisminher

bookImaginingtheBalkans(1997).PresentedasadarkersideofEurope,theBalkans,

Todorovadiscovers,iserectedaroundnationalismduetoitsAsiaticByzantine

heritage,whichispresentedasalientothesupposedlycivilisedEuropeannationsand

21Savic,S.ininterview2007

33

thereforeprojectedontoitinnationalterms.TheBalkans,itseems,isblamedforwhat

ithasbeengiven.

Shecontinuestodefendherstancewithnewerpublicationsonpostcommunism,

whichsheseesasequallyproduced,performedandopenfordiagnosis,sowewill

againbeintroubletopredictwhatourpastsaregoingtobe.RelyingonConfino

(1997),Todorova(2004:5)writesaboutthenationas“anexplorationofashared

identitythatunitesasocialgroup”whoseneedforamemorialisedpastrevealsits

newnessasaconcept.

Similarly,Wolff(1994)depictstheregionasanintellectualinventionofthe

economicallypowerfulWest,whichdeviseditsculturalzonethroughimaginative,

philosophicandcreativetravelogues,diariesandmaps(1994).Mapsinparticular

contributedtotheorganisationofsuchknowledgeproductionandIamtherefore

usingthemtoexposethemodesoftheirworkingandutilisetheminreverse–asthe

EastlookingattheWest.Adesiretohaveallknowledgebelongstothe

encyclopaedistsandthisprocessisadvancedbyhistoricizingofknowledgeandthe

19thcentury’sendofthebookasthepreferredplacefordepositingit.

ForWolff,mapsaresocialandideologicaldocumentsthatprojectpower.Theyare

cartographicpanopticalgazes,whichimplypolitical,economic,andculturalownership.

Therefore,theymakevisibleorhidewhatisnotsuitabletopresent.EasternEurope,

throughsuchatechnologyofknowledgeandcontrol,hascontinuouslyfromthe

EnlightenmentandcolonialexpansiontakenanagriculturalandOrientalspotinthe

worldwhereparadoxthrivesandwithoutquestioningthisparadoxicalpositioning

whichwouldexposetheeconomicandpoliticalinterestsofthecartographers

themselves.MappinghassealedtheBalkansasanideologicalconstruction.By

positioningitselfinthemiddleandadoptingtheconnotationof‘civilisation’,theWest

hasinventedatraditionbywhichitcanstaycentralandEasternEuropemovestothe

edge,intothebarbaricfringes.

34

Iexaminetheunsustainableideaofafixedglobalidentitywiththereinforcementfrom

Badovinac(2007)whothinksthatmemorywillsoonnotexistunmediatedduetoour

constantrecordingofitandrelianceontechnologiesexternaltoustodoitfor

ourselves,divorcingourbodiesand‘outsourcing’inordertocaptureknowledgerather

thanlivewithit.IhavebeenhelpedbyidentifyingwiththeBalkans’writersandthe

troublestheyfindwithinWesterninterpretationsof‘our’cultureandsocialworld

(Petresin-Bachelez,2010)andbydistinguishingWesternandEasternthinkingstreams

andthemethodsoftheirexhibition.Ialignedtodiscursive,theBalkans’wayoflooking

at‘things’asfirmlyconnectedandvastlynetworked,justlikethegroundoftheregion

itself–bordering,butholdingtightlytodiversestatesfromallitssides.

MyownstruggletocombatthisdiachronicenvironmentlistsSerbianauthors

(Dragicevic-Sesic,Curgus-Kazimir,Lazic)andveryfewotherswhohavepublishedwork

abouttheprotest(Gordy,Jansen,Steinberg).Myfirstcasestudy-Balkanising

TaxonomycapturesthistensionbetweenEasternandWesternacademicsourcesand

strivesforanewreadingoftheBalkansandSerbiainbothEastandWest.However,

Vampirenation(Longinovic,2011)isabrandsosettledwithintheimaginaryofthe

WestthatIriddlethethesiswithexamplesofthisdeep-seatedcondition,whichIwill

spendalifetimeworkingthrough.Atleast,asIgatheredthepeopleinterestedinthis

issue,IdiscoveredthatBalkanacademicsfeltthesameaboutthedearthofscholarship

ontheregion,whichisprovidingamonolithic,colonialandpatronisingviewofit.

“Allthesewriters,areentrenchedintheestablishment,tooaddictedto

lashingsofEasternEurope'spast,toowillingtogiveneoliberalismafreepass.”

Sandhu,S.2014

InhisseminalbookImaginedcommunities,Anderson(1983)claimsthatbothEastand

West‘suffer’fromthesamefantasyofthemselvesaspeopleswithunsharedinterests

andvalues.Theyimaginethemselvesininclusivenessandexclusionfromtheother,

especiallyinthecontestofthenationsthatareasfalseasbroaderunderstandingsof

theglobalcommunity.Positioningthemselvesasculturallyseparatefromthe

nationalistBalkans,theWesternersaredemonstratingnationalisttraits,imagining

35

theirowncoherent,sovereign,limited,definedpoliticalentity.Andersonassertsthat

thismisconceptionisbuiltbythemediaandthiswascertainlythecaseofSerbiainthe

90s,inbothWesternandEasternbroadcastsandprint.

Representation

TherewasariftbetweentheacademicsandmediachroniclersintheWestandthe

Eastinthe‘90s.Westernwritersheldontowarsanddevelopednarrativesofviolence

asbeinginherentlySerbianwhilstSerbskeptthedemeanourofintellectuals

uninfluencedbyMilosevic’styranny,andbeingequallyobjectiveastheWesternerson

theoppositesideoftheargument.Thetexts,whichwereproducedstartedanother

battle–overhistoryandso,theSerbsenteredyetanotherwar–ofrepresentation.

ThisculturallyfocusedresistancebytheSerbsdidnothaveanaimtousurpestablished

powerasmuchastoexposeitandproposeanalternativethroughdirectactionand

livedexperience.Withthisthesis,Ihopetojointhattrend,becauseofthedepressing

andpervasivevisibilityofthewarnarratives,whichhasbeenevidentbyonlyglancing

theshelvesofbooksabouttheBalkansatanylibraryintheWest.Underthehistory

section,thetitlespromiseadramaofthefall,genocide,nationalism,disintegration,

illusiveness,justice,killingetc.Ittakesalongsearchthroughtheart,psychologyand

educationsectionstofindgemsonimagination,creativityandinnovationthatthe

Balkansalsoprovides.

Inthedebateon‘otherness’Ahmed(2004)campaignsfortheplacingofour

responsibilityonthesideof“theother”orasLevinasasserts(1972),for“theother”.

Ahmed’snotionofthestickinessoflabelsandordersofwordsinthenamingof

mattersandpeoplesmakesrepresentationasignifyingpractice,whichis

spectacularising“theother”,asdeliberatedbyHall(1997).Ahmedintroducedthe

phenomenonof‘stickiness’tosignsthatwecreatefromourculturalheritagethrough

repetitiveuse.Thisprocessisexternalandinternal,suggestsHallanditisshowninmy

researchpractice.IamrecordingitasIamgoingthroughit,separatingfromandyet

demandingtobeincludedwithmydataandmethodsinthevisualregimesofthe

West.

36

Ahmed(2004)takesone’sbackgroundasastartingpointintheacceptanceof“the

other”andLevinas(1972)positionshimselfasacriticofaconditionwhenonefeels

endangeredbythepresenceof“theother”.Hefurtherdevelopstheargumentabout

theneedfor“theother”inwhichoneisalwaysboundtoberesponsiblefor,‘opened

up’byandwitness“theother”.Thismustnotbedoneasarepresentational

relationshipbecauseourownfreedomandhumanitydependonthehonestyofthis

encounter.However,bytheimperativeofthinkingabout“theother”,Levinasmightbe

guiltyhimselffortheextensionofthatfigure,asheholdsthatrepresentationdeals

withitself.

Furthermore,stickinesshasbeenpracticedinSerbiabytheregime,militantsand

nationalistswhohaveforyearsbeenportrayingthecountrythroughstereotypes,

transparentmotifsandvaguefigurestobothnationalandinternationalplayers.The

clusterofstorieslocktogether,buthaveenoughleewayforothernarrativestobe

incorporatedandsoappropriatedforinterpretationbythehierarchies.

Asaresultofthosemouldinglocalandglobalprocesses,Serbsoscillatebetween

representationsofthelazyandtheactivistsoftoday.Itwasthesamesituationduring

theprotest.Eventhoughpeoplewerenotworkingandpublicserviceswerenon-

operational,theyinsistedonperformingtheirpoliticalandphysical‘stuckness’onthe

street.Theywereexpressingtheirpositionwithintheglobethathastakenthemasthe

nationagainsttheworld.However,inordertocallupontheworld,youmustact

modern(democratic),hencetheSerbsforcedtheeventbyforginganabsencefrom

regularity.Theirappearanceinmassescreatedirregularityeveninthemostordinary

placeslikepublicsquares,andinsistedonbeingvisiblethrough‘abnormality’–the

stateinwhichtheleftwasboxedinto.Astheybeganperformingit,itsabsurdity

becameevident.Therefore,theprotestinthisresearchiscuratedasanactivistobject,

aswellasperformanceart.

TheoldtensionsbetweentheEastandtheWestarestillpresentinallaspectsofour

lives.NotonlyamIconfirmingtheexistentfindingsonthatmatter,butIamdescribing

37

currentinfluencesintheentanglementoftheEastandtheWestassettledwithin

modernityandinanewshape,affectednowbycontemporaryprocessesof

globalisation,neo-liberalismandtechnologygrowth.Thepullsbetweenthetwosides

oftheworldarenotdilutedbytheemergentNorthandSouthdivide;theytake

dominanceorstandbehindattimes,corroboratingitsdestructivenatureandnever-

endingresurfacinginoldornewlight.ThevisualboundariesthatBal(2003)writes

aboutarenotinnocentandtheyaretheveinsthatItakethepulseofinthisthesis,

agreeingthateveryhistoryisnon-existentandyetrepeatsitself.Thisacknowledgment

oftheboundariesthataresharpenedbyconstantreferencetothem,makingtheir

imaginary‘real’,‘embodied’,‘visible’wouldbeoneofmycontributionstothefieldof

studyoftheBalkans.

Isometimesthinkofmyin-betweenessasastateofun-naturalnessincomparisonto

rootedpeoplewhomseemtohaveamoresoundsocialstabilityduetotheirlocal

connections.Landsberg’s(1995)definitionof‘prostheticmemory’finds

correspondencewithmydwellingsonnon-belonging-notonlytophysicalspace,but

totheexperiencethatothersmighthaveofittoo.Itakeherwritingfurtherthough,

dissectingthememoriesofthe‘96/’97protesters,someofwhomcombinedthis

memorywithalltheotherproteststhattheyattendedinMilosevic’stime,othersof

whomwerefadingoutthatmemoryduetotheprotest’suncomfortableending.This

ambivalenceinprotesters’accountsmademyin-depthinterviewinganunusual

sociologicaltool,butLandsberg(1995)urgesustothinkoflossesinmemoryaswellas

ofadditions.Ifwewantreplacements,whatismissingfromtheoriginalwhenthe

originalwasneveravailabletousanyway?

Archivetext-ure

Ianalysethetexturesofthearchiveandobserveitsrhyzomaticnaturethroughthe

workofBenjamin,Derrida,Foucault...Astheflexibilityofmemoryisintheirfocusand

theyareinspiredbytheartworksintheirthinking,Idevelopanartist’sviewpointon

themaking,displayandcontextualisationofartefactsinBalkanisingTaxonomy,butI

regularlygobacktoSchlogel’s‘officialityofmemory’,soIdon’tforgetthepoliticsof

deploymentofarchivalclassification,itslegitimacyanduseforandbythepowerful.

38

Benjamin’stextsstimulatecriticismsoftheofficialaccountsofhistorybyallowingthe

examinationofthetechniqueoftheiraffirmation.Notonlythat,Iholdontohimin

critiqueoftraditionalandalsonewlydevelopedmainstreamviewsonhistorycoming

outoftheoldstructures,buthiswritingisessentialinmycomprehensionofthe

theoryaboutthearchiveanditsconstruction.Theawarenessofthepracticeof

archivingandthereluctanceofthesamecomemostlyduetohistroublesomedoingof

ittoo–archivingaswellascontinuallybeingdisillusionedbythesameact.To

Benjamin(1940),containingmemoryinadocumentthatthengetspassedonhasbeen

historicallyapracticeoftheprivileged,sothewholehistoryis‘barbaric’astampered

withbythewealthywhofoughtoverthoserecords.

MemoryforBenjaminoperatesintheformofanimage–aphotograph,aflashthat

shinesforamomentandthenfadesintodarkfromwhichitmightneverariseagain.

Therefore,memoryispreciousexperience–ononehand,itisonceinalifetimeandon

theother,itisaperpetuummobilefromwhichwedrawlife.Initsarchives,wedonot

searchforcomprehensivenessandunderstanding,wecanjustbepresent–feel

ourselvesbetweenthepastandthefuture.Archivesarenottheplacesofthepast;

theyarespacesofpresentinwhichwefeeltheabsenceofthepast,aswellasofthe

future.Likethegravestoneswithpicturesofthedeceased,theyremindusthatthese

peoplearenotwithusanymoreandtheirportraitsarethesignsofabsence,

emptiness,void,gaplikethearchivaldocumentsthattellus–this‘was’.

Ifollowedmytrajectoriesofattachmentstotheartefactsgivenandsenttomeforthe

archiveandso,Ibegantodrift,inspiredbyBenjamin’sflaneur(1892-1940)throughthe

streetsofBelgradeinmymindasIwaslookingatthepictures,touchingtheobjects

andreminiscingaboutthewinterof‘96/’97.Byplacingartefactsnexttoeachother

andmarkingtheirforms,similarities,contexts,patterns,histories,Iwasformally

analysingtheminordertograsptheirconnectionandpositionwithinandbeyond

protest.

39

Thefailuresofthearchiveitself,butalsoofworkingwithandinthearchiveare

describedbyMilevska(2006),whichleavesmeinthecompanyofmanywhoindulgein

archivalexplorationsfeelingexhaustedandwithoutmuchachievement.Still,those

philosophers’accountsinvitetheworkwiththearchiveandtheperseveranceofit

allowsforsomepleasureslikediscovery,objectcontact,authenticityencounteretc.

Milevska(2006)considersespeciallyEastEuropeanfeministpractices,whichIfind

myselfbelongingtothroughahighlyreflexivewayofworkingandakindofexorcism

throughartbymakingthefearofarchivingnoticeable.

IrelyonFoucault’sTheorderofthings(1966)notonlybecauseoftherecognitionthat

indexingandlabellingleavesapermanentmarkon‘themarked’asweseewiththe

Balkans,butbecausetheresearcherisalsoanobjectofstudyasIamhere.‘Ordering’

isafterall,his/hermethodologyofacquiringknowledge,howeverantagonisticitmay

be.

WiththechallengeoftranslationandissueswithEnglishlanguagedominationinmind,

IhavedevelopedtheBalkanisingTaxonomywebsiteasanelusiveplatform–the

relativepermanenceofthedigitaltechnologicaldisplayallowedforenoughspacefor

investigationwithoutcommittingideasonpaper,butstillmakingthempresent,visible

andcrucially,exchangeableonlinewhenareadercomesacrossthewebsite.Itdoes

nothavetheauthorityofmaterialheritageorlanguageanditisestablishedinthe

WestpreciselybecauseIwantedtouprootthese.Nevertheless,itisanarchiveandits

ephemeralInternetsurface,howevervulnerable,carvesthestablepathofenquiryand

establishesitstrajectories.

Anumberofresearchquestionswerepositionedonthewebsiteaddressingterritory,

history,image,politics,media,identity,representation,reflection,artsandarchival

practice.OneofthemostimportantwonderingswaswhethertheBalkansmatters

mosttothoseinterestedinitasatopicortothosewhoarefromthereandwhohave

aninterestinpreservingandglorifyingitsculture?Iproceededinmythinkingabout

theprotestinthatlight–apprehensivethatImightbeinaminorityofthosewhocare

40

aboutit.Thisanxietyhowever,finalisedthequestionsunderpinningthewholeofmy

research,takingitindifferentdirections,awayfromtheprotest:

1.Howcananexperiencebecaptured?

2.Howdoesmemoryandparticipatoryartsimpactcommunity?

3.WhatistheEastversustheWesttoday?

4.Doestheendofsocialismmeanstheendofsolidarity?

5.Whatisthepotentialofdigitalarchivingofevents?

ThenatureofthearchivetackledbyDerrida(1995)explainstheinfluenceofdigital

technologynotonlytohiscanonizedideasofthearchive,buttoeverydayusesthat

thearchivesnowhaveviaInternet.Derrida’sinsightintomy‘archivefever’isdelivered

throughaFreudianimpressionofthestructuresandpracticeofarchivingitself,buthe

contributesmosttomythesisbyrevealingtheWesterninterpretationsofMarxism,

especiallyafterthefallofcommunism.IfoundhisthoughtsinDissemination(1981),

WritingandDifference(1978),andparticularlySpectresofMarx(1994)crucialfor

demystifyingtheromanticideasoftheEastandunpackingthediscourseofthefuture

withoutsuchanimaginary.Iansweredhisquestion–iftheEastisnotits

representation,coulditbetheplaceofthefuture-with‘yes’.Ifgiventimetodoit

itself,strippedfromWesterninfluences,wemightyetdiscoverthefuturepracticesof

governance,communityandeconomicdevelopmentonthatterritory.

Steedman(2001)returnsmefromtheonlineworldandsitsmebackamongstthedust

oftheobjects,whichactasparticlesinmyarchiverepository,butalsotothepeople

thatcarryitinthem.Thismaterialworldthatisasecurepartofhistoryforthe

historian,providesmeaningthroughreservoirsofpeople’sstoriesbornoutofthe

debrisoftheirlives.Thisclichédunderstandingofwhatthearchiveis–aplacefor

documents,isfollowedbyVanDijck’s(2005)shoeboxarchivewhichshetriedtoturn

intoadigitaloneandthroughthisprocessnotedtheproblemswiththisobject

transmission,becauseitfundamentallychangesthemeaningandvalueofour

memoriesbyrepositioningusinrelationtoobjects,othersandourselves.

41

“Whatwerethosedemonstrationsin‘96/’97?Thatisnowonlyadocumentaboutthespiritofonetime–theinterpretationthereisveryimportant.Thereissomerawmaterialthatwewerepacking.Iwastryingveryhardwiththedetails,banalthingsinthedescriptionofwhatisonthatmaterialandthentheprotestsended,disappeared,shutdown.Aftersometime,Karic(Ljubomir–ownerofBKtelevision)whowasacunningpeasantunderstoodthatthereissomematerialandheevenfoundapersontoprocessthatmaterial,thedirectorVladaPerovicwhomadeadocumentaryfilmabouttheeventthatisalie.Hemadearomanceabouttheeventthatexceedsaromanceofeveryoneasapersonalexperience,butyoucannotmakeageneralconclusion.Thatmaterialisonlyusefulassingleshots.Thatusewasmisuse.”

Celovic,J.201122

Approachestomethod

Mytechnologyisanarchiveitselfandadatabaseofdigitalformats,whichillustrate

theneedforabundleofmethodsinordertoprovidetheexperienceofprotest.My

archivalpracticeresemblesBakhtin’scarnival,dressingthepeopleandthestreetsasI

packthemingroupsandcontinuouslyunpackthemtotaxonomisedifferently:I

arrangedthreegroupsofpeopleformyinterviews,whichbecamefiveandarenow

eightplanesthataredifficulttodistinguishseparately.IkeptchangingBelgrade’s

physicalmaptooasIwentalong.Mymethodologyispresentedthroughtwocase

studiesthatindicatehowmyprotestmapwasproduced,whatitsaestheticsareand

howtoreadit.Mostsignificantly,theyrevealthatthearchivewillnotbecompleted

withtheendofmythesis.Liketherevoltitself,mythesisdepictstheprocessof

creatingprototypes,neverreallysettlingforone,butcollectingthebestpracticeswith

eachcasestudyandhopingtoestablishthearchiveinthefuture,whichwouldsuitthe

protestersandtheprotestmost.

Semioticinterpretationofboth-theimagesandthetextformyarchivecomefrom

Barthes(1964),butBakhtindiscoveredfortheWestbyKristeva(1986)ledmypractice

andisnowamainstreamwriterinprotestculture.InRabelaisandhisworld(1940),a

studyoffolkculturedepictedbyFrenchrenaissancewriterRabelais,Bakhtin

recognizescarnivalasatopsy-turvyworldwherelaughtersubvertsauthority,which

matchestheBelgradeprotest.Thefearofrepressionwasovercomebywhat

resembledarave.Theeffervescenceoftheprotestwasinfectiousanditspersistence

22Celovic,J.ininterview2010

42

strategicasmanydemonstratorsassuredthatdailystuntsanddistinctiveiconography

wereconstantlyencouragingthepresenceofthepublic.

FrenchsituationistVaneigem,inhisbookTheRevolutionofEverydayLife(1967)

ascertainedthatincarnivalesquemomentstheindividualcelebratesunificationwitha

regeneratedsociety,butthatisaviewofthefinishedact–thesocietyalready

refreshedbythesolecelebrationofsuccessofchange.However,weprotestprecisely

becausewewantthechangeyettohappen.Whenwearriveattheafter-partywecan

onlyreminiscehowthatchangeoccurred.

AccordingtoBakhtin,thecarnivalcelebrated“temporaryliberationfromtheprevailing

truthandfromtheestablishedorder;itmarkedthesuspensionofallhierarchicalrank,

privileges,normsandprohibitions...itwashostiletoallthatwasimmortalisedand

completed”(1968).So,IamcarefulnottoconnectBelgradeprotesttoanarchism,

anti-globalisationorSituationistInternationalmovementsbecausetheyaremilestones

inhistorymostlyagainsttheorderofcapitalism–asystemthatcamelatertoBelgrade

afterthelocalprotesthadfinishedandthedictatorshiphadbeenfinallyoverruled.

Thebeautyoftheprotestisinthemomentofsuspensionoftimeinbetweentwoevils:

anold,stale,ideologicalsystemandafast-paced,obscure,capitalistsociety.Thetide

couldhaveturnedsideways,awayfromthosetwooptions,ratherthangoneforward–

intothe‘progress’thatBenjamin(1940)waswarningagainst.Thatspaceofpossibility

iswhereIkeepcomingbackto,wonderingwhatwecouldhavedoneifnotpressed

forwardandwheretogonexttimewhentheopportunityarises.

“Thatwalkisinmyviewthebesttouristtour,thecitycanneverbeseenfromthatangleasinthosewalkswhenyouwalkinthemiddleoftheGeorgeWashingtonStreet,onlythencanyourealisethatarchitecture-thatisacompletelydifferentcity…”

Savic,S.200723

23Savic,S.ininterview2007

43

ThetwentypeoplethatIinterviewedprovideddiscursiveaccountsamongtherandom

commentsofthecitizensthatIencountered,whichoftenappearedessentialformy

understandingofhowtheprotestshapesthepresentoftheSerbianpopulation.The

intervieweesthemselvesleaptconsiderablythroughspaceandtimeintheirstories,

leavingmeconfused,butawarethattheintervieweesweresothemselves.Theywere

unsureaboutwhattheydoremember,buttheyknewhowitallfeltatthetimeofthe

experience.ThisiswhyIfindthatitissometimesmorebeneficialtodescriberather

thantranscribetheinterviewsIledandsoabandonthescientificrigourandoperate

withintheartsfieldofinterpretation.

Ikeepjumpingtoo-fromtheideasofthearchiveasenclosed,rigid,fixedspaceto

open,digital,Deleuzian(1994)accumulationsofeverythingatthesametimethatis

troublingthevalueofmyitems.MemoryforDeleuzedealswiththecreationof

identityinordertoallowexperiencetoberemembered.Herecognisestheeternal

return(tohome,topast,toarchive)likethelongingthatmattersistheabsolutereturn

asforHall(1997),demonstratingthatonlytherepetition,whichdiffers-from-itself,or,

asNietzschereports,onlytherepetitionofthosebeingswhosebeingisbecoming

counts.Deleuzelinksmemory,archiveandmapinaplateauwithvariouslayersand

admittancepointsdefininganewformofseeingasaprojectionofinfinityfromthe

birdseyeviewofdiagramicabstractions.ThatIcarusvieworthetoplensempowersmy

archivemapandprovidesitwiththenarrativeauthorityandauthenticity.

Speakingforthearchive

Arendt(1972)evokesresponsibilityinmystorytellingassheremindsthatitinspires

judgmentandcallsupontheneedtodeconstructofficialnarrativessowecanpeekat

thepossibilityoftruth,whichisnotdeliveredtousby‘theknowledgespecialists’.By

decomposingthem,wecanaccountforourselvesandfor“theother”.Weaddress

“theother”andatthesametimewearereflectingandreconstructingourselves

(Butler,2001).ForBalkanisingTaxonomyIhaveinvitedBalkanconnoisseursto

encounterthemselvesasacommunity,butalsoas“theothers”andquestiontheir

ownpositionwithinthefieldaswellasreflectontheimpactoftheBalkansstudieson

widercultureandacademiainthepresenceofanewgenerationof‘experts’whoare

44

nowcomingfromtheterritoryoftheBalkans,ratherthanparachutingintoitforthe

purposeofresearch.

Bourdieu’swritingonculturalcapitalappearsanimportantfactorinassessingthe

cultureoftheBalkanslocallyandfromaWesternpointofviewandhence,itis

includedhereasananalyticaltoolaswellasatheoreticalstance,because“artand

culturalconsumptionarepredisposed,consciouslyanddeliberatelyornot,tofulfila

socialfunctionoflegitimisingdifferences”(Bourdieu,1979:7).Headvisesonamethod

inresearchthatistryingtodefysuchappropriatedset-up-in-depthinterviews(1993).

Hethinksthatquestionnairesurveysarenotadequateinsituationswheredifferenceis

foggingtheapproachtoinvestigation.In-depthinterviewsasoralhistorythatIused

allowtimeforbothresearcherandtheintervieweestounderstandbetterwhatitis

exchanged,howandwhy.

IengagedwithculturalcapitalasdefinedbyBourdieu(1986)andMatarasso(1999)

anddisclosed,withthehelpofDas(2010),thatsymbolicandmaterialviolenceis

sittingintheimaginary.Bourdieu’s(1990)lamentson‘habitus’asasystemof

dispositionsdeterminedbysociety,encompasstheideaofbothrationalityand

imaginaryassituatedwithinthepillarsofpower.Themostlyrichestablishment

dictatesthenormandinfluencesthecodificationsandformalisationsaccordingto

people’slifestylesandpractices,heavilydependentontheireconomies,butappearing

objective.Thesesociallyboundperformancesdisplayone’sculturalcapital,forbidding

transitiontoandfromoneclasstoanotherasperthedominantgroup’sview

(Bourdieu,1991).ItookthatpowerfulelitetobeWesternacademiainintellectual

terms.Itdictatesthelinesofenquirythroughitseconomicpowerthatgets

transmittedthroughtheuseoflanguage,theformationofdiscoursesandaccesstothe

scholarlymaterial.

Matarasso(1999)providedademarcationaccordingtotheparticipatoryartsfield,

wheretalent,trainingandexposuretoculturalactivityaccumulateovertimetodeliver

one’sculturalcapital.Thatdelineationofvitalitythatanindividualoragroupholdsas

theirculturalvaluecanalsoworkagainstthemasnotedbyFoucault(1969),Hall(1997)

45

andFanon(1961)whowarnabouttheboundariesofrepresentationwithinwhichthis

culturecanoperate.Fromitsborders,wherethereisasenseoftheirexpansion,these

valuescanbebroughtback,‘gettamed‘orimplodeasthebarriersofknowledgeare

impenetrableandholdthesupremacyofaparticularrepresentation.

Themixofdifferentmodesofdatadeployedinmyarchiveallowedforpoeticdynamic

todisturbtheseparationbetweenfactandfictionandbringthemcloser.Iamtreating

historyasthestoryandthepracticeofstorytellingasahistoricalmethod.Portelli

(2009)arguesthatinoralhistorywehavetothinkthroughthetelling,because

memorygetsmadeviathestorieswechoosetotellandIamconsciousofthisprocess

whilelisteningtotheaudiorecordsofthecontributorstomyresearchaswellasmy

ownvoiceinwriting.

Behindtheartefacts

Realisingthateveryresearchhasitsownmethodandfurthermore,thatevery

intervieweeshouldbeapproachedinauniqueway,appropriateforthatparticular

individualandthesituationwearein;mymethodologymirroredtherealmof

memory.MyownstakeinthisresearchisuncoveredasIamnarratingmyselfthrough

personalobjects,friends,familyandcolleagues.Iamdeconstructingtheirprivateand

publicplacesofmemoryandconstructingmyownasIwriteablogandcreatemaps–

sites,whichareinvitingfeedback.

Igiveinterviewsnippets,photographsandobjectanalysistomydigitalstoragewhose

productionisaccompaniedbythenarrativevignettesscatteredthroughoutthethesis.

TheseintersectionsinthetextthatIcollectedasscarsanddeliverliketheyaremy

secondvoicearetobedistinguishedfromthefirst(academic)voicealthoughthey

ofteninterlink.Eventhoughtheyareembeddedwithinthetext,theyarecharacteristic

nuancesofmyexperience,achievedindependentlyfromthatmanuscript,yet

informingthewholethesis.Cixous(1976)andDas(2010)usethesametechnique

whentheyinterlacetheexamplesoftheirexperienceofthecommunitiestheystudyin

theirwriting.Whenthesesamplesaregivenaseverydaypraxis,theirtheorygets

illuminated.

46

Mycasestudiesexposetheconstantplaybetweentheoryandpractice–one

influencingtheotherastheymigrateintheshapeoftextsandimagesfromInternet

platformstohardcopiesandbacktosignsthat,whengluedtogether,createwords

andpictures-acontextreflectedinthemediumthatimpactsit.

Imagesfrommyprotestcollectioncanbecategorisedbysubjectanddifferentiated

accordingtotheirmodeofproduction:professionaloramateur.Theyareamixof

photographsproducedfornewspapersandmagazinesandcasuallytakensnapshotson

thestreetsbytheindividuals.

TheyhavebeenanalysedwiththesupportoftheworkbyShevchenko(2007),who

thinksofthemasmediawithemotions,yettheyarepreciseoutletsofmixedstories

plaitedbetweenconventionsanddetailsthatopposethem.Ihavewrittenthetextof

thethesisinasimilarmanner,deliveringtheoriesinbetweentheextractsofpersonal

narratives,deliberatelyprovokingemotionswithoutorder,instructionorguidancein

howtoexperiencethem.Youarriveatthephotographasyoudotomyreflective

writtenintersectionsandtheystrikeyouasyouareatthatmoment.

Rose(2009)claimsthatimagesarenotenough.Thesociologistwhowrotesomuch

aboutvisualityisunabletoembraceitinitsfullness–asalanguageandanapproach

thatneedsmasteringinthesamewaytextdoes.Sheratherunpacksitasastrategyof

presentationof‘core’,‘relevant’,‘serious’datain‘word’form.Forher,thetextis

worthyandsoarethenumbers.Forme,animagehasauniquevalueinitsambiguity

andwordsandnumbersareincomparableastheyarespecificintheirprocessingand

intheirexpression.Bell(2005)showsusthatcolleaguescanhavedifferentviews,as

shestatesthatqualitativeresearchersaremoreinterestedinindividualperspectivesof

theworld,ratherthanstatisticalinterpretations,soimagesgiveussomethingelse

thanawordoranumberandBellrecognisesit.

Furthermore,thevalueofdigitalimagesliesnotintheiraccrual,butratherintheir

circulationjustasIstartedworkingwiththem-throughgatheringandpreservation.

47

Likewiththeprotestmovement,whichdispersedtransientenergy,theirworthisin

ephemeral,ratherthanarchivalquality,hencetheyareaperfectmediumfordepicting

theevent.“Thecurrencyofthesnapshotceasestolieinitsnarrativeormnemonic

value,initsindexicality,orinitsstatusasapreciousobject”(Rubinstein,2008).

Instead,itbecomesanexchangevalue–astakeinnegotiablerelationships.

Ethnographicself

Hirsh’s(1999)writingonpost-memoryinfluencedmyinterestinlegacyofmemoryand

itstransferencetoyoungergenerations.Withherthinkingaboutcapturedexperience

anditsrevivalinthebodiesofdescendants,Ihavepositionedmyarchiveasaworkfor

thegenerationswhotookpartintheprotestandtheoneswhodidnot,sotheycan,

throughtheobtainedmaterial,talktoeachotheraboutthatevent.Ihavedonethe

samewithprojectsBG:LOG24andYugoYoga25.Iamhopingforthediscoveryof

sensitivities,affinitiesandrespectbetweenagesandtoencouragetheself-

developmentfromthelessonslearnedinthatexchange.Furthermore,Iwanttosee

onegenerationincludedinthefutureoftheother,ratherthandismissedasvictimsor

survivors–disempoweringcategoriesthatdonotleadtoconstructiveresolutionsor

suggestionsformovingforward.

MyreflexivityplaneengagesCoffey’s(1999)theoryabouttheprocessofethnography

whilewritingtheself,asoul-searchingjourneythatItookwiththisthesis.Consciousof

themethodanditsimpactontheconstructionofmyownidentity,Iwaswillingtodive

intoitasthesynthesizedaccountofpersonalexperiencesofethnographythathave

beencompiledbyCoffey.Theseofferbesideinterestingstoriesanimportantinsight

into‘thickdescription’aswellasitsimplicationsfortheresearcher.Itisthechange

intoaresearcherof‘thepersonal’ratherthanpersonalresearchthatItriedtoachieve

throughtheappreciationofherwork.

24BG:LOG2012BlogKulturklammerprojectAccessibleat:http://www.kulturklammer.org/view/178

[29/1/2015]25MoreonYugoYogacanbefoundinMilic,N.2011Performingnostalgiaorabullinachinashop.Annals

ofTheOvidiusUniversityofConstantaAccessibleat:https://www.academia.edu/1467967/The_Annals_Of_The_Ovidius_University_of_Constanta[29.1.2015]

48

EventhoughPink(2001)istryingtomergetheroleofphotographerand

ethnographer,asanartist,Icannotescapethegripofarthistorythatpushesawaythe

socialscientistsfromthebordersofart.Ifphotographyistheonlyformofvisualart

thatisembracedbysocialscience,itisquitetellinghowthescientistsarethinkingofit

andwhyitisthere–torecord,not‘imagine’.Inherworkon‘doingethnography’,Pink

advocatesfortheuseofmedia,fromphotographstovideo,tostrengthenqualitative

analysisinsocialresearch,butshedoesnotdeliberateonthereversedimpactthatwe

nowhavetosolve–theomnipresentvisualisationofdatathatprovidesuswithimages

whoserelationagainhastobeexplainedbyartistsinartscontextandscientistsinthe

scientific.

Lazic’sbook(1999)andtheinterviewconductedwithhimallowedmetounderstand

theprotestfromthepointofviewofasociologist,butalsothatofaprotestparticipant

whousedhisacademicskillstogatherthedatahethoughtsuccessfullyrepresenteda

faceofSerbia,whichhehasseenonthestreets.Heusedhisprofessionalknowledge

toassessthecrowd’sdemographiccharacteristicsthatpromised,accordingtohis

experience,todeliveradifferentvisionofthecountryfromtheonemadeinthe

world’smedia.Hisworkandthepoliticalplightdidnotclashandtheyprovidean

inspirationalendeavour,whichservesasareportonthecommunityatitsbest,far

fromasimplepositivismoftheoccasion.The‘civilisedbehaviour’thatwas

exterminatedbyMilosevic’sfollowersre-appearedinthe‘liberatedspaces(Spasicand

Pavicevic,1997a)asobservedbyLazic.

Anothereventparticipant,Jansen’s(2001)providedagroundforthedescriptionsof

theprotestcrowdandtheirrelationshiptoaEuropeanlandscape.Hisethnographic

recordisacolourfuldrawingofthewitnesshewas,whocouldassessthehappenings

asaforeigner–uninvolved,butneverthelesstakenbythedynamismofthedesirefor

change.Hewasalsoabletojuxtaposethiseventwiththeworldmediaanddiscourses

atthetime.Eventhoughwellresearched,Jansen’sworksuffersfromalackofgood

translation,whichtakeshimtosomewrongconclusions,butalsointerestingonesthat

‘anative’couldneverarriveat.

49

CurgusandBabovic(2007)providelocalreferencesandobservationsfromtheprotest

publishedasessaysinWalkingonthespot.Theseaccountsarepowerfulprojectionsof

whatwasseenonthestreetsandoftenexperiencedpersonallyasevidentfromthe

styleofwritingandthedetailwithwhichtheeventisestablished.Belgradeopensup

asatableauofmasscomminglingandachievesanother,positivedimensionfor

considerationduringitsdecadeofwars.

Figure4:Myfirstarchivemapoftheprotestandthefirstdigitallayoutofit,photographbyNelaMilic

Belgradeasaplace,adotonthemapthatkeepsescaping,moving,disappearingand

gettinginscribeditself,thatismostlycontingentonthepoliticalandeconomic

changes,hasbeenengravedinmyresearchviaFoucault’s(1986)conceptof

heterotopiaaslayered,‘impossiblespace’ofothernesswhereoppositescoexist.Thisis

howZizek(1986)interpretsthespaceofthewholeoftheBalkans–asneverhere

whereveryouare,butalwaysmoretowardseast.ZizekreliesonthethesisbyMladen

DolarinwhichtheBalkansistheunconsciousofEurope.

Noiseofmemory

“Noiseisin!ListentousBelgrade!”

ThesloganofradioB92thatstartedthestudentprotest

Noiseisfearedbytotalitariansystemsandiskeytocarnivalfestivityasitprovidesit

withanelementofsubversionandservesasaventforemotions.Itembodiesirony,

sarcasmandthere-enactmentofrealitywiththepotentialtoamendit.

50

DemocracyinBelgradeatprotestwasconstitutedthroughspacesofcollective

listening.Noisewasseentodisturbtheclarityofthemonolithicpoliticalvoice

projectedbythestate.ReclaimingcontroloverBelgradedidnotonlyinvolvethe

politicisedinsertionofhumanbodiesintopublicspace,butofthenoisetoo:shouting,

singing,playingmusicfromsoundsystems,whistlinganddrumming.There-definingof

spacebycitizenshappenedthroughthenoisecarriedbytheair,airwavesand

cyberspace.Thisendeavourwasexpressedfirstinthechoiceofplacefor

demonstrations,whichstartedonuniversities’groundsorattheSquareofthe

Republic,bothintheheartofthecityandthewalkswouldspringacrosstoother

placesladenwithstrongsymbolicmeanings,therebytransgressingspatial–political

boundaries(Cresswell,1996;Feldman,1991).Marchingtogovernmentandmilitary

buildingsandsurroundingthosesymbolsoftheregimewasfrequent,butthemost

popularroutebecameknownas‘themediawalk’,becauseitledthecrowdsalonga

numberofbuildingsofMilosevic’sstate-controlledmedia.Wheneverpassingoneof

thesebuildingsaswellasheadquartersofMilosevic’s,hiswife’spartyorcourts,the

whistlingandthebooingwouldreachitshighestdecibellevel.

Radiostationssupportingtheprotest,suchasB92andIndex,appealedtocitizens

duringtheNewsat7.30pmonnationaltelevisiontoopentheirwindowsandatleast

listentothenoisethattheprotestersmade,eveniftheywouldn’tcontributetoit,

plantingtheseedofopposingthedeeprunningandlongestablishedstateorder.Asin

Benjamin'sdescriptionsofhisarchive(1931)“comprehensivenesswasneitherpossible

norsoughtafter”.Theideawassimplytogathertheenergythatmanybelievedhad

beenexhaustedbytheapathy,whichinhabitedthecitizenrywho’dgivenupthefight

withtheregime26.Thebodiesresonatedinthemass,likeradiovibesandthroughthis

26ThislackofunityinvisionforthefutureinSerbia(assomegroupsfoundthemselvestogetheronthe

street,butonseparateseatsinotherpublicarenas)issignificantcontributortoafter-protestdevelopmentsinSerbiaandeventheconsequenceofitssituationtoday.Duringtheinterviewconductedwithoneoftheprotestparticipants(Caca,thearchivistfromCZKD),ithasbeenstatedthatthisprotestisthereasonwhySerbianpoliticsnowisinchaos.Shethoughtthatthestreetswereaconfusingsiteforventingtroublesanditdisplayedsomereactions,symbolsandlanguagethatshewasashamedof.Theloudestvoiceswerenotrepresentingherviewsandshefeltlikethedemonstrationskeptonlythemintheirlegacy.

51

rippleeffectdemocracygot“arealchanceofoperatingasalivingforcethroughoutthe

extendedcommunity”(Oswell,1998:2).

Radiosoundwasseentobebothhighlyinteriorisedandindividualisedand,yetatthe

sametime,thoroughlycollective.Belgrade’scommunityasmuchasbeingattentive

listenersathomewaslikemyarchivebecauseitneveratrootpracticedthatactivity

likeitissolitaryorselfish(Oswell,1998),itwasprovidingmanypathsandactionsat

once.Radioneedstobelistenedtowithoutnoise,butequally,itisasourceofnoise.

Throughthewallsofneighboursradionoisewasless‘heard’,butmore‘sensed’asa

bodilyexperience.Reverberationswerefeltandtheyacteddirectlyuponthebodyina

mannerthatinducedinvoluntarymovement–outonthestreetandthiswas

performedasacollectivedancepieceexpressedintheprotestwalks,followedby

drummers.

Dancingkeptthecoldaway,butreeledinthespiritofcollectiveexpressionespecially

inthepopularDiscothequeBlueCordon.Thisprotestactionbeganwhenastand-off

betweenthepoliceandtheprotestersfinishedinstalemate,openingalargetense

spaceinthesmallKolarcevaStreet.Demonstratorsbroughtinasoundsystemandthe

musicamusedthedancingprotestersfor178hourswhilethepolicecordonworkedin

shifts,exchangingstaffinfrontofabout30000people.Thenightclubsclosed–their

customerswereinfrontofthebluecordon,encouragingittodancetoo.

The‘blowingup’ofauthorityduringtheprotesthappened,amongotherreasons,

becausethe‘enemy’targetwasnotlocatable–thebodiesofpeopleactedlikethe

onesofterrorists–theywereallweaponsinthesheervulnerabilityoftheirpresence

inthefaceoftheofficials.

The‘multitude’ofprotestisnotonlyinitscarnival,butinitsorganisationtoo,asHardt

andNegri(2004:11)understoodinCarnivalandMovementaboutBakhtin’s

constructionofthe‘carnivalesque’:Bakhtin“help[ed]usunderstand…thelogicofthe

multitude,atheoryoforganizationbasedonthefreedomofsingularitiesthat

convergeintheproductionofthecommon”(2004:11).Dragicevic-Sesic(2001)and

52

Steinberg(2004)alsocontributedtothecomprehensionoftheprotestasacelebration

ofcommonalities,bothrelyingontheanalysisofpopularcultureinrelationtopolitical

expression.Steinberghasdissectedpopmusicasanagencyofsuccessfulcollective

mobilisationforpoliticalpurposeandDragicevic-Sesicfocussedonstudentactionsto

depictthetheatricalisationoflifeintheeventandstreetsasitsstage.

AwalkcallingondifferentspotsinBelgradeamountedtoadistanceofaround70

kilometresandDragicevic–Sesicseesthisasthespiritoftheprotest,accompaniedby

noise,insistingonacknowledgingthecrowd’spresence.Temporarilyinvadingthe

places,whichuntilthenwerecontrolledbytheregime,thecitizensreclaimedthecity

byinsistingonmovementinspiteofcordonspositionedatcriticalpoints.Freelyand

self-consciouslyrelatingtopopularculture,theyquotedmusic,film,philosophy,sports

andsoon.Thesignsintheirspaceread:“Can’ttouchthis:‘liberatedplaces’”–evoking

AmericanrapperMCHammer’shitUCan’tTouchThisfrom1990.Stillinviewofthe

policeforceandunderthreatofaviolentintervention,theseplacescametorepresent

opposition.

Somesongswereespeciallyassociatedwiththeprotest:Mesecina(Moonlight)-a

gypsybrasssongfromKusturica’sfilm“Underground”,Zajedno(Together)-aremake

ofanoldCroatianhitbysupportersoftheoppositioncoalitionpartywiththesame

name),Breathe-adancetrackfrom1996bytheBritishbandTheProdigy,Kolotecina

(Everydayness)byBelgrade’surbanindiebandDarkwoodDubandSlusaj‘vamoaka

MirBrateMir(ListenHere:PeaceBrotherPeace)byrockbandRimtutituki(thetitleis

ananagram).Thediversityexpressedthroughthesesongswasconsideredashavingan

urbanquality-anelementwhichcounterposedthecitytothewidespreadimagesof

homogenous,blandandunchangingruralism(Pusic,1995:571–574;Prodanovic,1997:

25–26)asthefolk(turbo)scenewaspartoftheregime’ssoundscape.Rockmusicwas

anantithesistothedominantfolkbecauseitwasengrossedindissidentpoliticsand

partofthecollectiveactionawayfromtheethnoeuphoriainspiredbytheregime.

SongsofBajaga,aBelgradepopstarwhoenjoyedsuccessduringthetimeofbothTito

andMilosevicwerealsoplayedonthestreets,buildingupthecityspirit.Especiallythe

53

songtitled:Verujem,NeVerujem(Ibelieve,Idon’tbelieve),whichmetaphorically

capturedtheconfusionwiththeelectionresults.AhitbyrockbandDisciplinaKicme

(Thedisciplineofthespine),Decijapesma(Children’ssong)gotawordchange;from

‘hands’to‘feet’bythestudentswhowalked20milestoBelgradefromNoviSad

singingit:“Thesefeetarenotsmall,theygivewisdomtomany”.SongGlas(TheVoice

alsoTheVote)wasespeciallycomposedfortheprotestandMTVshotavideoforit27.

Lightingactioncorrespondedwiththesonicone.Bothweredoneinmass,assuringa

portionofanonymity.Fires,cigarettelighters,torchlights,candles,rockets,bicycleand

Christmaslampswerelitonthestreets;peoplewavedlanterns,chandeliersand

illuminatedpicturesontheirwindows.Theydecoratedbalconiesandfacadesto

conversewiththeprotestersbyusingsymbolsandsigns,butalsothroughexplicit

textualmessagesinposters,panelsandgraffiti.

Lightswitchingplayedalargepartintheestateswheretheresidentsofhigh-rises

wouldmakeaharmoniousplaywiththeirhomelights,switchingthemoffandonin

therhythmdictatedbyotherbuildings–mirroringeachother’sguidelines.Their

‘ghettobeat’providedthevisualsthatthengavetherhythmtocommunalresistance.

Thehabitatwasdefiant,butananonymous,secureplaceandawayfromthestreets,

whichcouldbedangerous.

Theliteraturedescribedaboveillustratesthediversityofmyresearchsourcesthat

spreadacrosshumanitiesandscienceastheBalkansaswellastheprotestscannotbe

investigatedbyusingonefieldofstudynorbyoperatingfromasinglestudyarea.This

meansthatmanyprotestsexaminationsoftendissatisfytheiraudiencebyproviding

shortdescriptionsofanumberofphenomenaarisingonthesitesoftheevents.To

trackdownallthespheresofhappeningsrequiresacombinatoryeffortofusinga

rangeofmethodsandaresearchteamthatwouldundertakethematthesametime.

Thedeliveryofsuchresearchwouldalsodemanddifferentplanesofdisplay,soit

27TheVoice,1996AltogetherBandMTVmusicvideoAccessibleat:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l-

ALPdUIus[25.1.25]

54

wouldbeunderstoodbyvarioustypesofaudiences.Withthisthesis,Ihopetohave

madethefirststeptowardsthatinitiative.

55

CHAPTER2

RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY-ARTillery

Figure5:Myparent’shouse:Familypracticeor‘storaging’,photographsbyNelaMilic

"[Thereis]amonolithicconceptionofsocialspace,accordingtowhichitwould

sufficetohavetherightinformationtomaketherightdecisions.Butinpointoffact,

informationitselfisfarfromhomogenousandapurelyquantitativeapproachisnot

satisfying.Havingevergreateramountsofinformationatourfingertipsnotonlydoes

notmakeusmorevirtuous,asRousseaualreadypredicted,butitdoesnotevenmake

usmoreknowledgeable."

Todorov,T.2009:39

Benjamin(1892-1940)structuredhisworkalphabeticallybythemesandheadingsin

ordertocopewiththeabundanceofmaterialthatdidnotfitintolinear,coherent

literatureortheory.Heknewthatnovelconditionscouldnotmanageknowledge

conceptuallyandjustwithcategorisation.Itwasimportantforhim,asitisformeto

workwithinterpretingimageslikeAbyWarburg(1924-1929)did–visually,to

understandthesocialproductionandthecharacterofcontemporaryphenomena.This

visualitytendstodestroythetimeofmemorythathasbecomecommemorative,as

wellasreflective,mirroringtheaestheticofarchitecturalandartisticmodernism.

Inmodernity,dataareproduced,manipulatedandtransitory,sothearchivedoesnot

onlyinventorisetheknowledge,butisaknowledgegenerator.Itsspaceisnavigated

withsearchesandhaslimitedcapacitythatonceexceeded,producesloss.Digital

operationstreatspaceasametaphorwithinwhichtheyactivateobjectsacross

56

bordersofrealtime–thetime,aswellasspaceshifttheiranalogueperceptions

online.Furthermore,thesevirtualactionsinauguratemeta-dataasthearchival

classificationparadigmbasedonstorageandlinkagesbetweenfiles.Machinated,

ephemeralandeternaltimeinelectronicarchiveisthetimeofthepresent.“The

ephemeralisawayofcapturingthemodulationsofbeingsandthings,theirunityand

theirdifferences”(Buci-Glucksmann,2004).

Digitalatlasesproducea‘newimagination’,despitethetraditionofculturalresistance

oftheimaginaryasopposedtosymbolicoperationsbynumbers.Afascinationwith

encyclopedic,universalandholisticapproachesisembodiedinthedatabasegazeof

theworld.However,mappingshouldbeseeninitscapacitytodivide“animaginary

(iconic)withsymbolic(indexical)actionsincyberneticaggregatesandphysical

networks”(Frieling,2004).

Performativedatabase

Artisticworkwithdatabases,archivesanddisplaysisamediaperformancewheredata

collectiontakesplacebeyondconsciousordering.Thenetworkedarchiveisapractice

ofactualization,reproduction,interpretationandreimpression(Derrida,1995).The

techniqueofthearchivingdeterminesthestructureofthearchivalcontent,thewayit

iscreatedanditsrelationtothefuture.Themethodofarchivingisitselfanartefact

whichproducescontinuityofculturaltradition,butsimultaneouslychangesthis

practice.Thiscomplexityisengrainednotonlyinmychoiceoftheartformforthe

protest,butinmyselfasanarchivistwhosemigrantidentitycolourstheworkwithit.

Myarchivemapis“aguidetotheuncertaintiesofidentity-buildingunderadverse

conditions”(Appadurai,2003:23).

Mypraxisrevolvesaroundidentity–lostandregainedthroughleavinghome.It

exploresasenseofbelongingandstagesofadjustmenttothenewenvironment.

Longingforhome,theoneleftandthatdoesn’texistanymoreisachildhoodmemory

thatwecanallrelateto.Peopleexistintherealmofspectacleaseverydaysubjects

andweinviteperformancebyourpresenceinspaces.HowImakesubjectsandobjects

breathewiththelifethattheygetwiththegazeofthepublicismypracticeenquiry,

57

butalsohowsomethingordinarybecomesspectacular?Howareweabletoseemore

thanitis‘there’?

Iamquiltingthenarrativesthroughtheuseoftechnology.Itsmachineryismytoolfor

assembling,relating,connectingthedots-onthemapandinthearchivesinorderto

createanunderstandingoftheworldthatIamspeakingfrom,notsimplyofmy

position.IammakinganitinerarythroughthatworldandasIplacealightona

location,onecanseeabitarounditanditslinktootherplaces,realisingmoreabout

theimportanceofguidancethanthepresenceofknowledgethatonecanacquirefrom

readingthetext.Thisisbecausetheguidemovesyoufromspottospotandcreatesa

story,butifonewantstojourneyontheirown,onemightdiscovermoreinteresting

narrativesaswellasdarkalleysfromwhichs/hewouldneedtofindawayoutwithout

thehelpoftheexpertguidance.

Thereaderisontheuniquejourneywithmeandthatsubjectivity,amongotherthings

–theuseoflanguage,thedistinctionofthevoice,theaccentrevealedthroughthe

non-Englishphrasing,theexperienceoftheterritoryprovidetheauthenticityofmy

accountandtheobjectivityofmymaps,whichdonotcontainnumbereddistances,the

scalesofthelandnorclearplace-namesacrossalandscape.Theygiveoutamnemonic

cartographicrecordfromwhichwecanlearnthatthepastwasconstructedandsowe

areresponsiblefordealingwiththepresentinthewaythatwouldjustlypropelitinto

thefuture.

DrawinguponFoucault’s(1986)conceptofheterotopiaasspaceofcoexistenceofthe

oppositedistinctiveandincommensurable,Blazevic(2009)proposesconceptualising

theBalkansasaheterotopicspaceingeographical,historical,social,political,cultural

andsymbolicterms.ThisiswhyBalkanisingTaxonomystartedmyprotestresearchas

aprojectwithtransnationalandtranslationalpoliticswithitsportalonline-adigital

andelusiveformatforcreatingintertextualityandsuperimpositionsthatwereneeded

for‘reading’theBalkans.Itmappedacomplicatedrealityandindoingso,failed,as

mapsdo,torepresentthewholeoftheevent,butthiswasitssuccesstoo.To

representistofixandIwantedtodotheopposite,todemonstratetheimpossibilityof

58

thefullaccountandtheurgetokeepattemptingit,todetachtheBalkansfromitsrigid

entity,whichembedsviolence.Bydoingthemapsandarchives,Iwasundoingthem–

repeatingamethoduntilrenderedobsolete–balkanisingtaxonomy.

Myresearchmethodologydevelopedwithseveralprojectsthatweredonethroughout

mythesis(YugoYoga,WeddingBellas,Herecomeseverybody28…),buttwocreatedthe

infrastructure,theblocksandthebaseofit:BalkanisingTaxonomyandBG:LOG.The

approachestobothconsistedofethnography(visual,historical,selforauto-

ethnography),storytellingandoralhistory(withresearchcontributors),formalanalysis

(photographsandotherartefacts)andmapping.Iframedtheminthetextwith

reflectionsondatagathering,categorisationprocessandparticipationinbothprotest

andresearch.

Writingpractice

PhilosophersthatIdonotwanttofavour,manyfromtheWest,cropupsneakilyinmy

thesisandIdonotknowhowtomutethem.Theyusenicewords,buttheymeanlittle,

soIhavetogather‘wreckageuponwreckage’(Benjamin,1940)toarriveatapoint

whichisbythensoloaded,thatitisnowonderthattheirvoicesspeakinmysleep.A

cacophonyofnoisesformsanorderthatexplodesbythetimeIawakeandstartsagain

althoughdifferentlythenextnight.Itscordsandsequencesshuffleevenduringthe

day,makingmedizzyifIhearthem.Anarchiveoftheoriesisformedtogetherwithmy

protestarchive–emergingthroughtheimagesandinterviewsandhidingawayatthe

sametime,disclosingitslayersanddestroyingthemonthewaybacktotheinvisible.

HowtopresentfindingswhenIamunabletoholdtheirthreads,whentheygrabmein

mysleeporinthemiddleofadayandIhavetoletthemgoonlytostartthisprocess

ofstraight,narrowandseeminglylogicaltellingyetagain?

Mywritingfeelssacredassoonasitisonpaperbecauseitrevealsmyimmediate

thoughtsastheyareunmediatedandsoIrestrainmyselffromwriting–amediumthat

setsmybodyfree,butdisclosestoomuchofme.Still,IdonotlikedraftingbecauseI

28Herecomeseverybody2012FourthlandprojectAccessibleat:http://fourthland.co.uk/nela-milicmotion2

[30.1.2015]

59

changemymindwhendoingitanditislessconnectedtomybodywhichseemsto,at

thefirstattempt,pushoutthestorythatmatters,howeveruncomfortableitmakes

mefeel.Thedistancebetweenthatarbitratedstoryandmyfleshstartsshowingas

eczemaonmyskin.

Writingisapowerfulmethodtoconnectwithtime.Iuseittodevisethenarrative

assemblage–cuttingandpastinginterviewsandmyownaccountsoftheevent

parallelwithdiscoveriesoftheory.PlatointerpretedbyDerridaconsiderswritingas

externaltointernalmemory,butDerrida(1981:110)emphasisesthatwriting

penetratesthecoreofspeechandmnemeanditaffectsandinfectsmemory.Writing

is“...thatdangeroussupplementthatbreaksintotheverythingthatwouldhaveliked

todowithoutityetletsitselfatoncebebreached,roughedup,fulfilled,andreplaced,

completedbytheverytracethroughwhichthepresentincreasesitselfintheactof

disappearing”.

Platomadeanaccusationagainstwritingsincewritingwouldreplacelivingmemoryfor

amnemonicdevice(Gere,2012).Wewouldtherefore,miss‘thepracticeofmemory’

andsurrenderittopaper.Themneme,insteadofbeingpresentitself,wouldbe

supplantedbyarchives,lists,notes,tales,accounts,chronicles:memorialsinsteadof

memory.However,asDerrida(1981)indicates,thememoryrelatestoitselfby

organisingthemnesicactivity–italwaysneedssignsinordertorecallthenon-

present.So,wearetoarchive,butnottofasten,encircleandjudge.

IampracticingwhatCixousurgesthewomentodo–speakthroughwritingintheir

ownvoicetodistinguishitfromtheman’swor(l)d.Cixous(1976)is‘performingher

voice’inwritingbyintroducingnarrativesinverse,stagingconflictualaddressesand

invitingtheunderstandingofdifferentaccounts:ifone’sconditionisrestricted–the

halfthatlongsforfreedomspeaksevenifsilent,butittakesaninvestigationoutside

conventionalmeanstohearthemboth-theloud,thevisibleandseeminglytheonly

voiceandthehidden,silencedandapparentlynon-existentone.Ifwearenotto

searchforaparticularthing,whysearchatallthemanwouldask,butCixousbelieves

60

thatphilosophyofmasculinetargetingispreciselywhatcurtailsthemostbeautiful

findings.

IwriteinthesamewayasIamdevelopingthearchive.Icollectsomeobjects,Ilookat

thepictures,Ihaveanoutburstwhenreachingacul-de-sacagain,Ideviseand

dismantlecategories,Iplaysomeaudiointerviews.Myhecticwayofmakingthis

repositoryistheembodimentofitscontent.Myarchiveisthecarnivalastheprotest

was.IfIwas‘totame’it,Iwouldhavedestroyedit.Ithastostayasapotentialhistory

andacommunitysitethatchangeswithitsactionsinordertoexistatall.

Datagathering

Moststatisticaldataiseasilyaccessibleinonlinestorages.Atfirst,digitalwaysofdata

preservationasneworadditionaloptionsforcollectinginformationappearedtobring

aboutachangeinscienceandartsbyprovidingalternativemethodologies,which

wouldmodifytheprojectoutcomes.However,themoreweusedmodern

technologies,themorevisibletheirconnectiontowell-establishedstructuresof

conductingresearchbecame.Theinitialenthusiasmofgoing‘beyondtext’29,uploading

findingsthatwerenotonlynumerical,butpresentedinimages,allowedquantitative

andqualitativemethodstocometogetherandfortheresearchtobemoreconvincing

thanofferingthestatisticsingraphswhichhashistoricallybeenunderstoodasdata

visualisation.Nowwecouldalsoseethepicturesfromthefieldworkandevenfollow

uptheprocessofitsdevelopmentthroughonlinediariesusuallykeptintheformatof

blogs,sotheinformationabouttheworkcouldbeeasilyandquicklysharedbypeople

aroundtheworldandresearcherscouldcollaboratebyexchangingknowledgeviathe

Internet.

Nevertheless,thedisplayoffindingsandtheelevationofauthors’profileshavebeen

consumedinthesamewayasoldsystemsprescribed.Qualitativedatastillservesas

29AHRCprojectintroductiononlinestates:“TheBeyondTextstrategicprogrammewasdevelopedin2007

followingaperiodofconsultationwiththeartsandhumanitiesresearchcommunitieswhichidentifiedvisualcommunication,sensoryperception,oralityandmaterialcultureaskeyconcernsfor21stcenturyscholarshipandthewidercommunity.”Accessibleat:http://www.beyondtext.ac.uk/documents/Beyond_Text_Programme_Specification.pdf[25.1.2015]

61

anattraction,asaddedvalueandasanillustrationofthequantitativeanalysisbut

cannotstandinitsownright,andhastoincludethescalingprovidedbystatistics.

Moderntopicsinhumanities,likespace,timeandidentityarethereforereducedto

geographicalandnationalborders,historicalclocksandhomogenousentitiesasthatis

themethodwearesuretobewithintheacademicdisciplines.

However,historiansforexample,mostlyutilisedatathatwasintendedforadifferent

use.Tryingtoconvertthedataintosomethingsuitableforaspatiotemporal

visualisationinevitablyleadsthatverydatatobecompromised.Sothetrendypush‘to

visualise’it,mightbeproducingtheirlossandencourageresearcherstostickwithin

theirowndisciplines,not‘corrupting’theirmethodsandusevisualisationpurelyfor

presentationoftheirprojects.Thiswaythesolelegacyofvisualisation,itsintegration

inthemethodanditsartisticpraxisarenotconsidered.

Numbers,usedhereasthesymboloftechnology,matter,butwemustbeawareof

theirlimitationandappropriationaswearelikelytohaveexperiencedtheir

contextualisationwhenconductingquantitativemethodologies.Numbersspeakas

loudasphotographsandmaybearealso“worthathousandwords”(Barnard,1921)30,

buttheyarenotenough.Still,thiswasthereasonwhysociologyadoptedphotography

asanelementofqualitativeresearch–itprovidestechnicalinformation(thestrength

oflight,thesize,theapparatus)asthecameraisalaboratoryinitselfandseemingly

givesevidence–arecord,ameasure,atestresult.Thecontentofitisstilladifficult

zoneasitdemandstheknowledgeofaestheticsandhistoryofart,whichchallenges

therelevanceoftechnicalexpertise.However,intheselamentsoverwhatgivesus

moreinformation–image,textornumbers-laysthewholeconundrumoflearning.

Nothingiseverenoughandthatiswhatisgreataboutknowledge.Itisnotobtainable

inanyway,butwemuststrivetowardsitandkeepfindingmethodsforitsexpression.

30FredR.BarnardintheadvertisingtradejournalPrinters'Ink,promotedtheuseofimagesin

advertisementsthatappearedonthesidesofstreetcars.TheDecember8,1921issuecarriesanadentitled,"OneLookisWorthaThousandWords."

62

ComputerprogrammerBrooks(1995:102)makesastatementinTheMythicalMan-

Month:"Showmeyourflowchartsandconcealyourtables,andIshallcontinuetobe

mystified.Showmeyourtables,andIwon’tusuallyneedyourflowcharts;they’llbe

obvious."ThisphrasehasbeenusedearlierbycomputerscientistMcCarthy(1927)

whomadetheoppositepoint:"AstheChinesesay,1001wordsisworthmorethana

picture."Thescienceworldisnotgivinguponforcingthequantitativeagenda,

alienatingthecomplexsideofoursocialworldsfromus,asstatisticsdoes.Thesolution

forthismisrepresentationmightbeincombiningtextandimageaspresentedby

contemporaryresearchersandbloggers,butthenwemustlookatallaspectsoftheir

workasequallyvaluableanditisnecessarythattheyareskilledinbothscienceand

artsmethods.Theresearchernowadaysmustbeamulti-discliplinarianors/hecould

beaccusedofone-sidedanalysis.

Categorisation

Mypartitiontechniqueforinauguratingandanalysingthearchivemapwastodivide

storiesintothematiccategories.Thisexposedmyinterestinkeepingtheduality

betweenWestandEastalive,butitalsointroducedtheproblemofextinguishingit.

Removingthetensionbetweenthetwopowerfulpolesdistractsonefromkeepingthe

pressureonthecentreofpower,butmovesitintoathird,weaker,volatilefieldthatis,

howeverexciting,potentandinnovative,stillvulnerableinfrontofthatsamecentreof

power.Wehaveseenthisdevelopmentwiththetechnologicalboomthatwehoped

wouldfreeusfromcorporateforcesbutinstead,weremoretightlygrippedbythem.

Therearemanyreasonswhythisisthecaseandasthecentralpowergrows,

resistancedoestoo,butthismotionseemstobeacceleratingthepolaritiesorcreating

themanew.Thecentreofpowerstaysatthecentre,evenifitmoveselsewhereand

theoppositionagentschange,providingforsometimeabeliefthattheoutcomeof

theshiftwillbedifferent.Wehopethatitwilleventuallyhappenindeedandthe

communitieswillbenefitfromsuchanoccurrence,butwearenotinventingnew

structuresforitthatarenecessarytosustainthechange-wearejustdeveloping

methods.Idocontributetothatfashion,butIamalsoquestioningtheoutcomesof

suchproceduresbyinterrogatingtheirsetupatstartandtheirprogressionintothe

contentproduction.

63

“Irealisenowthatwhatweleavebehindwekeepandwhatwetakewithuswecanlet

goforever”,saidanoldladytoVesna,myartistcolleagueInesWurthinherresearch

fortheperformanceImisscommunism31.

Digitaltechnologyisanobjectofmemorytransport,thecontentcarrier,whichisnot

onlythemeansandthetoolofcollatingandanalysingdata,butitsmediatorandso,its

creatortoo.Themediaisnotonlythemessage(McLuhan,1964),butitisalsothe

methodthatIused.Theaccumulatedonlinestorageallowedmetotravelinvarious

ways,whichchangedbothmyresearchandme.Ihavebeencarried:

1) Throughtime.Ihavebeenactivelyengagedwiththepastthroughimag(in)inga

consciouspush-pullbetweencollating,reminiscenceandthepossiblefuturesofmy

archive,Belgradeandme.

2) Throughspace.Ihavephysicallyobtainedtheobjectsformyarchivebytakingthem

fromtheirownerswhohaveposted,givenoremailedthemtome.Iscanned,

photographedanddisplayedthemonmyonlinearchivemapforotherswhoare

scatteredaroundtheworldtoseeandsendmoretothecollection.

3) Throughcommunity.Myresearchcontributorshavebeenincontactwithmeandwith

eachother,visitingmyarchiveasapointofreferencethroughwhichIhavegained

accesstothemprivately,blurringtheboundariesbetweenprofessionalandpersonal

andembracingthisdichotomyofemersionintheproductionoftheartwork,archive

instalmentandcollectingdatainthefieldwork.

4) Throughcultures.Astheintegrationinmanysocietiesthatmycontributorsarepartof

ismoreorlessinprogress,theirmemoriesandvaluesacquiredamoderation,whichis

revealedtogetherwiththeircontributiontotheresearch.Myownculturesareequally

investigatedhere.

5) Throughtheory.Thankstothee-journalsandotheronlinepublicationsandresearch

websites,Ihavebeenabletodigitizemuchofthetheoryresourcespreviouslyonly

availableinhardcopy.ByplacingdifferenttextsonscreenoftensimultaneouslyIwas

31Imisscommunism2007PerformancebyWurth,I.andSoper,M.Accessibleat:

http://www.imisscommunism.com[25.1.2015]

64

abletoseethekeywordsandcreatelinksthatwouldn’tnecessarilyshowthemselvesif

Ihadreadfirstlyoneandthenanotherpieceofwriting.

6) Throughobjects.Eventhoughwetalkaboutdigitaltechnologymainlyinimmaterial

termsbecauseofthefocusonthecontent,besidesitscablesandmonitors,Ihave

beenliterallygatheringtheobjectsofmystudy.Ihaveused3DSMaxtobuildone

(trumpet)inthegraphicssoftware,butIfoundmyselfspendinghoursdiggingthe

snapshotofitfrommymemoryandneverreallyachievedadecentresult.Itisonly

whenIhelditinoneofmyhandsanddrewitonthecomputerscreenbyholdinga

mouseintheotherthatIachievedanadequateimage.So,Ihadtogetholdofthe

objectsortheirrepresentationinanycase.Thecostofspacealsocameinto

consideration–initially,theamountofmemorythatIhadonthecomputerdidnot

allowforanysoftwaretobeusedforprototyping,soIfounditwasquickerand

cheapertomakespaceinmyroomfortheobjectstobephysicallyplacedratherthan

sortingmypersonalcomputerarchive.Inmyarchivalpracticeatthatmoment,what

startedwiththe‘digitalrevolution’almostwentbackto‘themuseum’arrangement,

butIhavemanagedtomaintainthetwolayersofobjectrepresentationthroughout

myresearchsince–physicalanddigital.

7) Throughmemory.Bylookingatthepicturesfromtheprotest,searchingforits

artefactsontheInternet,inthearchives,inmyhomeandtouchingthemoncethey

wereinmyhands,Ifellunderthespelloftheseeker,thecollectorhauntedby‘the

ghostlymatters’(Gordon,2008).Ilookedforandthroughthemtounderstandthe

event,butalsotorememberornottoforgetit.Iwasholdingontothem,asthey

wouldcarrymypast,soitdoesnotvanishbeforeImanagetocaptivateit,likeitis

possibletodoso.

Bypositioningthemnexttoeachotheronthecomputerscreen,Ibecameawareofthe

varietyofscalesexistinginmycollectionofobjectsandIcouldclassifythembythe

waytheyweredisplayedduringtheeventforwhichtheyweremade.Somewere

pinned,carried,printed,sharedandsoon.Theycollapsedfrom3Dinmyhandto2D

onthescreenandInoticedthatIwasconductinganexperimentwithscalingand

shapes.Iwasreducingtheimagesthroughnumbers,followingthecomputer

65

instructionstogainanaestheticresult(i.e.300dpi,72webresolution,JPGfileformat

etc.)

EventhoughIwasfollowingthestandardproceduresoflabelling,Iwasdealingwith

geometry,elaboratingonthequestionsoftimeandspace,doubtingmechanicsoftime

andcreatinganarchiveasalistofarchitecture.EventhoughIhavedeviseda

database,Iwasmaintainingthatmyartisticpraxisisbothresearchandresearch

methodologywhichincludesconstruction,compositionandcongregation.Iwasgoing

throughtheexaminationoftheopticalandsymbolsthatseemedtohaveemerged

frommyreadingsonsemiotics,particularlyBarthes(1957),butthatwasonlymyfirst

reactiontotheproject.WhatIthoughtofasatensionbetweentheEastandtheWest

mighthavebeenacomplementarypolaritybetweenpracticeandtheoryorartand

science.

Iwassearchingforawaytohumanisedimension,scaleandcategory.Visibleinthe

computerworld,theseconceptsalterphilosophicalnotionsthattheycarryand

provide‘workable’layersforexperimentation.Therefore,theyarereduced,narrowed,

lessenedtothesimplestexplanations,whichinjurethebeautyof

incomprehensiblenessoftheseparadigms.Butifwedonotshowthemsomehow,how

wearetoknowthem?

Archives,throughtheirunfortunatetaxonomiesthatsystematiseempiricaldata,aim

toprovideharmonyafterall,asdomaps.Halbwachs(1980)socialframeworks,the

braidingtogetherofautobiographicalmemoriesispossiblepreciselyduetothe

existenceofthesecommonresourcesandcoordinates,madepresentandevokedby

photographsofthecityscape.

Storytelling

“Thepoliticalfunctionofthestoryteller…istoteachacceptanceofthingsas

theyare.Outofthisacceptance,whichwecanalsocalledtruthfulness,arisesthe

facultyofjudgment”.

Arendt,H.1966:573

66

DuringmyfieldworkstorytellingperformedyetanothervehicleforhistoryofSerbian

communitythatconstituteditselfthroughthisprocess.Theprotestersuseditasa

methodtonarratetheprotestinordertoimprovetheestablishedviewofthenation.I

continuedthesamemethodinmyresearchandfurthereditbyallowingtheobjects,

clothandimageelicitedfromthemto‘speak’,likeIdidinBalkanisingTaxonomy.

“Youcan’tputpeopleinbooks–youencounterandlistentothemandthenbooksget

produced”(Portelli,2009).Igavetheopportunitytoprotesterstoleadonthere-

buildingofthenation’sreputationthroughnarrationwithoutjudgments,butrather

self-assessments,verbalisedinfrontofmeasstoriesforwhich‘thetruth’mightbe

irrelevant.Itisthechancetotellthemthatmattersmost.Whenwegotothereal

people,saysPortelli(2009),wethinkthatwefinallyhaveaccesstothereal

experiences,butwhatwehaveisjustaconstruct.

Ifwehaveanyaccesstofacts,itisthroughwordsandimages,whichprovideuswitha

seriesofrepresentationsandinterpretationswhenwestriveforfidelity.So,“don’t

throwawayagoodstoryjustbecauseitisnottrue”,advicesPortelliasitmightlead

onetowardsit.Hecontinues:“Pageretainsmemory”andFoucault’s(1966)assertion

thatwemarkitemswhenwefirstgazeattheminaparticularwayheightensthatidea.

Whatwewritecanneverbecompletelyerasedasitisneverwithoutthetraceofwhat

hasbeenwrittenbefore.Therefore,whenwesearchfortruth,weconstructitontop

ofitstrace,conditioning,trapping,limitingourownresearchtoourexperiences.

Photoanalysis

Inusingformalanalysisasamethodforevaluatingthephotographsinmyarchive,

threegroupsemergedthroughwhichfurtherdeductionscouldbemade:landscapes,

portraitsandimagesdepictingcitizen’sactions.Bydividingthephotocollectioninto

theseloosecategoriestheyoften,likeallthematerialinmyrepository,sippedinto

oneanother.

67

Thephotographsareamixtureofmonochromeandcolourandtakenwithanalogue

cameras.Theyareacombinationoftheparticipants’visualcontributionstothe

protestandprofessionalphotographstakenmostlybyphotojournalistsattheevent.

Theseprofessionalscamefromdifferentnewscompanies;manyfromnationalpapers

andmagazines-Politika(Politics),Vreme(Time),DnevniTelegraf(DailyTelegraph)and

theyoftenprovidedimagesforinternationaloutlets,likeReuterswhichitselfstores

over100photographsfromthatperiod.Thesewereoftenshotbythesame

photographersworkinginBelgrademediaatthetime.

1)

Figure6:policeman Figure7:Studentpoliceman

2)

Figure8:Shoutingprotestor1 Figure9:Shoutingprotestor2

3)

Figure10:DemoattheRepublicaSquareFigure11:Nightdemoatthesquare

68

Thesephotographsaretakenbyunknownauthors.Contributionsareanonymous.

Inthefirstcoupling(Figure6and7),wecanseethepolicemeninthefullriotuniform,

asitethatwasinfrontoftheprotestersforthemostofthedemonstrations.As

directedtoguardaccesstothecrucialpartsofthecity,theywerepositionedinthe

cordonwheretheyspenttimejuststanding.Afterlookingmeanforafewhours,this

conditionbecameridiculousevenforthem,sotheymellowedtheirposturesandsome

begunacceptingflowers,cakesandothergiftsthatwereonofferfromthepeaceful

protesters.However,attimeswhenthepoliceweresentonabeatingspreeandwould

runaftertheprotesterswithbats,theirseriousdemeanourwhilststandingintheline

evokedthepotentialforviolence.Atthosetimes,theprotesterspresentedtheir

makeshiftdefencesquadthatmirroredtheoutfitofthepolice.Harmlessastheywere,

thisplaybetweenseriousnessandcomedybecameevenmoreemptiedofthe

meaning,invitingthepolicetolookatthemselvesaspartofthepeople.

Thesecondcouplingoftheimages(Figure8and9)showsthecrowdatdifferentparts

oftheprocessionandpresentsthecollectiveactionofvocallyshamingtheemployees

ofthemediaorganisations,whichwereobeyingtheregimeorsupportingtheones

whowereontheopposition’sside.Assuringthattheworkersheartheirchants,but

alsoseethemovementofthehandsasdisapprovingorwelcoming,thepeoplewere

usingtheirbodiesasinstrumentsintheorchestraoftherollingmass.Shelteringthe

sidesofmouth,sothevoicecanbeheardlouderononesideortheotherwhilst

passingthebuildingswhichinvitedareactionoropenlydemonstratinginfrontofit

withthefullexposureofthelips,theprotestersincludedthemakingofnoiseasoneof

themostimportantwaysofexpressionduringthestreetwalks.Byimitatingeach

other,thechoruswouldorganicallymakeitsownstarsandprotagonists,

spontaneouslyandundirected,performingthedemocraticinitsancientform.

Thecrowditself,withoutitsindividualsatfrontlikeintheportraitpictures,stoodfora

creationofacollectiveaesthetic(Figure10and11)thatinvitedthecarnivalesque

throughtheuseofobjects,coloursandcomposition.Whengatheringonthesquares,

peopleassuredthattheirpresencewasvisiblebythedeploymentofvivacioustonesof

69

theiraccessories.Someofthemwereuseful,likeglovesandscarves,butmoreand

morepeoplepurposefullyworeandcarriedthemarksofthecircusperformers–jester

hats,umbrellasandmasks.Thepoliticalbetrayalandelectionfraudfeltsoscandalous

thatitdeservedanequallydramaticreaction.Byadoptingthecarnivalesqueasa

methodofresistance,theprotestersfoundthemselvesinalargecommunityfestival

thatinvitedengagementwiththelandscapeofthecity.Situatedamongthebuildings,

prohibitedfromwalkingwheretheywantedtoandpushedtowardseachother,the

protestersactedasawell-rehearsedensemble,deliveringactiononcues,adopting

rolesasgivenorself-imposedandfollowingtherhythmofthemassmovement.

Intervieweeswhocommentedonthesephotos“appeartoscantheperipheryofthe

image,performingareversaloftheusualdistributionofattentionandinterest

betweenfigure,thehumansubjects,andtheurbanlandscapethatconstitutesthe

ground”(MacDonald,2013:7).Theyassociatetheirmemorieswiththeplacerather

thanahumansubject,whichishowmemoryworkstartsforKhun(2002).The

protestersopenedupBelgradeofthetimeandunitedinthegroupwhilst

reconstructingtheirnetworksbasedonpreviousresidentialproximity.Itwasclear

fromthedistances,whichtheydepictedthattheseimagesmustbeplacedinthespace

thatrepresentsBelgradeandthemapemergedasthebestfeatureforadisplayofthis

phenomenon.

Ethnography–fieldnotes

IcreatedaquestionnaireforintervieweesavailableonresearchblogDaljeNecesMoci

[Youcannotgoanyfurther]32,butitservedmostlyasaframeworkforthe

conversationthatIledwiththem.Ithoughtofhavingatraditionalresearchmethodat

handincasemyexperimentsofmixingoralhistory,photoandobjectelicitation

provedunsuccessfulonthespot.Itwasnotsuccessful.Peoplewereratherjusttalkto

me,butIcontinuedcollectingbytakingthingsfromsomeprotestersandshowing

themtootherstoignitememoriesandopinionsabouttheevent.Iplaceda

32DaljeNecesMociAccessibleat:https://daljenecesmoci.wordpress.com/questionnaire/[25.1.2015]ThisphraseisfromafamousSerbiancomedyWhosingsoverthere(1980)bySlobodanSijan

70

microphoneamongthecoffeecupsandconductedonetooneinterviewsaswellas

‘roundtablediscussions’thatproveddifficulttoorganise.

RespondingtoemailsorphonemessageswasnotsomethingIcouldrelyoninSerbia.

SomeofmyresearchcontributorswerenotateasewhenIstartedaskingquestionsas

theywereinsomekindofarelationshipwitheachotherbeforeorafterIwenttothe

UK.Somejumpedinandoutofpoliticalparties,whichIwasunawareof.My

colleagues,employeesofthemediawerealsoadifferentcommunityfrommyschool

friendsandneighbourswhoprotestedin‘96/’97.ThiswasevidentonceIputthem

together.Someprofessionalswhowereworkingattheprotest,eventhoughmany

werenotindangerbecauseofit,wereriskingtheircareersorevenlivestobethere.

Thefearofthestatepersiststoday.

MysupervisorsuggestedthatIorganise‘roundtablediscussions’becauseshe

understoodthatImightnotbeabletoconfrontthegrouphead-onwithmy

questioning,sogatheringdatainaninformalsettingcouldhelp.Ipreparedabarbeque

withthesupportofmyparentsandinvitedthepeoplethatI’dputonmyinterviewlist.

Icategorisedthelistinfivesections,accordingtotherolethatthepeopleinthe

sectionplayedduringtheprotest:professionals,artists,students,familyandfriends

whonowliveabroad.AllfifteenthatIinvitedatthefirstinstanceshowedup,butI

concentratedonbeingagoodhostmorethanbeingagoodresearcherduringthe

party.Mydad’sinteresttoshowhisgardensentmeofftherailsandthechildren

accompanyingmyresearchcontributorsovertookthespiritoftheevent.Iwokeupthe

morningafterfeelingdefeated,withafewphotosandwithoutanyrelevantvoice

recordings.

Ibegantorealisethatthegatheringencompassedtoomanyinterestsandthepeople

involvedwerepullingindirectionsthatsuitedthem.Thiswasthefirsttimetheyhad

sattogetherandsomeofthemhadnotseeneachotherforaverylongtime.Theylive

inthesamecity,butneverhavereasonenoughtomeetandmycoming‘home’wasa

perfectopportunityforthiscollectiveassembly.Perhapsmypresencewasasafe

opportunityforreunionastheyassumedthatIwasunabletomakeconnections

71

betweenthemsinceIhadleftmorethanadecadeagoandsowasprobablyunaware

oftheserelationships.Slowlyrealisingthatmyabsenceforyearsleftalacunainmy

knowledgeoftheirtrajectories,Istartedrecollectingthepowerrelationsfromthe

partythroughtheseatingtheychoseforthemselvesandthecontentofwhathadbeen

saidbetweendifferentpeopleandgroups.Everythingwashumorous,butnoneofit

waswithoutthepoliticalopinion.TheSerbiatheyliveinnowistheplacetheyarrived

infromtheprotestthroughbitterjourneysofdrugs,media,illnessand

unemployment.Theymanagedithowevertheycouldandchosetoswitchorkeep

theirpoliticswhichmightnotberelatedtowhotheywereduringtheprotest,how

theywererememberedbyothersatthetableorwouldreceivetheirapproval.

Figure12:Myparent’shouse,photographbyNelaMilic

Thisplethoraofunknownsflyingaroundthespaceprovidedapooroutlineformy

collectiveinterviewandIdecidedthatastandardquestionnairewouldbeputinfront

ofeachofthesepeoplenexttimeIwastoseethemonetoone.Theirinternal

referencingpaintedastrongpictureofhiddenexperiences,burstingtocomeout,and

soperformedinjokes.Itsignalledtheneedfortheseconcealedissuestobediscussed,

liketheyallcameinthehopethattheywouldhaveachancetoexchangethem,but

failedtodoso,likeIfailedtoassumecontroloverthesituation.Itwasasifwewere

chokedonourowninvolvementinthesubjectsdiscussedandcouldnotjoinevery

conversation.Weseemedtohaveobtainedawealthofexperienceandwereableto

talkforeverandso,wechosetokeepquietandcomposeademeanourof

contentment.

Methodology

72

Perhapswedidnotaskaboutanythingbecauseeverybodyhadastorytotell,soit

wouldproducemoreinformationthancouldpossiblybeunderstoodbecausesomuch

hadhappenedtous.Weclogallpossibleinterpretationsourselves-thelumpof

experiencesstaysinourthroat,blockingourvoices.Therewasnottimetoreflect

betweenthewars,nottimetobreathebetweendemonstrations,nottimetolearn

betweengenerations.Bigeventsjustkepthappening-beforewecouldgraspthem

andevennowwecannotaddressourownconditions.Thissilencewillmanifestitself

whenwecannotcontainitanymoreandIworrywhatwillhappenthen.

Havingalottosay,nobodywassayinganythingrelevant,butbouncingoffthewalls

likeinaBeckettplay,talkingaboutonething,thenanother,followingdifferent

threadsofthought,almostpurposelyavoidingthesubject.Still,thiswasnotthecase

aseveryonetriedtotalkabouttheprotest.Theydidnotactasatraumatisedgroupof

peoplewouldbeexpectedtoandthisisanotherreason,besidestheweightandthe

registerthatthetraumacarries,whyIwoulddisputeitspresenceinthelivesofmy

interlocutors.Theywereattemptingtoarticulatewhatwashappeningtotheminmy

company,knowingthatIwastheretoo.Iwantedtotalkaboutit,soweworked

togethertowardsfindingwaysofvoicingcorrectlywhathadhappened.Wesprung

aroundtoseeifwecouldcomeupwithsomelinksthatcouldserveasropestogetus

outofthewhirlofeventsanddefineatleastonefeeling,oneexperience,onethought,

oneversionofwhatwas,sowecouldholdontoitintheplethoraofpossibilitiesthat

westillneededtoinvestigate.ItwaslikeIjuststartedthelife-longresearch,mappinga

tinyeventinthecosmosofSerbia’sstories.

Myarchivesandmapsconfirmthis.TheynevergotmadeinthewayIwantedthemto

be.TheyareaworkinprogressforwhichIkeepfinding‘thebest’solutionsandwith

everycasestudythatIdo,Ichangemymindaboutwhatisessentialfortheirlife.That

lifeispreciselywhatoutlinesthework–myarchiveisalivingthing,anevolvingpiece

ofartandresearchthatonlystartedwiththisthesis.Ibegancreatingoneproduct,but

foundafieldwithinwhichIalwayswanttokeepmypractice.

73

Endlessconversations

Myresearchdrawsontwentyindepthinterviews,thatIhaveworkedwithasanartist

andaresearcher,takingpeople’saccountsastheirowncreativework–anaesthetical

expressionofthetimeandplacewemetin.Theseinterviewsprovidedadiscursive

recordofwhatcouldhavepossiblyhappenedatthedemonstrationsandmoreeven,

howwethinkofthemnow.

IstartedonetooneinterviewswithJoksimovic,acolleaguewhoworkedforRadio

Indexatthetimeofprotestandhegavepreciseanswerstomyquestionsintothe

dictaphone,makingsurethatwewereawayfromthenoiseofthecoffeemachine.

Joksimovicisaprofessionalandfocusedonmyquestions,understandingwhenhe

couldgiveamorepersonalviewofthestory,whenananecdotecouldillustratehis

pointandwhentomoveontothenextquestion.ThiswasincontrasttoMiraOdicIlic

(inchargefor‘artivism’33attheprotest)towhominthreehours,Ididnotmanageto

askanything.Asshegrabbedthemicrophone,shesetoffthroughherlifestory,from

thetimesattheFineArtsacademytoprotestandpoliticiansinSerbiatoday.Allwere

connectedandrelevantandtherewasn’ttimetocontinueasIbookedanother

interviewafterhers.Shewasoneoftheprotestleadersandcrucialformystudy,but

asshewentalong,thejuicycontentturnedintotastelessliquid.Asonewasfinally

askedandgivenanopportunitytotalk,theforeverhappenedanditmeantnothing.I

wasdrainedandstrangledlikeIwaswatchingallofShakespeare’splaysbacktoback

andwitnessingwars,kingdoms,loves,alldecomposeandcomposethemselvesagain.

Theeffectofsomuchhistory,cultureandeventfulnessleftmedesensitizedandI

startedmissingspeakinginEnglish.Asitisnotmyfirstlanguage,itgivesmeadistance;

itprovidesmewithmediatedspaceinwhichIhavetothinkalittlebeforeIspeak

becausethewordsdonotpopoutnaturally.InSerbian,Ireceivethestreamof

someone’sconsciousnessontopofthewordandIfeellaunchedupon,unprotected.

Myknowledgeofalltheconditionsspokenabout,theabilitytoseethesetting,the

33Atermdescribingafusionofartandactivism

74

identificationwiththespeakers,theskilltoconnectthedotsistooimmersiveandasa

researcher,Iexperiencedanoppositereactiontothe‘roundtablediscussions’whereI

didnotgetevidenceformyresearch.Inowhavearecordedstatementfromthe

protestleader,butIfinditequallyuseless.Blah,blah,blah–arhetoricalaccountwith

onlyonedimension.Iknowthesmell,Iknowthetaste,Ifeelthetremblingofthe

body,buthowcanIconveyittoyouifyoudonothavethisexperiencethatMiraandI

share?HowtokeepyouinterestedwhenevenIamnot?

“...onegivesanaccountofoneselftoanother,and...everyaccountingtakes

placeinthecontextofanaddress.Igiveanaccountofmyselftoyou…Iamengaging

notonlyinareflexiveactivity,thinkingaboutandreconstructingmyself,butalsoin

speakingtoyouandthusinstitutingarelationinlanguageasIgo.”

Butler,J.2001:31

IleaveMirasoIcangettogetherwithProtafromSkart34collective,oneofthecrucial

creativeagentsduringtheprotests.Balmazovic(Zole)andProtic(Prota)wereinvolved

intheproductionofworkwithaparticularanti-regimeaesthetic(friendly,recycled,

poetic)andoftenwithsuchmessagestoo.Withsubversive,metaphoricandsocial

value,theirgraphicdesignquicklywontheheartsofBelgrade’speople.Activists,

culturalcirclesandeducatedsocialclassesespeciallysupportedtheirworkandkept

theirinterestinSkartinitiatives.Skartproducedaseriesofcouponsfirstlyin1993that

fittedthedemonstrationsperfectlyastheyalreadypredicted,withtheriseof

Milosevic,theinflationinSerbiansociety.Theyofferedcouponsasthecompensation

forwhatthecountrywaslacking–miracle,orgasm,revolution.Theyspreadlike

hotcakeson‘thedemo’andpeopleunderstoodthemetaphorastheworkof

opposition.

34Skartartscollectivewebsiteprovidesinformationabouttheworksofthegroupsincetheirinauguration

inthe90s.Accessibleat:http://www.skart.rs[25.1.2015]

75

Figure13:CouponsbySkart,photographbySkart

IwashangingaboutintheirstudioattheCentreforCulturalDecontamination(CZKD)35

thathosted‘societyoutcasts’,‘minorities’,‘leftists’andother‘democraticallies’,being

oneitselfasbravelydeclareditinitsorganisation’stitle.CZKDopenedupasan

establishmentagainstthewars,tiredofMilosevic’sculturalinstitutions,which

propagatednationalism.Ashisfollowersinfestedartsacademies,nationalandother

theatresandartsvenues,afractionofacademicsandintellectualsfelttheneedtore-

dotheculturethathewascreating.CZKDishousedinandaroundVeljkovićPavilion,

wheretherewasthefirstprivatemuseumofEuropeanartintheBalkans.“CZKDhas

alwaysbeentheplacewherepeoplecometofeelfree”.

“ItisspringandIliveinSerbia”(Proleceje,ajazivimuSrbiji)

Graffitifromtheprotest

InhisinterviewMilantellsmeabouthowwe,theSerbsarrivedwherewearenow

(historically,politically,economically,socially,culturally)andIsensehisdidactic

approachrelatestothefactthatIhavenotbeenaroundforsolong.IamgladthatI

havesuchaneffectonmyintervieweesbecauseitmeansthattheyarefavourable

towardshavingtheconversationswithmeastheirfellowcitizenwhowantstoknow

abouttheiropinions.ButIamsearchingforspecificsandlocalityinmyinquiryandI

35CZKDwebsiteprovidesmoreinformationaboutthisorganization.Accesibleat:http://www.czkd.org

[25.1.2015]

76

keepfailingtoarriveatthose.ThegrandnarrativesthatIseemtogetareonlycounter-

narratives(Bamberg,2004)toevenbiggeronesexistingintheWest.Theuniversal

narrativewasattackedbythesubaltern(Spivak,1988)alongtimeagoandthis

struggleforrecognitionintensifieshelplessnessinpowerrelationswiththeWest,but

alsowithoneself.

AsMilanisnottalkingaboutwhatIwanthimto,Ipresshimtogetbackontrack,but

theinterviewfeelsforced.Thisisduetomylateness,thespaceweareatandadesire

tobetalkingaboutsomethingelse,orrathermore.Ileaveforanothergroupmeeting,

keepingmydictaphoneinmypocket,butitnevercomesoutofit,todisturbthe

renewaloftheoldrelationships.

BeingamongfriendsandfamilyinBelgradealwaysmeantthatIsawthem,atleast

oncewithoutrecording,toenquireabouttheirwellbeingandaskifitwouldbeokto

interviewthemnexttime.Sometimes,‘nexttime’neverhappenedasIwasgoingback

toLondon,conductingthisfieldworkasahop-onandhop-offtheplaneethnography.

WhenIlistenedtotheinterviews,IwentthroughthesameexperienceaswhenIwas

talkingtothepeopleorIinvitedthatdirectexperienceandfeltthatitwas

inappropriatetopause,stoporrewindtheaudiofileandinterrupttheaccount.This

wasnotonlybecauseIwantedtobepoliteandallowforresponsestoformwithinthe

conversation,butalsobecauseIbelievethatthereisinformationintheflow,breath

and‘sensorium’ofourencounter.

Iwantedtohaveaconversation,ratherthanconductaninterviewandso,capture

naturalprocessesanddirectionstothewaiteroroverthemobile,whichsuddenly

rings.AllthoselittlemotionsinspeechandactionrevealedthestateoftheaffairthatI

wasinvestigating–howcanarespondenttransfertheexperienceoftheprotestto

me.Wedancedfrompresenttopastcontinuouslyaswewerejustifyingourown

connection,ourcurrentexistenceandbeinghereandnow.Wewereconstantly

provingtherighttosubjectivethinking,breakingfromcollectivehistoryandtheidea

ofsocietyasitoncewas–mostofmyresearchcontributorswerebornandbredin

77

socialisttimes.Icame(back)toenquireaboutthefightagainst‘theextremeformof

socialism’–thecommuniststatethatSerbiabecameandIkeptgettingdraggedinto

historyorthefuture,eitherinTito’stimesorthemutatedformofcapitalismthathad

developedaftertheMilosevicera.

“Youcan’tfindcoffeegroundasitoncewas.”36Thefirstsipofthedrinkaswemet

stretchedmorethan70yearsandIwasimmediatelydrawnintheconversationthat

indicatedthattherewouldneverbeenoughtimetolearnabouttheprotesters.Inever

feltthatIfinishedmyinterviewsandIalwaysleftthemunhappy.Afterfouryearsof

thesemeetings,Irealisedthatmymethodologyconsistedofattemptstotalkto

people.Theyalsousedmyinvitationstogroupgatheringstotrytotalktoeachother.

However,accordingtoDas(2007)violencetransgressesintoeverydayandviceversa

andtherefore,noneofmycontributors’experiencesgotlostintheseattemptsto

articulateoneself.Onthecontrary,theybecamevisibleandclearinthesesuspended

conversations.Ithinkofthemasunsatisfactory,likeallconversationssupposedto

achievesomething.Movingaroundthecity,recordingtheseendlessconversations

abouteverythingandabitofthedemonstrations;theprocessofinvitingmy

interlocutorsintodebateanditsrealisationistheactivismonmypart.

Theprotesterswerenotonlyshapingtheirexperienceintheformofspeech,butitwas

byinvitation,asaprivilege.Someonehadfinallyaskedthem,thebearersof

experiencewhathadhappenedratherthanleavetheeventtobeinterpretedby

variousmedia.Furthermore,media(inthiscaseavoicerecorder)isusedtocapture

thatlinguisticandemotionaloutpour,directlychallengingtheofficialnarrativebyits

abilitytoimmediatelyinsertintoit.

Bycollectingdataabouttheresistance,Iwaspracticingitinprovidingspacefor

individuals’storiestocomeout.Inthepicturesinparticular,Ishowedthecollective

36Posta,M.ininterview2007

78

spiritofthemass,butIkeptitthroughseparateaccountsinmyarchivemapandso,

celebratedprotesters’subjectivitytoo.

Mapping

Figure14:Snapshotofthefirstversionofdigitalmapoftheprotest,Accessibleat:www.kulturklammer.org/nm-snapshot[25.1.2015]

TheSerbianregimetriedtodominatetheprotestthroughthecontrolofspace,and

thereforecertainplacesbecamesitesforresistance(Cresswell,1996).Duringthe

protest,Belgradewasconstituteddifferently,soitwasadifferentcity.IndeCerteau’s

words(1984),walksas“thepracticeoftheeverydaylife”werespatialstories,which

extendedandre-shapedexistentboundariesandmadenewones.Thebreakingof

taboosstartedwithpoliticalonesandcontinuedwiththereversalofroles–students

werewalkingatthefrontofthecolumnandprofessorsattheback,revealsDragicevic-

Sesic(2001).

Thestudentprocessionstartedeverydayatnoonandthenmergedwiththepublic

oneat3pmafterthespeechofleadersoftheoppositionandsupportersofthe

protest,fromeconomiststoartists,emulatingthecarnivaloflocalparadesaswellas

internationalcelebrations.Inhabitingtheenvironmentthey’dlostownershipofduring

thedictatorshipandre-claimingthestreetsandinstitutionstheyfeltthatthe

governmenthadtakenawayfromthem,madecitizensappointtheirownguardsfor

79

thoseplaces.Consideringthatcityspacesaremadeforcitizens,theyembarkedon

their‘liberation’,enteringthem,sometimesbyforce.Theyhurledthemselvesintocivic

halls,theregime’smediahousesandplacesknownasbelongingtotherepresentatives

oftheestablishment.Eventhoughitwasforthepurposeoffreeingthisspace,such

praxisisknownasastrategyofgovernmentandthemilitary,whichbesiegebuildings

andkill‘thepublicspace’asopposedtonurturingit.Coward(2008)termedthis

‘urbicide’exemplifyingthedestructionoftheurbanenvironmentduringtheBosnian

war;anothercontributiontotheviolence-relatedpoolofkeywordsthatcameoutof

theBalkansinthe‘90s.

Oneoftheoppositionleaders,ZoranDjindjicinvitedpeopletostrolldownthestreets

“inthecivilized,decentandrestrainedmanneroftheurbaniteonewouldexpectto

findin19thcenturyParis…”(Jansen,2001).ManyBelgradersweresurprisedbythe

changeinpublicinteractionbecauseforyearstheyhadfeltthatthecitywas

characterizedbytheunfriendlinessofMilosevicsupporters.Attheprotest,civilized

mannersandpolitenesstookroot,particularlyin‘theliberatedspaces’(Spasic&

Pavicevic,1997a).Thecitizensdemandedthatterrordesistsandthattheycouldwalk

withoutrestrictioninandoutofthecity.

Asimultaneousandlinkedprocessstartedinthenamingofplaces.Literally,inthe

oppositionalpress,TheSquareoftheRepublic,whichwasthedailycentreofprotest

gatherings,wasrenamedTrgSlobode(TheSquareofFreedom).Ineveryday

conversations,whensomeonesaids/hewasonthesquare(natrgu),everyonewould

knowthatthispersonwastalkingaboutaspecificsquare,buttheywouldalso

understandthats/hewasattheprotest.Topographicalwasautomaticallypolitical.

Thisiswhymappinginmyprojectsplaysapoliticalrole–thelocation,theposition,

theplaceofone’sbelongingdefineshisorherpoliticalstance.Ifwewanttomake

maps,weneedpeopleonthegroundtocheckthedatathatgivesthelocalcontext.

Aftertherallyofpro-regimedemonstrators,thestudents‘decontaminated’thearea

wheretherallyhadbeenheldwithdetergents.Thisobsessionwiththeideasof

pollutionwasprotuberant:peopleoftenexplainedthecrisisinSerbiaintermsofa

80

diseasewherethecountrywas‘infested’.ThisisreflectedinthenameoftheCentre

forCulturalDecontamination.Thesenseof‘urbanhygiene’wasimposedonthecityin

thedemonstrations(Douglas,1984),asareactiontothegovernment’spublic

dictionarythatimplied‘vermin’totheopposition.

“ThesefriendsfromtheUniversityofArtsweregreat,likesomemachine,everyonefoundtheirownscrewinit,whattheyaregoingtodo,wewerealloperative,whenonelostenergy,theotherwouldaddit,takingitoveranditwasgreat.Wewereincontacteventoday,weallfoundourownsources…andwehadtotakecareofeachotherbecausewewereausefulplatformtogetthingsoverusandwewereobjectivelyyoungforallofthathistorythatwehaveatthatmoment,differentbackgrounds,peopleontheedgeofeverything…”

OdicIlic,M.200737

Theprotestwasalsoanexperiencerelatingtodifferentsenses:tangibly,through

occupationbyhumanbodies;visually,throughbanners,flags,andcandles;

acoustically,throughnoiseandprayers;andsmell-wise,byusinggarlicanddetergents

(Jansen,2001).

Digitalcartography

Themaptransformsspaceintononchronologicaltime.Thecontemporaryabilityto

generatemapsmechanicallyandalgorithmicallyandpresentthemelectronically

illustratesthatthemapistemporaryandfleetinglikememory.So,thespatial,thatis

archivalordermightbeaccompaniedby‘mappingtime’.Dynamicmapscanbe

automaticallyupdatedthroughtraceroutersthataretemporaloutposts.Mapping

timeis“sequentializing,time-criticalasisa/synchronouscommunicationonline;every

spatialrepresentationofthisprocesscanonlybemetaphorical”(Ernst,2004).

Cartographyabstractsthelandfromphysicalspace,butmapsonlymodelthespace;

theyarenotthespaceitself.Theyconstructit,ratherthanreproducingit,posingthe

limitsandthebordersoftheunlimited.Mappingcorrespondstotheoccidental

impulseofsurveillanceanddatacontrolasperthegridofthemodernstate.Theyhave

sketchedandetchedterritoriesinordertotake,posses,occupyandcolonizethem.

37OdicIlic,M.ininterview2007

81

Mappingworksbetweenexplorationandpassageanditparadoxicallydislocatesthe

place.Inmyprotestmaparchive,Belgradeastoponymislocalized,butreadingofthe

mapdemandsmentalisationoftheworldwhereoneprojectshim/herselfoutsideof

self.Asintheatlasnaivete,throughthemapofprotestIhavedesignedhistoryonthe

backofgeography.

Thesphereoftheimaginaryinthepublicspace,constructsthetensionbetweenthe

presentandthefutureandpushestheprotesterstotransitionfromonerealmintothe

other,oftendepictingthefantasies,whichcomeoutinartdisplayedthroughtheir

actionsandartworkbroughttothesite.Theperformativeelementofthestreet

activitieswaspartoftheiconographyofallprotestsandIwantedtoextractthemfor

thepurposeofcreatinganexperienceofprotestwithinmyownartwork.Iworkedto

developthevisualmaterialparticularlyfortheexhibitionandonlinemap.The

versatilityoftheformatsinmycollectionandtheirjuxtapositiontransfersthe

experienceofvisualplentyandsenseofabundancefromtheprotests,whichisthe

closestIcouldgetto‘thereal’.

Cyberspacetransformsthesitesofmemoryintonodesandnets.Ittheorizesspaceas

mediated,relationalandnowadayslargelydrivenbytheindividualization.Todevelop

anewtopographyoftheinformationsociety,mapsshouldbetakenasastrategy,not

afreefloatingformofunderstandingdata.Everymapislegible,readable,visibleand

pragmaticexpressionofnon-mimeticimage.Inrepresentingimperialterritories,

mappinghastraditionallybeensymbolic—untilmathematicsovertooktheimage-

indexes.Today,artisticandscientificapplicationsshowthemap’sdependenceon

creativeinputandonusers’interpretationandmyarchivemapistheexampleofthis

practice.

Mapsdisplayamergingofartsandscience,deliveringthembothascreativefieldsand

presentingartsasdealingwithrational,scalable,measurableachievementthatis

oftenthewaythatscepticsgetdrawnintounderstandingtheambiguousandabstract,

likeartworkscanbe.Themaphasbecomeastrongmetaphorthatweincreasinglylive

byandawayofcomprehensionnotonlyofourpersonaljourneys,butwhereweare

82

headingasasocietyandculture.Iusethechangesincircumstanceoftheterritoryof

Belgradetoshowtheinfluenceofbothpeopleandnatureoneachotherthrough

narrativeaccounts,eventsandmemoriesofthespace.Thisrelationshipisnotclear

inrealtimeasithappensoveralongperiod,butinthedigitalrealm,thischangecould

bepresentedasevidentlyconsequential.

Myapproachtomappingbringsvariousdisciplinestogether;criticalandcounter-

mapping,urbanstudiesandcommunityartpractice.Inmostofthose,themethod

weavesthecityfirstlyinthenarrative,theninaphysicaldisplay(onpaper,wallor

cloth)beforeitgetstransferredintodigitalworld.Myinvestigationis‘mappingthe

impossible’–themoving,thesocial,theemotivethatdoesnotgetrepresentedin

officialcartographies.Onlineplatformsmakeitpossibletocapturesuchphenomena

andIhaveusedanopenwaytodeveloptheworkforinputfromtheaudience,which

wouldbeitsonlinepublic.

Digitalcartographyisamediationoftimeandspaceinordertoallowforboth

phenomenatobevisibleonthesurfaceofInternet.Mappingisartbecausethe

positionalityofeveryresearcherdefineshis/herprojectsandmakesthemapsthe

cartographer’ssubjectivework.However,themeasurements,theamountsandthe

distancesarethefieldofscienceandthisiswherethetwodisciplinesclash.The

opacityandfreedomofartpracticecommunicatessuccessfullywiththelocaland

communitypracticesbecauseofthebehavioursandinterestsofpeoplecannotbe

predictedasnumericalinformationcanbe.

Ihavedevelopedaprototypeforparticipatorymappingthatcanbeusedinany

territoryandonanytopicandbesituatedwithinacademicaswellasartsand

communityspheres.Mappinghastraditionallybeenassociatedwiththepeoplein

powerandcannow,withInternettools,beademocraticmethodforrepresenting

ideas.

Myprojectencompassesdatafromdifferentmembersofthepublicinwhatevershape

theyarrive–asGPScoordinates,photographsoraudiofiles.Iutilisethembyincluding

83

themonthemap,diversifyingthetypeofdatapresentonthescreenandmakingit

difficulttoreadinalinearway,butdemandingfromtheaudiencetheabilitytosense

theinformationvalueratherthanitsexactness.Thisnavigationthroughunknown

formssynchroniseswiththetracksoflifeandinthatwaysimulatesthecomfortwith

theambivalenceofpeople’sjourneys.

EventhoughIinteractwithcommunitymembersinpersononadailybasis,Iam

delightedtohaveadigitalplatformwithwhichIcandrawinnotonlymore

participantsandaudiences,butreviewersandcriticstoo.Ialsoanticipateddevisinga

mappatternforotherresearcherstouse,generatinganinterestaroundfirstlythe

methodofpracticeandthenitsinterface.

Communityparticipation

Takingpartintheconstructionofthecollectiveidentityattheprotestisamethod,

whichIsculptedatthestartofmyvisualpracticethroughengagingwiththeworksof

cartoonistCoraxandSkart,butitbecameespeciallyembodiedintheexperienceof

music.Theimmediacyoftheconnectiontoboththepersonalandthepoliticalthatthe

tunesprovidedcarriedthedemonstratorsfromanonymitytothecollectiveentity,

formingthroughthatprocessthepractice,themeaningandthelegacyoftheprotest

atthesametime.

Thecollectiveexperienceofprotestbecameacollectivepast.Thestrengthofthat

affectiveencounter,performedinpublicwasparadoxicallyalsotheexperienceof

intimacywiththegroupatthatmomentandinthatplace.Theoccurrencewasvisibly

extra-ordinary,creatinganallianceamongthecrowdthroughtheagencyoftheunique

experience.Wewerenottoletanyonecomeoutofthatrealm,whichwasoutsideof

‘normal’,hencethetermmetaphysicalisusedtobestdescribethestrangeunification

ofthepeopleonthestreets.

Thisbubbleofenergythattravelledwithprotestersastheymovedacrossthecitywas

notpurelyaninfectioushappinessofbelongingtothecollective,butalsoan

attachmenttoacause,whichispreciousandcostlyandthatrecognitioniswhat

84

providestheauthenticityandappealofit.JustlikeBakhtin’sgenres(1986),these

dialogical,relationalandcontingentconstructswereatthesametimeliberatingand

constrainingculturalagencies,formulatedbythedynamicofthegroup,whichformed

them.Theywereoppositetothearts,mediaandsocialinstitutions,whichoffered

hegemonicaestheticsofalowstandardandweretransparentaspertheirpolitical

messageinfluencedbytheregime.However,asGordy(1999)deliberates,this

hegemonyco-optedthealternatives,wateringthemintoharmlessmovementsand

keepingitsauthoritariandomain.

TheforcesofglobalisationthattouchedSerbiainthe‘90sinspiteofitsisolation,

broughtwiththemamorecomplexpopularculture.Itsconnectiontopoliticalspheres

wasevidentasoftennarratedandvisuallyevident.Thepeopledevisedtheirown

answertothequasipopthattheyhavebeenpresentedwith,whichwasoften

influencedbytheWesternrock,butalsosatwithinSerbia’sartandmusichistory.That

melangeofthelocalandtheunexpectedglobalstimuluscreatedametropolitanfusion

thateruptedinthecitywithcreativity,talentandpotential.

Thenarrativesandartefactscreatedweresocialproductsthatengagedothersthrough

thepatterned,thoughimprovised,practiceinlinewithestablishedpolicies.Whistles,

trumpetsandpansweresoldasweaponscompletewithalicencetocarryarmsand

youcouldalsoobtainalicencetoaccessvariouspartsofthecity.Manyartefactswere

distributedfreely.Themostinterestingwasthepresenceofflagsraisedtoshow

alliancewiththecountrieswheremanyleftduetothegovernment’sactionsand

behaviours(Canada,UK,Germany),tomakethatgovernmentangry(USA)orto

performtheroleofforeignmercenariesbybeingdressedintheirflags.

Onecouldneverrelyonfirstimpressions,buthadtodigdeeperintothemeaningsof

paraphernaliadisplayedonthestreet.Fancydressanddisguisewerepartofthis

discourseofdefiancethroughsabotageandtheycontributedgreatlytothe

celebratorycomponentsoftheprotest.Thereweremasks,handcuffsandteddybears,

butgenerally‘anythingwouldgo’onthestreets.Themostlovedwerelife-sizepuppets

85

ofMilosevicandhiswife,buttheleadingcouplealsoappearedasdummiesand

cartooncharacters,inslogans,poemsandbanners.

“‘96/’97isforotherresignedstudents,losersofthe‘90s,thosewhocouldnottake2000(theoverthrowingofMiloseviconthe5thofOctober)astheirowndirectvictorybecausetheydidnotknowmanyfromOtporanddidnotrecognisethemselvesinit.Theyexperienceditasamajordefeatafterthreemonthsofbigstrengthandenthusiasm;acompromisewhichruinedfurthercitizenmobilisationbyestablishinganegativeexample.Peoplesupressitbecausetheyinvestedtheirenergy.AllpositivesthatwereleftinSerbiamanifestedthenandweredefeated.Thatlosswasneverrealisedoracknowledgedhere,exceptasamythicaltimeandtheinnerfeelingwasoneoftotaldefeat…Nothingfromtheachievementsofthe‘96/’97remainedafteraperiodof6months.”

Sekulic,A.200738

Graffitiwasonthewalls,butalsoonbanners,whichcarriedthemthroughthecity,

makingthethoughtsrealisedonpaperjustbeforetheymovedonto/fromtheconcrete

ofthestreets.Thecatharsisofordinarypeopledrewreferencesfromculturalheritage

andencouragedparticipationinamodernpoliticalstruggle.

Participationcanbeunderstoodonlywhenonecontributestoitandhenceitis

difficulttodescribeorevaluateitifitisnotexperienced.However,thechallengeof

‘transporting’thatexperienceiswhatIamdealingwithinthisthesis,findingit

imperativethatthefuturegenerationswholackthatknowledge,encounterit.Iam

offeringvariousenactmentsofthecollectivespiritfromtheprotestthroughprojectsI

haveselected-twocasestudiesasexamplesofdifferentapproachestogeneratingthe

pastandframingthepastnessfromobjectsandstories.Theyprovide,liketheprotest

itself,aparticularsettingintermsoftimeandplacefromwhichdifferentquestions

arise,complicatingandlayeringthisinvestigation,buttheyarealsopointingtowards

theimpossibilityofunderstanding,theinabilityoftechnologytodeliversuch

knowledgeandthefailureofarchivalpracticetoenlightenuswith‘thetruth’.

Archivingpractice

38Sekulic,A.interviewin2007

86

IfoundBelgradeasIrememberitintheprotestartefactsandIstartedplaitingthe

narrativeofthecitythroughthearchive,inthesamemannerthattheprotesters

inhabiteditduringtherebellionclaimingitssceneryandlandscapeasanactive,notan

innocentpartofthecity.IworkedthroughitasLatour(2005)wouldlike–connecting

peopleandobjects,analysingsocialinteractionsanddepictingtheformationofthe

symbolicclusterssurroundingthesesubjectandobjectrelationshipsasvisibleonmy

map.Whentechnologicalfleshwasaddedto‘theassemblagesofsociality’myarchive

gotitscartographicrepresentation.Mapsusersdisplayedtheirownmaterialthrough

themapandtheirpersonalmemoriesbyenteringthearchivebecameacollective

wealth.

ThearchivingstartedwithBalkanisingTaxonomyprojectshowedthatthedismissalof

theregions’misrepresentationas‘anoldissue’wasnotwhatwesettledforasitkeeps

appearinginthenewlight,liketheBalkansiscatchingupwithEurope’smodernityas

perHabermas’s(1993)elevationsofthecontinent’somnipotence,whichneglectsthe

identitiesofEastEuropeansintheproceduralideasthathehasofEurope’spolitical

integration.

BalkanisingTaxonomyacademiccollectivecontinueditslifeonline.Itsdigitalportal

wassetupparallelwithothereventsdeliveredduringtheproject–exhibitionopening,

cataloguepublication,websitelaunchanditacceptedfurtherdata,whicharrivedas

recordingsoftalksandphotographsfromthesymposium.Theywereuploadedonthe

websiteaspodcastsandgallerysections.Theabilityofviewersaroundtheworldto

participateinoureventandthevibrancyofthecommunityIformedwiththeproject

approvedtheadequacyofmyideafortheprotestarchivetobeadigitalbodyofwork.

WhileBalkanisingTaxonomyandYugoYogawereinvestigatingthearchive,the

projectsDaysofRemembrance39andBG:LOGdealtmorewiththeideaofcommunity.

AsmanyprotestparticipantsemigratedfromSerbia,itwasessentialtogeneratetheir

inputonlinealongsidetheonesthatIengagedinBelgrade.So,Iwasmixingprimary

39DaysofRemembrance2012ProjectAccessibleat:http://www.kulturklammer.org/days-of-remembrance

[29.1.2015]

87

sourceswithsecondaryones–thedataIgeneratedfromintervieweesmyself,withthe

datagiventomebythosewhosawmyarchiveonlineorreceivedaquestionnairevia

anemaillist.These‘strangers’whointeractedwithmethroughmyblogsharedtheir

memoriesandsouvenirsfromtheprotestandprovidedfeedbackonmywriting.

Still,Imissed‘thereal’(notvirtual)engagementwiththemostlyexiledpopulationand

IimaginedwhatwouldhappenifIwasabletogathertheminmyhouse.Therefore,I

simulatedthatsituationandapproachedagroupofmigrantwomeninLondonto

attendphotographyworkshopsinmyexperimentof‘generatingcommunity’through

theprojectWeddingBellas.AsIworkedcloselywiththewomenformorethansix

months,Inoticedthesparksofthecollectiveandrecordedthebuildingupof

relationships.Thiswasmyproofthatregularphysicalinteractionisaneffectivetoolfor

creatingcommunity,butIwantedtoachievethesameeffectonline.

SoIkeptconstantcommunicationwiththevirtualcommunity,tryingtogivethema

senseofexchange,achievementandlearningwhilespendingtimeinmyarchive.

However,myneedtomeetthepeopleinperson,toinspiretheworkwithmemoryand

witnessitsdevelopmentintheirmindsandbodywasirreplaceablebythefeedbackI

wasgettingonline.Forthatreason,Irealisedanotherproject–YugoYoga,inviting

Belgraderstoajourneythroughmemoryviaapersonalandpublicarchiveinthe

MuseumofHistoryofYugoslavia.Iwasmarryingtheexperienceofprevioustwo

projects–BalkanisingTaxonomyandWeddingBellasandarrivingtoasatisfactory

combinationofphysicalandvirtualcommunitywork.InYugoYoga,weinvited

Belgradersthroughdigitalsocialnetworksandgottheminperson.Theybroughttheir

privateobjectstocontributetoapublicarchiveandengagedinadurational

explorationofthemuseumanditslegacyincontemporaryBelgrade.

Theexperiencesofthoseprojectsencouragedmetothinkofthearchivingaroundthe

communityasaperformativequestofmakingobjectsalive.Thisprogressiondemands

themovefrompositionalityandrepresentationtotheissuesofperspective,scaleand

translationastheartefactsaretransportedfromthepastintoapresentthatholds

differentframeworks.Followingtwoplanesofexperience-ofpeopleandprojects,the

88

usersofmyprotestarchivehavesomeunderstandingofhowtheprotestwasforus,

howwelivedinit.Ourobjectsperformandnowcomealivewithourmemorieson

screen.

Mediaexaminestheinteractionofdifferentmnemonicpracticesovertime,the

influenceofinnovationswithinitslandscapeonsuchpraxisandtheircontributionto

theshapingofculturalandcollectivememory.Whathappenstothepastasitpasses

fromonemediumtoanother(fromfictionandnon-fictionalstories,tomaps,

ceremonies,souvenirs)andisitpossibletoreceivetheexperiencejustasitwaslived?

Inthedigitalage,thecontentisthesubjectoftheresearch,butitisnotimportant.The

imaginationisthesubjectivityandthisiswhatmatters-theworldwebuildaround

thatcontentasIhavedonethroughmyprojectsandcasestudies.

“Theactofimaginationisboundupwithmemory.”

Morrison,T.1995:98

89

CHAPTER3

THEREALMOFMEMORY-Mediality

“History…doesnotrefermerelyorevenprincipallytothepast.Onthe

contrary,thegreatforceofhistorycomesfromthefactthatwecarryitwithinus,that

weareunconsciouslycontrolledbyitandthathistoryisliterallypresentinallthatwe

do.”

Baldwin,J.1965:47-48

Thischaptersummarisesacontemporaryhistoryofthestudyofmemoryanditsplace

inmoderndialogueonSerbia.Acriticalviewofdebatesaboutculturalmemory

follows,settingupaframeofreferenceforsubsequentdisputesinandwithdifferent

mediathatattempttocaptureit.Furthermore,itexposesthewriter’sstruggletowork

fromanenvironmentsaturatedbyinformationonSerbianwarmongering.

Buden(2007)thinksofculturalmemoryasneverhavinganoriginalmeaning,but

mediated.Sturken(1999)similarlysuggeststhatmemoryiscreatedanddistributed

withinacultureandmemoriesareconstructed,tangledandreflectedinbothour

experienceandourhistory.Recognisingexperiencebeingseparatedfrommemoryas

soonasitislivediswhatfascinates–ifnotinmemory,howwouldonetransferit?If

historyisnotviablebecauseitisasetlineofstoriesthatcomefromtheuntrusted

realmofmemory,isexperiencetheonlymethodoffinding‘thetruth’eventhoughit

canbedifferentfordifferentpeopleandso,nottruthfulforalleither?Whatisthepast

whenwedonothavemeanstotakeittothepresentorthefuture?

Theideaofthepastbeingarticulatedinmemoryandalwaysfromthepresentis

deliberatedbyCaines(2004)throughHuyssen(1995)whoconsidersthetechnologyof

suchaprocess.Sheinvitesustothinkofmemoryasconstantre-invention,enactment

andcreationofrepresentationofthepastthatdoesnoteverbecomeoriginalor

authenticinsightinto‘thereal’,butisalwaysbelatedandtherefore,interpreted,just

liketakingandviewingthephotograph,whichisalways‘late’inordering‘reality’.The

90

gadgets,mediaandwaysthatwehavetorecordourmomentsdonotseemtobe

satisfactoryforthetransmissionof‘thelived’and‘thelived’keepsescapingasweare

tryingtofindbettermeanstocontainit.

Still,thatpainfulsearchforthefaithful,accurateandgenuineexperiencemustbea

priorityforanyresearcher,asBenjaminbelieves:

“Hewhoseekstoapproachhisownburiedpastmustnotbeafraidtoreturn

againandagaintothesamematter;toscatteritasonescattersearth,toturnitover

asoneturnsoverthesoil.”

Benjamin,W.c1932

Thisthesisthereforeprovidesapersonaljourneythroughidentity,adepictionofthe

selfhood,acrisisofsubjectivity,aquestformoderationofhistory,aninvestigationofa

pastlifeanditspresentmeaninginthecircumstancessubstantiallyinfluencedbythe

pastandunsettledwiththefutureduetotheambiguouspresent.Itisadangerous

playwithhistoryandadiveintoexperienceinordertoarticulateitinabearablevein.

Thisisepitomisedbythestoryofoneofmyresearchcontributorswhotoldmein

passingthatDostoevskywouldgivemillionstoliveinSerbiainthe‘90s.Itstuckwith

mebecausetherepresentationisreductivetoarealexperience.Hecontinued:“If

someoneweretoreaditinthebookorseeitonscreen,itwouldbeunbelievable–

carrotjuiceusedaspetrol?”Onewouldthinkthenarrativehadbeenenhancedforthe

purposeofentertainment.Forus,whohitchhikedtoandfromschoolandwork,

gettingintocarswithpeoplethatwedidnotknow,thiswasreallife.Wehadtouse

whatevermeanstopretendthatlifeisregular.Fantasyofsafetysavedusfromthe

reality–unpredictable,unkindanddisturbinganditkeptdoingsothroughoutthe

decade.Icaughtascienceprogrammeontelevisiontheothernight.Itwasallabout

carrotsthatwewilluseforpetrolinthefuture.There,inthefuture,ourfantasywas

real.

WhatisMemory?

ForAristotle(c350B.C.),timeisbothqualitativeandquantitative,somemoryistoo.

91

Whenonewishestorecollect,onewilltrytoobtainthebeginningofamovement

whosesequelshallbethemovement,whichonedesirestore-awaken.Themnemonic

movementsaretooneanotherastheobjectivefactsfromwhichtheyarederivedand

insuccession.Thingsarrangedinfixedorder,likethesuccessivedemonstrationsin

geometry,areeasytorememberandhenceideologicaldisplaysareoftenreferredto

anddeliveredasrecitals,hymnsandnurseryrhymesbecausetheyareeasytorecall

andso,weknowthembyheart.Socialistideologypermeatedallaspectsoflifein

Serbia‘tilthe‘90sandthereforecolorsmyrelationshipwithmemoryandmakesit

intrinsicallypolitical.Thatmemorydisturbstheeverydayanditsrecollectionisamode

ofinference.

Rememberingisoftendepictedasamentalactof"...thinkingofthingsintheir

absence"(Warnock,1987:12).ThismakesCoetzee’sandRau’s(2009)theoryof

memoryas“acommonlyagreednotionoftheperson’scapacitytorecallorsummon

upinformationstoredinhisorhermind”logical.However,thisresearchfocusesona

socialsetofinfluencesinmemoryandFrisch’s(1990:22)approachtoitas"theleap

acrosstimefromthethenofhappeningtothenowofrecall"withallthatsurrounds

thatmemoryanduswhenwearerecapturingthattime.Memoryis‘inthemind’;itis

notrealtimeabilityalthoughwedouseitinthepresenttoreachforthepast.

Itcontainsablendoftheexperiencesofthepast,thesetofcircumstanceswithin

whichtheseexperiencesoccurredandthewayinwhichonereflectsonthese

experiencesinpresentconditions.Thiscomplexityofmemoryastime-relatednotion

appealstomemorethanitsneurologicalaspectsandvisualimpulses.Myenquiry

progressesintothepoliticsofmemory,whichisbornoutofthelayeringofmeaning,

reflections,circumstances,conditions.Itsdichotomyispresentedhereastheclosure

ofthepastinthepresent,ortheconstructionofthefuturebyamergerofalivingand

activepastfacedwiththepresent(Cassin,2002).Byholdingonto‘thelivingmemory’

oranamnesis(Plato,1911),theBelgradeprotestliveson.Ashumanspossess

knowledgefrompastincarnations,claimedPlato(1911)andlearningconsistsof

rediscoveringthatknowledgewithinus,Iamnotonlykeepingtheprotestalive,but

encounteringitaneweverytimeItakeitintoconsideration.

92

Myresearchframeincreasesfromtheindividualconceptoftherebelliontothe

protestexperiencedcollectively,encompassingitspolitical,socialandinparticular,

culturalelements.Thisisbecauseallindividual,intersubjectiveandcollectivefacets

weavetogethertoformourreflectionsonthepast(CoetzeeandRau,2009).

Althoughmemoriesbecomeadaptedinthisprocessofclosureandconstruction,there

willalwaysbeaspectsthatremainthesame,affirmsConnerton(1989).Bothofthese

uncertaintiesandfixedrepresentationsofthepastaffectandstillimpacton

remembranceandunderstandingoftheprotest,especiallywithregardstotheimprint

of‘meaning’onit.“…thehabitualaspectofrecallservestoentrenchwaysofreflecting

onandnarratingpersonalandsocietalexperiences,andensures...thecontainment,

coherenceandcontinuityofmeaning”(Connerton,1989:23).Therefore,evenifitwas

unsuccessfulasarevolution,the‘96/’97uprisingdescribedinthisresearchasa

memoryandanacademicsubject,iskeptactiveandrelevantforthecurrent

comprehensionofSerbiaanditsfuture.

Theworldofmemoryspreadsfromtheconstructionoftheindividualandcollective

pasttothestudyofthewaysthatitisexpressedinpublic.‘Therealmofmemory’is

alsooftenintimate,bodilyexperiencedanddemonstratedandwehaveproofsof

theseinscars,tattoos,clothesandjewellerythatwecanchosetomakevisibletoclaim

it.

InherlectureBiopolitics,Bell(2009)attainsthat“thepastholdsusandcontinuesto

shapethepresent”.Shethinksofmemoryasthevoice,thenoisethathasitsownlife,

bothinrealityandinfiction,devisingaseparatecategorythatexistsalongwithwhatit

wasthenandwhatis‘then’now.Iusethatvoicetodisturbmyowndidactic,

academic,linearnarrativewithinthistextandprovideheartfeltresponsestothe

establisheddiscourses.Ajitterycartographyofmyselfrevealsthatthepoliticsof

memoryandproductionofknowledgefollowallusesofmemory,especiallyinnational

conflictsandBelldoesnotforgettocallonthememory’sdestructiveandredemptive

potentials,particularlywhenaddressingtheviolenceofpower.Itinevitablyappears

93

whenwetrytolocatememoryinSerbiancommunitieswhererecenthistoryisglobally

knownalongthoseconstructs.

Thepastisappropriatedinamultitudeofwaysbydifferentsectorsofsociety.Cultural

memoryinparticular,takesupalargeportionwithinuniversitycurriculumsandthere

areprogrammesofferingMastersDegreesin‘un-toldevents’referringtothe

investigationsofcollectivehistoryandculture.Memoryresearchisconductedamong

thegeneralpublictoo,mostlycoachedbypopulartelevisionseriesliketheBBC’s“Who

doyouthinkyouare”andalternativeformatsinliveandmediaartsbasedonthe

searchforone’sroots.

Eventhebasicsearchengines–likecollectivelyco-authoredWikipedia,listcomplex

results,forinstanceforthephrase‘politicsofmemory’40andstateitsconnectedness

toidentityanditsvulnerabilitytoculture,socialnormsandgovernments.Asan

examplehereandinmostofthewritingonmemory,theHolocausthasbeen

presentedasapointofdeparturewhenstudyinganddoingtheworkwithmemory.

ConsideringthatSerbianwarcrimeshavebeenalmostsynonymouswiththe

Holocaust,itisimpossibletoexplorethememoryoftheprotestin’96/‘97without

addressingthem.TheBalkanwarsthatSerbiawasinvolvedinareformanytheonly

knowledgeofthisstateanditsimagerynowconstitutestheirmemoryofthecountry.

TheymighthaveneverbeeninSerbia,buttheydorememberthestrikingconflict

footageofit,whichIdonotwanttocontestfromthepresent,buttocomplementwith

visualdataandtextualanalysisofSerbia’sprotestinanattempttocontributeto

positiverecordsofSerbia’shistoryunderthenpresidentMilosevic.Ineedtoinform

thereadersthatnoteveryonewenttowarandmanysufferedinrebellingit.

“Thedayafter[meetinginsupportofMilosevic]IsuggestedthatwedonatebloodandthatwastheactionofthevoluntarybloodgivingandthosefromtheDemocraticpartyjoinedussowemadeahugeprocessionfromtheSaintSavatemple.Becausethegovernmentwantedtospillourblood,theydonothavetomakeacontra-

40PoliticsofMemoryWikipageAccessibleat:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_memory

[25.1.2015]

94

meeting,wearegoingtosimplydonateoursasatypeofperformance–onereacts…becausetheywantit,noproblemandahugenumberofpeoplejoined…”

Odicilic,M.200741

Schlogel(2008)providesa‘setofassociations’thathelpinunderstandingmemory

study:

‘Historyofmemory’-theinsightthatmemoryitselfhasahistory,ahistoricalplace.

‘Placesofmemory’-allmemoryisattachedtoplaceswherehistorytookplace.

‘Strataofmemory’-bringsbothofthesetogether,placeandtime.

Thislast-strataadequatelydescribesthestretchofconnectionsneededto

comprehendtheeventofprotest.Throughrenderinghistory’ssemioticsinplaceand

time,theinfectiousnatureofmemoryisrevealed-ametadiscoursestoringseveral

paradigms.AsPortelli(2009)notes:“Memoryisnotjustarecordofexperiences.Itis

anongoingworld”.Iamseekingtoestablishanavigationalmapthroughthatterritory

andsupplyaninsightonthetimeofprotest.That‘ongoingworld’istheoneIam

describing,withaconstantchangewithinit,ofitsinfrastructureandofmyown

presencethatshiftsfromanobserveroftheprotesttoitsparticipant,froman

interviewerinresearchtoawitnessoftheresearchedevent,fromaresearcherinthe

archivestoanartistandanarchivist.

Iwasnotawareatstartthatmyworkwouldencompassallofthoseroles

simultaneouslyandthattheywouldshowwhenIwantedthemtooroftheirownwill

ondifferentoccasions,likeIwasconstantlywearingallthesefacesandwasableto

switchthemasIwentalongwhentheneedforaparticularonearose.However,Ihave

alwaysknownthatIwouldbede-maskingthefacesthatIinhabit,openingthemup,

exposingmyself,asunashamedly,indulgentlyandbravelyasIbelievethatthe

Belgradeprotestdeserves.

Thepoliticsofmemory

41OdicIlic,M.ininterview2007

95

InSerbia,politicianshavebeenabusingnationalstories–mythsandlegendsthatare

accessibleinschoolcurriculumsandthathostthepubliclypromotedknowledge

inheritedfromthepastgovernments.Fromprimaryschooltoadultlife,Serbsknow

theofficialversionofhistory,consistingmostlyoftheheroismofthepartisansthat

oncethepresidentofYugoslavia–Titoledagainstfascism(myownprimaryschoolis

stillnamedafterthefamousWWIIcommunistfighterJelenaCetkovicwhodiedin

Germancaptivityafterhorrendoustorture).TheStatewasnottobequestionedfor

decadesafterTito’scomingtopowerattheendofWWII,letaloneforhistoryhe

carved,untiltransformationinEastEuropeannationsfollowingthedissolutionof

BerlinWallanddivisionsintheSovietUnion.RevolutionsinRomania,CzechRepublic

andPolandaffectedSerbiaandopenedadoorforthinkingaboutanalternativetothe

regime.Memoryactedasadouble-edgedswordleadingtounderstandingthepastand

overcomingexistingethnic,religiousandsocialdivisionsor,asinSerbia,perpetuating

them.

To‘balancethebooks’,(Snyder,2005)theworkoftheoppositionthathadalways

existedandwasparticularlycreativeinthecountryhastobeinsertedinthegrand

narrativeofSerbia’shistory.

Findinganadequatebalancebetweenopposingunderstandingsofpasteventsis

crucialforgraspingtherealmofmemory.IamgettingSerbiaoutof‘theholeof

shame’,sothecountryandWesternEuropecantryadifferentapproachtoSerbia’s

past.Throughmemory,Iwishtheprotesttobeacknowledgedandthroughbalance,I

wantthememoryofitinscribedandengravedinglobalhistory.

“Thewarofpoliticsandthewarofmemoryareintertwined.”

Phenicie,K.andLaplante,L.2009

Remembrance

Thenarrativecanneverbeaheadofthenarrator.Itrequiresdigestion–aprocessof

acceptance,settlingandcustomization.Thisiswhyamaturehistoricalcultureanda

civilculturebelongtogether(Schlogel,2008).Appropriateremembranceandhistorical

96

writingisbasedonanactofrecognitionofprecedinggenerations.Itiswe,theliving,

whoaremaking−presentandgivingthedeadtheirvoices.Sohowcanoneswhodonot

respectthelivingacknowledgethedead?PlethoraofmodernSerbianpoliticiansdo

not,somecommemoratewarcriminalsasheroesandthesestatesmenaremakersof

thenation’spresent?

Maturitycomeswithtimeforreflection.Hence,warcrimesthatblurthepictureofthe

protestmustbeacknowledgedanddealtwithbothcollectivelyandindividuallyorthe

protestwillnotberememberedinitsfullblaze.Iamtherefore,conductingboth

processesatonce,reluctantlyembracingthepeople’spainfulmemoriesandmyown,

aswellasourproudresistance.Furthermore,wemustthinkofwarcriminalsasvictims

too,butthatrequiresaconsiderablediversionfromtheprotestandisdifficultto

negotiate.

MyresearchisanattempttogainahearingforadifferentnarrativeofSerbiathatnow

isonlyahistoryofconflict-apolyphonicchainofinsults,injuriesandunreasonable

demands.IfSerbscouldbeartohearthis-thesestories,theirownhistories,itwould

bemorethanonecanexpectatthemoment.Thesestorieskeptcomingafterthewar,

inundatingespeciallytheaudio-visualmemoryplatformsinSerbia.Myfriendsand

familyhavetoldmethatonetimetheystoppedwatchingtelevision,which

broadcastedvastamountsofdocumentaries,trialsandinterviewswiththevictimsand

perpetratorsofwar.Thesheerquantityofitcreatedaburdenandmovedpeopleaway

fromthewarissues.

Icannotblamethem.Manyfelt–itwasnotme,sowhyamIpresentedwiththisona

dailybasis?Whoseagendaisthis–ofeducatingthepopulationabout‘civility’?My

schoolfriendAca(2008)commentedonmyobsessionwithbroadcastsoftheMilosevic

trialIcameacrossontheBosniandigitalchannelwheninBelgrade:“Theybroadcastit

forthepeoplelikeyouwhoarestillfascinatedbyit”42.Thenationhasbeenremoved,

42Stojkovic,A.ininterview2008

97

distanced,alienatedfromitsownrepresentationandsodidnotfeelaconnectionto

thestoriesaboutit.

Thefutureisdoubtful,troubled,buttheprevailingdiscourseinSerbia,sothepasthas

moresecure,appealing,nostalgicqualities,butthen,itisnottheonewherewarsare

featured.Serbsrathertravelfurtherbackthanthe‘90sinthat‘foreigncountry’

(Lowenthal,1985)deeperintoahistoryofpeace,longholidays,shoppinginItalyas

conveyedbytheparticipantsinmysecondcasestudyBG:LOG.

Howeverharditistobelieveinit,memorypersistsinthemind.Itrequiresanon-

threateningspacefromwhichitssinglestoriescanbeheard.InbothEastandWest

Europetheremustbeapauseindeliveringrepresentations,dominationsof

interpretations,nationalnarrativesandablank,emptyandsilentspacemustbe

createdbeforethedeliberationscanbegin.Ifthiscanbesupported,thefulleraccount

ofthepastinSerbiaispossible.

“Irememberhowwebangedonpotsandpansin’96and’97.ThatiswhenmyfatherandIclashed.Andonthe5thofOctober[whenMilosevicwascaptured],Iwasalonewithmysonwhowas17then.SpecialforcespassedbyinjeepsthroughBeogradskaStreetandafter,whentheywerecomingback,thepeoplewavedatthem–someofthemsmiled,heldfistsandsomekepttheirheadsdown.InowregretthatbecauseIthinkthatthepeoplearebetrayed.Itcametothepointthatdirtymoneyboughttheeconomy,thathalfofthefactoriesarenotworkingbecauseeventheoneswhoarrivedanewwereworkingfortheirowninterest.Andthatprotestsshowsafellowship…inreality,wecamefromsomelulledcondition,onereal-socialismthatshouldbechangedintoacapitalismwhichwewerenotreadyfor“.

Stanojevic,B.201343

PrivateandPublicMemories

WhenIseebroadcastproductioncreditsandunderstandthat‘civilsociety’NGOshave

fundedtheprogrammes,Iamcompelledtodoubtthem.Forus,who‘switchedoff’

fromthenationalmediaremitbymovingtoanothercountry,theencounterwiththe

large,overwhelmingnumberofthosestorieswasn’tavailable,butworkingasan

43Stanojevic,B.ininterview2012BG:LOGKulturklammerprojectAccessibleat:

http://www.kulturklammer.org/view/178[29/1/2015]

98

interpreterattheHomeOfficeIhavebeenbombardedbythetestimoniesofthe

victimsfromtheBalkans’warterritories.Britswhowatchedtheconflictfootagewhilst

IwasinBelgradealsotoldmeaboutthesufferingsofallsides.Thisisnotinthepast–

thelongresidueofitpersists.MyHomeOfficecolleague–anAlbanianinterpreterwill

neverforgethowSerbsloadedthetruckwiththeboysfromherclassandtookthemto

slaughter.IdonotwanttohearandIdonotwanttoknowthis.Iwanttoforgetand

thinkofusinthefutureratherthanwhowewereinthepast.However,Iseethatpast

everywhereinherflat,currentlymyhome,butitisnotcontainableindiscourses

projectedbytheNGOs.

Privatememoriesworkacrosstheideaofself,family,genderandethnicityandinform

theprocessesofidentitycreationandthemethodsinwhichmemoriesarepassed

downacrossgenerations,orhowtheyformthebasisofpersonalself-exploration.

Theyareessentialtotheformationandprotectionofcommunalidentitiesandoften

areawayofcomingtotermswithcollectivetrauma,anexperiencethatIamnotquick

toassigntoBelgrade’sprotestors.Byapplyingthismethodologyofshiftingbetween

oneandall,Iattempttorevealtheinterplaybetweensocialandindividualexperiences

during‘thewinterofdiscontent’.

“Eventhemostpersonalaccountsandmemoriestranscendoursubjectiveexperience

ofthem,astheyaresharedandmediatedbyothersaroundus”(Zerubavel,1997).As

Misztal(2003:6)remarks,ourmemoryis"...ofanintersubjectivepast,ofapasttime

livedinrelationtootherpeople".Thusmemoryisalmostalways‘intersubjectively

constituted’.Whileitisindividualswhodotheremembering,theirremembering

mostlyarisesoutofsocialcontexts(Alexander,2004).Eachindividualremembersina

uniquewayandinthatprocess"...refashion[s]thesamepastdifferently,makingitto

bedifferentinitsveryselfsameness"(Radstone,2000:13).Thisiswhymyvoicedepicts

someofmyexperienceaswellasothers’,tryingtodefinewhowe/Iwere/was,who

we/Iare/amtoday.

Havel(1990:43)reflectedonhisintimatememoriesnowdisseminatedasanecdotes

overtheInternet:

99

"...twoverydifficultyearsofourliveshavebecomelumpedtogetherintoa

fewepisodesthathavelodgedinourmemoryinastandardizedform,andarealways

toldinastandardizedway,inthesamewords.Butinfactthatlumpofmemorieshas

nothingwhatsoevertodowithourexperienceofthosetwoyearsinthearmyand

whatithasmadeofus..."

Forgetting

Hirsh(1999)writesthatthechildrenofsurvivorshavepostmemorythatismore

directlyconnectedtothepastthansurvivors’memory.Thismightbebecausewhen

wearewithinexperience,ourawarenessisaroundthethingssurroundingus,noton

us.Weareseenbyothers,butwedonotseeourselves.Hence,eventhoughour

childrenhavenotbeenpresentattheeventweexperienced-init,theyseeusbetter.

So,asI‘survived’theprotest,itmightbemoredifficultformetocapturethisevent,

butIbelievethatifIgrapplewithmyowntrajectoryinwhichIleadthepersonaltothe

publichistory,theinsightintotheeventofprotestcouldbemorecompleteasitjoins

theviewsofthepeoplethatwerebesidemethere.Thecommunalpresenceofthese

storiesmightprovidecorroborationandweavethenarrativethathistoryismissing.

Theregulatedpastisneverthepastforthecitizenandnotthepastforresearchers.It

ismorefortheuseofthemediaandpoliticians.

TheissuewithSerbia’shistoryisnotonlyofbringingittothelight,butalsoof

forgetting(ofwars,demonstrations,perceptionsoftheWest)thatmustbe

deconstructed,re-used,communicatedwith.Whatdoesnotpleaseisdifficultto

remember,butitmustbeworkedon,withandthrough.AsPortelliclaims(2009),

historyplacesthetellingwithinitsconceptandwemakememorythroughthestories

wewanttotellandtheoneswechosetoforget.So,a‘true’accountoftheeventis

likelytobebetweenthesetwonarratives.

Iamaresearcherfromthegeneration,whichwaskeptinignoranceandindenialof

largepartsofcommunitymemoryandforwhomrecollectionwasonlyforthebenefit

ofcommemoration.Forgettingtheofficialpastwasforbidden,“thepublicaredenied

thepossibilityofknowingwhattheyshouldknowinordertomakeaninformed

100

decision:the‘we’isdisabled”(Cassin,2002).Ontheotherhand,thoseincharge,who

haveaccess,continuetoresideintheirignorance.Without‘us’andwithnoneof‘the

specialists’beinginformed,apoliticsbasedonnon-factsisinplace,performedintoa

historicalnarrativebysingularratherthanpublicagents(Arendt,1972).Furthermore,

whenweareunabletoimagineasocietywhereauthoritiescouldseparatepersonal

tiesfromofficialduties,wecannoteffectwhatisnecessaryforrevolution–thechange

inwaysofthinkingandthechangeinwaysofrelatingtoeachother.Thatpotentiality

whichcreatesacommonalityindifferencehasanaestheticandanethic,inwhich

virtualityisadynamismthattransformsthereal.

Supportedbytheinabilitytotravelduetoeconomicandvisarestrictions,Serbsare

unabletoobtaintheprotest’sinformationexistinginWesternEuropeandtheirown

archiveslacktheresources,eveniftheywouldhaveaninterestinthisevent,tocollect

andcollateitinamannerappropriatefordensehistoricalresearch.

Iattemptedtoworkwiththecompoundinterconnectednessofmyandtheprevious-

postprotestgeneration,wonderingifitwasmoreusefulforresearchendeavoursto

havethemissingmemory–growingupwiththeaccountsofothersabouttheplace

andoccurrences,ratherthanhavingafirsthandexperienceofit?Hirsh(1999)seems

toimplythis,butwhatIamaimingforhereisformyarchivevisitorstosay:“Itcould

havebeenme”,stillresistingtheappropriationof“theother”andmyself.LikeBarthes

(1981)doeswithhismother’smemory,Iguardtheprivacyofmyandotherpeople’s

experiencessuggestingthatonecanidentifythecondition,situation,circumstance,

butcanneverknow,feelorembodyit.

Iamnottakenbytheperiodofemergenceofmemorystudiesatthebeginningofthe

20thcentury,partlyduetothemonumentalismofFreud’scontributiontothefieldthat

glorifiedpsychoanalysis,whichhasbeenparticularlyunkindtointerpretationsof

Serbianviolence.However,theunfinishedMnemosineAtlasofAbyWarburg(1924-

1929)thatconsiderstherepresentationoftheclassicalworldinWesternculture

aroundthebeginningofthecenturyisofgreatimportanceformyresearchduetohis

wayofdealingwithartmaterialandinsertingarthistoryintothegenealogyofmemory

101

scholarship.Warburgaccentuatesthathistoryisavisualprocesspresentedinsystemic

typology,thehistoricalandthegeographicalorderingofa‘Mediterraneanbasinevent’

inonetableau.Hisaimwastouseconstellationsofphotographicreproductionsto

displayconnectionsinawaythatthehiddenstructureswerevisuallyidentifiable.

Aswehavetraditionallylearntabouthistorymostlythroughtext,theattentionthathe

paidtotheimagemarksthebeginningofadifferentkindofthinkingaboutmemory.

ThecreationandemploymentofthevisualintheWesternworldiscrucialinthe

constructionoftheBalkans’“other”,somyinvestigationsonmemorystartwithhis

work,resonatinginthetheoriesdevelopedinthe1980swhenmemorystudiesre-

emergedthroughtheworkofPierreNorainFranceandJanandAleidaAssmannin

Germany.Historyandcollectivememoryandtheirconnectionwithnationhood,

literatureandreligionshapeculturalandcommunicativememorydiscoursetoday.

Theymakecollectiveidentityacentralfunctionofculturalmemory.Ifoundmy

positionintheBalkansinthisspacebetweentheidentityatthecentreandaperiphery

ofculturalmemorythatextendstomedia,cartographyandtechnology,

communicatingthatcommunity’spast.

Technologyofmemory

Mycolleagueskeptcomingupwithmoresoftwarepackagesformyarchive,butbythe

timeIpurchasedandlearnthowtousethem,Iwouldconcludethattheywerenotfor

me.WhatIneededtobuildmyarchivewasaflexibleand‘authentic’method,nota

templategiventomebyvariousprogrammeprovidersandarchivesciencespecialists.

Furthermore,Iwantedtokeep‘theoriginality’oftheprotestthroughthisarchive

structureratherthandisseminateitviaalreadyknownoptionsthatIwouldbe

promotingbytheiruse.

Wearestillmissinganacceptanceofthevalidityofthewaystoanalysedatathrough

mediaandyetwespeakofthedigitalrevolutioninbothscienceandartsasithasbeen

realised.Ifdigitalprogrammesatvariousinstitutionsdevelopedasafollowuptothe

nowwidelyavailablestatisticalinformationgathering,wehavemisunderstoodthe

poweroftechnologyorreducedittorhetoricalnotionsaboutthefuture;butwhois

102

thatfutureforifwewanttosticktoourpast?We,justlikewewantforourobjects,

wanttoliveforever,butwealsoseemtowantforourpasttolivewithustheretoo.

WedeludeourselveswiththebeliefthatwithoutTwitter,contemporaryrevolutions

wouldneverhappen.WeseemtovaluethepeoplefromEasternEuropeandthe

MiddleEastverylittleifweglorifyInternetandsocialmediainrelationtotheirsocial

change,eventhoughthereisalinkbetweenthetechnologyandtherevoltthatmust

beaddressed,itmustnotbeexaggeratedforthepurposeof‘demonstrating

modernity’asitthreadsalong‘theEnlightenmentandfurthertothe“civilising

mission”.

Protestersembracedalimited,butsovereignentityinordertorestoreSerbiaandits

reputation,stillshutteredbytheregimethatproducedandprojectedimagesofwar

anddevastationinternallyandglobally.Themediadidnotdisplaythemviathe

technologicaladvancementsofthetime,theInternetandmobilephones,asthese

werenotwidespreadinaSerbiarobbedbyitsleaders.Inunity,demonstratorssenta

differentpictureofSerbiatotheworldexplaininginittheholdingoftheirredcardsas

nothingtodowithcommunismbecausetheyweretheirstudentIDs,butthatimage

wasnotcirculatedatthelevelofengagementthatTwitterhashadintherevolutions

oftheArabworld,eventhoughmanyofmyresearchintervieweesnowclaimthe

opposite.

HardlyanyoneownedamobilephoneoracomputerwithanInternetconnection,yet

peoplesayintheirinterviewsthatweusedtheInternettospreadthewordaboutthe

unrest.Lookingbacktothosetimes,itseemsthatevenwhenwedid,theworldwas

notso‘wired’,hencethemessagedidnot‘flow’withoutdifficulties.Whatis

particularlydisturbingisthewidecirculationofthismyth,asifwenowrememberhow

weknewtousetheInternetforourcause.Someradiostations,forexampleB92and

televisioncentresnamelyBKwereequippedforthis,butwereontheopposingsideof

theprotestforagoodwhile,soonecanconcludethatthosewhohadthewebfacility

werenotalwaysusingittodisseminateprotestinformation.Readingabouttheroleof

theInternetascrucialandaccompanying“averitablefloodofprotestpublications,

103

realandvirtual”(Jansen,2001),Irealizedthattheprotesthasbeennarratedinthe

digitalspherebymostlyWesternresearchers,journalistsandSerbswholive(d)abroad.

Theopportunityfortheregularwebpresencethatwehavetodaywasrareandthe

non-existenceofadigitalarchiveoftheprotestisevidenceofthis.

“TheInternetwasa“Spanishvillage”(unknown)andithadreallyjustbeeninitiated.TheInternetwasforusaphenomenaltoolbecausetheworldalreadycommunicatedthroughitandthatwasourgap.Ourvisibilityhadalreadyincreasedbutitwasnotcontrolledatthatmomentbecauseartistsweretotallyconvincedofthefactthattheeventshouldhavesomeotherconcept,differentfromperformativity.Weknewwhatonecoulddowiththemasses,therewereexamplesofitfromhistoryofart…” OdicIlic,M.200744

Evenifsomeinformationwentout,likeinTheWiredmagazine(1994-2003),thewayit

wasspreadwasmostlyviaemail,soitendedupamongstscatteredindividualswho

yearslatermighthaveputitonline45.NowIreadhowtheInternetwasessentialduring

thedemonstrationsandIhavebeentoldbyafewWestEuropeanactivistshowthey

workedwithVukCosic,amediaartistlivinginViennaduringthedemonstrationsto

stretchtheinformationabouttheprotestasfarastheycould.However,theysayitas

iftheinformationaboutthembeingactiveinonecountry’sstruggleismoreimportant

thanthestruggleitself.EventhemediaartistLarisaBlazicclaimedtohavedonethe

workduringtheprotest,butupongrabbingacomputerandcheckingthepropertiesof

thefilesshethoughtshehadcreatedatthetime,thescreendisplayedtheyear1999–

thetimeoftheNATOair-strikes.Sheremembersthattherewasalargeeventwhilst

sheworked;itjustwasn’ttheonethatIamresearching–atestamenttoapacked

historyinthe‘90sunravelling.

Mywitnessingoftheeventonthegroundisdemeaned–thepowerofthevirtual

worldtakesovermyexperienceandwithit,mybody.Ihavebeencastoutofthe

protestmassasachildthatdoesnotcomplywithitssettledinterpretation.This

phenomenaIunderstandasatypeofprostheticmemory,aconceptputforwardby

44OdicIlic,M.ininterview200745Lynch,L.TwitterpostevencallstheeventTheFirstinternetRevolutionAccessibleat:

https://twitter.com/lilyslynch/status/428852540503883776[29.1.2015]

104

Landsberg(1995)aboutthereplicantsinthefilmBladeRunner,whothroughmedia

technologies‘posses’memoriesofexperienceslikehumanbeings.Formsofmedia

havecontributedto“theeraoftheposthuman”inwhichmemories“donotcome

fromaperson’slivedexperience”,theyarenottheirown.Inherbook,Prosthetic

Culture:Photography,MemoryandIdentity,Lury(1997:176)writesthatthemediahas

“fundamentallyalter[ed](ournotionofwhatcountsas)experience”preciselybecause

it“bring[s]thetextureandcontoursofprostheticmemoryintodramaticrelief”.Itisas

ifthecopy,thesecondgenerationofafileistheequivalenttotheoriginal.

Balkanisationhence,howeverconstructed,countsasnaturalinadigitalsense.

MediatedversionsofSerbiaare‘truth’asthey‘stick’withuslikereplicantswho

eventuallyinhabithumanqualities.Combinedwithimagesofviolenceandtrauma,

thesememoriesmovefrom‘phantom’to’real’.Technologicalfleshisaddedto

‘phantompublics’(Latour,2005)andthey,whowerenottheremattermorethanmy

account,thewitnessmemory.Aconstitutionof‘thephantompublic’emergedfrom

post-traumaticpathology,inthe1860s,ofabsentlimbsfeltpresentandpresentlimbs

feltabsent(Lippmann,1997&2007;Heller-Roazen,2007)–astateofSerbia’smemory

andmemoryofSerbiatoday.

WithInternet,theselfservesasdataanditextendsthecorporealityofthebodyto

information.DatabodiesdrawonorchallengethenotionthatWesternculturehas

takena‘forensicturn’,whichIdescribeasseparatingsciencesandhumanitiesby

interpretingevidenceasdirectlylinkedtomeaning.However,disciplineslikememory

studiesinstitutionallycanrefuseorembraceempiricalevidence,troublingthepower

ofscienceandaskinghowdodatabodiesconcealoroutliverealones.

CaseStudy

BalkanisingTaxonomy-ToMemoryandBack

“Inthepastdecadememoryandthemanipulationofmemoryhavebeen

positedasoneofthecentralaspectsofBalkanconflicts.”

Todorova,M.2004:2

105

TheprojectBalkanisingTaxonomydevelopedthroughworkwithmemoryandstarted

inspring2008.ItprovidesanaccountofSerbia’spastaspartoftheBalkansbeforeand

aftertherecentwars.Itcontextualisedmyresearchdifferently,openedittothe

influenceoftechnology(especiallydigital),itspresentationandarchivalpracticethat

consequentlyledthethesis.Thecommunityofresearchers,inparticularyoungones,

developedarounditandwesharedtheoffencesdeliveredtousbysomesenior

scholarswhowere‘moderating’ourtoneofvoicebecause‘theycareforus’,

perpetuatingtheappropriationoftheBalkansthatwehaveseenandreachingbackto

theirowncolonialpastbycivilizing“theothers”.WewantedtowriteabouttheEast

andallendedupdoingsoinrelationtotheWest.Ourhistoryisaconstructedrebellion

fromitsuniversalnarrativeorourownnationalassertionsinthatparadigm.Weare

tryingtoelevatetheEast,butinthatattempt,wekeepreinforcingtheroleoftheWest

inoursocietytoo.

Figure15:BalkanisingTaxonomysymposium,2008,photographbyNelaMilic

Memoryoffersarouteintomanythemesofmyresearch–archive,narrative,identity

andIapproachedthemfromthematerialsourcesandworkedthewayupto

conceptualisingthewholeofresearch.Themainroleininauguratingmymethodology

wasplayedbyProfessorJanisJefferiesatConstanceHowardResourceandResearch

CentreinTextileswhoofferedmetocurateanexhibitionofgarmentsand

photographsfromtheBalkans’collectiondonatedbyJanePagein2007.

Ijumpedintothearchiveofclothandimagesfromthebeginningofthe20thcentury

andgotlostintherichnessofhistoryheldbytheobjectsandthesurgeofmemoriesI

106

carryasanindividualandapartoftheBalkans’peoplecollective.Bothapproachesare

equallyimportantasperHalbwachs’s(1950)beliefthat,everyindividualmemoryisa

socialphenomenon,hencemyownmemoryinputmattersinacollectivememory

experience.Infact,membershipofasocialgroupiswhatenablesindividualsto

acquireandrecallmemories.

Halbwachs’(1950)influentialnotionofcollectivememorycomesfromtheideathat

ourmemoriesareintrinsicallylocalisedandhenceIdisplaythemintheformofacity

mapinmyresearchaboutprotest.Heaffirmsthatrecollectiondeploysmental

categoriesanchoredtomaterialspaces,whicharesharedwithothers–buildings,

milieusandlandscapes.Asthejourneythroughtheobjects’likelylocations,datesand

authorsprogressed,Irealisedthatitwouldtakeanotherresearchertodealonlywith

thatandIfoundcomfortinthatresearcher’sadvice,whichprovidedadifferent

solutiontothisproblem–keepingthearchiveasmysteriousasitis,becauseno

amountofinformationwilltrulydiscloseitsnature.

Thearchivehastoomanylayersanditisdifficulttograsp,becauseitisdifferenteach

timeyouimmerseyourselfinit.Youstartlookingforonethingandgetdistractedwith

anewfounditem,whichformsanovelpathofinvestigationoverandoveragain.

Memoryworksinthesameway,everytimeyougoonthejourneytothepastsome

otherinformationpopsup,leadingyouonunknownroutestoseeminglyreal

remembrance.Thisisbecause,asBoltanski’s46theatricalinstallationspointout,

“memoriesarecontinuouslyrecreatedevents,basedonthepast,butunderstood

throughthepresent”(Caines,2004:4).

Astheimagesofpeoplefromthepaststartedcomingthroughthescratched

negatives,Irecalledthememoriesofmygrandmother,adoptingherstoriesasI

experiencedthemfirsthand,identifyingwithpeopleonyellowishstripsoffilmasthey

arewhoIusedtobe.Ibeguncollapsingtheboundariesofpastandpresentwhich

revealedwhatcriticsofheritagebelievethattheheritageindustryandnostalgia

46ChristianBoltanskiisFrenchvisualartistwhousedmemoryasatopicinhismixed-mediainstallations

especiallytoexpressthelossandmourningaroundHolocaust

107

culturereliesonthedesireforimmediacyin‘theexperience’ofthepast(Radstone,

2000).Indeed,Ihaveindulgedinthisproject,aswellasontheprotestarchiveonthe

questtore-connectwithmyancestors.

“...ownershipisthemostintimaterelationshipthatonecanhavetoobjects.

Notthattheycomealiveinhim;itishewholivesinthem.”

Benjamin,W.1931:67

Iwantedtogoback,tohaveadirectlinktomyheritage,butstayingfirmlyonthe

groundofnow.Ieveninhabitedthewitnesspersonaandwasabletoconfidentlyclaim

theexacttime,placeandthecircumstanceofthewomencapturedinthephotographs

fromthemarket.Iknewiftheywerebuyingorsellingtheirfrocks,ifthegarmentsthey

heldtheymadethemselvesoriftheywereeyeingthemupinthehopetofitinto

them.ItislikeIwantedtofreezethemorfreezemyselfinthepresentinsteadof

allowingthecontinuationoftime.Huyssen(1995:7)describesmydesire:

“[Memory]representstheattempttoslowdowninformationprocessing,toresistthe

dissolutionoftimeinthesynchronicityofthearchive,torecoveramodeof

contemplationoutsidetheuniverseofsimulationandfast-speedinformationand

cablenetworks…”

Continuingtothinkofmemoryalongsidethedevelopmentofmedia,Huyssen

concludesthatmemoryexpressesoursociety’sneedforanchoringandtohavetime

forreflectionintheworldoffasttravelandtechnology.Thewholeconceptualisation

ofmemoryhaschangedovertimethankstoelectronicmediastoragetechniquesthat

allowustoeasilycaptureinformation,butatthesametimedeprivesusfromforming

acontinuumofmemoryaswearebusyshieldingourselvesfromthestimuliwemake.

Ourpresent,saturatedbystories,images,sounds-stimuli,influencesustonowdeal

morewithmemorythenweusedto.Thisboominandobsessionwithmemorystudies

is,Huyssen(1995:3)claims:

“acontestationoftheinformationalhyperspaceandanexpressionofthebasic

humanneedtoliveinextendedstructuresoftemporalityhowevertheymaybe

108

organised.Itisalsoareactionformationofmortalbodiesthatwanttoholdontotheir

temporalityagainstamediaworld...”

Iamalsoconvincedthatthetechnologywearesurroundedbycontributestothe

desiretocapturememoriesastheaccessanduseofcamerasandother,nowmostly

digitalmeansofoperationisready-made,butmybackgroundinart,inparticular

filmmakingplaysakeyroleinthisviewofmemory.Notonlythatmyreferenceshere

derivefromaneducationinarts,butmyunderstandingofthesocialworldthatIam

constructingalsogetsbuiltonthesepillars.Thereseemstobeevenmoretoit:

“Thistriangulationoflooking,figuredbythesuperimpositionofimagesfrom

disparatemomentsofpersonalandpublichistory,isinitselfanactofmemory-not

individual,butculturalmemory.Itrevealsmemorytobeanactinthepresentonthe

partofasubjectwhoconstitutesherselfbymeansofaseriesofidentificationsacross

temporal,spatial,andculturaldivides.Itrevealsmemoriestobecultural,fantasytobe

socialandpolitical,inthesensethattherepresentationofonegirl’schildhood

includes,asapartofherownexperience,thehistoryintowhichshewasborn,the

figuresthatinhabitedherpubliclifeandperhapsalsolifeofherimagination.”

Hirsch,M.1999:159

AsGordy(2008)arguesinfluencedbyTodorova(2004)the“excessofcultureinthe

Balkans”addstomyinterestinmemoryandmakesitaclassic,traditionaland

expectedjourneyforafemaleartistfromtheregion.Womenartistsarerewindingthe

processofimportingthecommunistideologyintheirbodyandsculptingthecollective

senseofselfbyrejectingtheindividualandre-assemblingitinordertoreversethe

state’saction.Asfemales,asartistsandnow‘conscious’,‘free’,‘liberated’persons,

theyaredeconstructingthecollective.Theyareacknowledgingtheirhistory,buttrying

toutilizeitfordevelopinginanotherdirection.Theyarenot‘usedorganisms’47,but

thecollectivebodyisusedtoexperienceproductionintheirprofessional

(confessional)life.

47InthefilmWR:MysteriesofOrganism(1971),filmmakerDusanMakavejevplayspreciselywiththis

cancelationoftheindividualandusessexualitytodeliverametaphoricsubversionofthestate’ssystem,whichforcedhimtoexileinAmerica.WRexplorestherelationshipbetweencommunistpoliticsandsexuality,throughWilhelmReich.

109

Figure16:DisplayofphotographsfromBalkanisingTaxonomyexhibition,photographsbyNelaMilicandDavidRamkalawon

IworkthroughtheBalkans’archivelikeafilmmaker.Ideologycreepsintothe

foregroundfromtimetotimeandwithdrawsasnewthemesfillupmycollection.

Projectedsnippetsinfrontofmyeyesshowmypast.Radstone(2000:9)notes:

“Thoughthescalesmayswingbetween,say,invention–traditionandreflection-

representation,the‘fragilevalue’ofmemoryresidesinitscontinuedcapacitytohold,

ratherthantocollapsetheseequivocations.”

Thecomplexnatureofmemorycausedmypresenceinthespaceofthepeopleonthe

photographsmanyyearsagothroughthecombinationofthenarrativethatIinherited

frommydescendants,thehistorypresentedtomethroughmyeducation,the

experienceoftheelementsofenvironmentthatIcouldrecognizeandthepostures

andclothingofthepeopleintheimages.Myaccountisprostheticaswellasa

‘phantommemory’,amediatedprojectionofhistoricalclichésandpersonal

assumptionsanddesires,explainsSarkisova(2007)andcontinuesthatintheabsence

ofnarrativesstructuringtheperceptionofthephotographedevent,onecould

imaginativelyinterpretvisualsourcesallowingthephotographstobecomefusedwith

theauxiliarybackgroundtoproduceinterpretation,andinfusethevisualmaterialwith

meaning.

“Thereisamemorythatfades:thatis,onefedbypersonalexperience,direct

memory.Itdieswithindividualmenandwomenandisreplacedbyamemoryand

commemorationthatismediated.Thetimeiscomingwhentherewillbenomore

unmediatedmemory.”

Badovinac,Z.2007

110

ThemoreIlooked,themorefamiliarthefacesbecame-memoriesofmypeople

pressingsohardthatIstartedthinkingthatIknowthembecausetheyareneighbours,

relativeseven.Memoryconstructedinthisway,withculturalnarratives,unconscious

processesandhistoricalhappenings–‘events’ishowPasserini(1987)would

understandit.PerhapsIwasjustconsciousofmyown‘expirydate’andIwas

embodyingthefearoferasuredonebyuniversalhistory,whichmanipulatesrecords

andisfeltstronglythroughouttheBalkans.

Allrepresentationisbasedonmemory,asCaines(2000)writes.ThephotographsI

lookedathavebeentakenatamomentintimeandhaveanimmediacyaroundtheir

creation,butevenandespeciallywiththeirbelatedness,wecannotreadthemwithout

impactingourmemoryontheimage.“Re-presentationalwayscomesafter”,Caines

(2000:4)statesandmyfeelingsthroughouttheresearchoftheBalkans’photos

confirmthat.Theyarenot“leadingustosomeauthenticoriginorgivingusverifiable

accesstothereal.”IwasnotgoingtohavetheBalkansrevealedcorrectlytomy

audience-itwasjustnotpossible.Therefore,Icommittedmyselffortherestofmy

scholarlyjourneytoworkwiththeresponsibilityformemoryasacreation.

Radstone’s(2000:7)viewofmemorywhichdevelopedfromthe19thcentury’s“crisis

ofmemory”isalongthesamelines:“...memorycametobeunderstoodasactively

produced,asrepresentation,andasopentostruggleanddispute.”Iwasasconscious

ofthedelusionofmypurepresenceinthephotographsastheyweretaken,asIwas

awarethatIwasmakingupthehistory,whichIwastryingtocapture.

“Therelationshipbetweenlivinganddeadisasymmetrical:we,theliving,

decidewhoisheardandwhocondemnedtosilence.Historicalworkistheworkof

making-present,basedonrecognition.”

Schlögel,K.2008:9

111

Figure17:PhotographsfromthenegativesfromBalkanarchiveatGoldsmithsUniversity,unknownauthor,photographsdevelopedbyNelaMilic

Mysenseofself,nowdiscoveredasanartistofmemorymergedwiththecollective,

blurredtheunderstandingofmytaskascurator.Iwassupposetoexposethevery

peoplewhoIdesiredtopreserveandhidefromtheaudience,likeBarthes(1981)

wantedtodowithpictureofhismother.Iwasexpectedtoexhibitthemcaughtintheir

everydayness,inawaytheymightnotwanttobeknown,incasetheyhavebetter

clothestoshowoff,morebeautifulplacestheyvisitanddifferentpeopleintheir

immediatesurroundings.Didtheywanttobephotographedonthemarket?Who

photographedthem?Wasittheirfirsttimeandifso,howwasthisexperiencefor

them?Theneedtotalktothemwasurgentforfurtheringmyinvestigation,butitwas

notgoingtohappen.

Photographyas“anemotionallychargedandatopographicallyprecisemedium”

(Shevchenko,2007)allowedforhybridnarrativestoemergeintheBalkanarchiveand

oscillatebetweenthestereotypesandrecollectionsofdetailsthatcontradicted

acceptedconventions.

Therearenotmanyphotographsofmeninthiscollective;itlooksliketheinterestof

thephotographerwaswithpeople’sclothingandfemalesindeeddisplayedarich

canvasoftextiles.Theycarrythecottonorwool-materialsnotyetcutintopatterns

layeredontheirbodies.Coats,shirts,skirts,underskirts,waistcoats,scarves,socks,

112

apronsshowaplethoraofartworkfromstitchingandknittingtoweavingand

embroidery.

Afewtallmenwearwell-craftedhatsandelegantovercoats.Layersofclothes,like

layersofmemory,layersofmeaninglikelayersofhistoryarezigzaggedintothefabric.

Iplacethephotosinthejars,topreservethemfromdustandtoaddtothe

understandingoftheBalkansasadomestic,remoteenvironment,opposing‘the

violent’contributionstothedescriptionsofthearea.Itisadifficultapproach–the

Balkanshasbeenknownaswild,butalsogenerousandIwantedtoexposethese

conflictedattributes,soIoptedforaninvitingandwelcominglookassociatedwitha

warmhome.Tocompensateandhighlightthejuxtapositionofahospitableanda

hostileplace,Ipresentedthegarmentsattheexhibitioninaverydifferentmanner.

Tactilememories

Imovedfromphotographstocaressthegarmentssneakilytakingtheglovesoff.A

desirefordirectcontact,evoking‘thereal’,callingontheancestorsthroughthesenses

likeinStanislavski’smadeleinebiscuitexercise48paysoffandthesleevesofdressesin

thearchivewrappedaroundmeasIwasdancingwiththespiritsofthepast.

ThroughthistouchIwasacquaintedwithallthegarmentscarefullyplacedin

numberedboxes.AsIlookedatthemtogether,theyappearedtobethepropertyof

onefamilyandatthesametimeIwasnotevensurethattheywerefromtheBalkans

astheinfluencesofotherculturesinthemweredistinctive.OneshirtlookedIndian

andthetrouserswereofTurkishorigin–isTurkeyintheBalkansoritsfashion,among

otherthingsthattheBalkanswasleftwithaftertheOttomanEmpire,keptthese

trousersaliveintheperiodoftimethatIamwitnessingthroughtheclothingencircling

menow?IlookedonceagainasIrememberedthatthememoryofthetrouserswas

actuallyrecent–Iownedapairofthemmyself,mypresentmemorywas

48TheRussiantheatredirector,Stanislavskiusedaffectivememoryinhisworkingmethodwithactors,by

stimulatingtheirbodythroughsmellforexample,theywouldrevivethememoriesnecessaryforthe‘genuine’interpretationofthecharacteronthestage.

113

complementedbythispast.Iwasencounteringthepastthroughthepresent–my

trousersweretheembodimentofthis.

Mymemorieswereoverlapping,confusingandfadingasthenewonesemergedandI

couldnotguaranteetheauthenticityofanyofthem–theonesthatwereleavingnor

theonesthatwerearriving.Iwasnotsurethattheyweremineatall,butIwas

becomingincreasinglyconsciousoftheirfragilityandimbrication.Ididnothave

controloverwhatwascomingorgoing,butIknewhowtoprovokethem.Iwondered

ifdoingsointentionallymadeadifferencetothekindofmemoriesthatcroppedupor

eventhetypeoftransmission.IalsoponderedifIwouldreactinthesamewayifIsaw

thesegarmentselsewhereorseparatelyorifIwasnotinsistingongoingthroughthis

process.Iwasseeingthiscollectionthroughtheprismofmemorybecauseitwas

alreadyanexistingoutlineinmymind.Theeyesseewhattheheartwants?

However,foruswhowerenottherewhenpasteventsoccurred,theyareaccessible

onlythroughotherpeople’srecollectionsofevents,theirnarrativesandrecords.The

moresimilaronesthatweencounter,themoretruthisassignedtothem,andthe

moretheygetwrittenabout,repeatedandtransferredthroughgenerations,becoming

thehistoryasthisprocesscontinues.

Thehistorythathasbeenpassedontomewasunderquestion–Iwasnotsureany

moreaboutwhatIknewandIhaddoubtstowardswhathasbeenpresentedtomein

theWestabouttheBalkanstoo.IfIcarriedsometruthaboutthepast,itwasinconflict

withalotthatIhavereadandwastoldabouttheregionintheUK.TheBalkans

seemedtobetakenasancient,provincialandrural,aterritorystuckintimewithso

muchhistorythatitblockedanyprogress.Therecentconflictscontributedtothis

establishedviewandInowhadtobattlewiththewronglydescribedpastoccurring

evenbeforetheYugoslavwars,whichwe,fromthere,areyettounderstandand

reckonwith.

Itrytoidentifytheareaofinvestigation,somyresearchgetsageographicalboundary,

butIhavedifficultywithcuttingofftheoldinfluencesoraddingonthenewcountries

114

thatmadethemselvespartoftheEuropeanUnion–awesternaspirationthatis

somehowstillatadistancefromtheeastofEurope.Whenmyprojectincludedthe

exhibitionofBalkanobjects,IneededtomakesurethataTurkishblouseismadein

Turkishfashion,andiswornintheBalkansormadewiththematerialfromthere.The

moreIquestionedandfoundout,themorequestionsaroseandthelessIknew.

Iaskedmyselfhowtobecertainaboutthegarments’description?ShouldIputa

republic,nowastatewherethegarmentisfromastheartworkspecificationonthe

labelnexttoitorwritewhichminoritywouldwearit?DoIcalltheobjectbythename

ithadatthetimeorhowwesayitnow?Inwhatlanguage?Istheyearitwasmadeor

theyearitwaswornmoreimportantforthiscollection?Wouldanyofthisinformation

helptheaudiencetounderstandtheBalkansbetter?

Ihaveheard,witnessed,participatedin,watched,downloaded,readandtranscribed

numerouspapersproducedbymanyacademicsthatspecialiseintheBalkansanditdid

notlooktomeliketheyunderstoodit,sowhycontributetotheconfusionwith

laboratorydataontheexaminedmaterial?Instead,Idecidedtotryanderaseit,the

samewaythatIoftenfelttheBalkansisrubbedoutandexcludedfromtheglobal

history.IignoredtheacceptedframeworkunderwhichtheBalkansisexaminedand

movedonfromthedesiretoclassifyinhopethatIwouldshowitbetter.Icloseditup,

shelteringitfromforeigninfluence,applyingtheWesternstrategyto“theother”and

bydoingso,revealingexactlythat–themethodologybehindwhichtheBalkansis

presumed.Exposingthisschemeandquestioningthemethodsthatleadusto

understandingiswhatIalsodevelopedinmyresearchontheBelgradeprotest.

Iplacedthegarmentsinblackboxesandhungtheboxesalongthegallerywalls.Black

isinclinedtototalerasureortotalformandthesumptuouscolourofretrospection

andnostalgia,claimsPrince(2008)tothestatementofmaximumcontrastagainstthe

whitecube.Thejarswithphotoswereplacedonaplinthandtheirlidswerecovered

withblackfelttoillustratetheallegeddomesticityaswellasthedeathoftheregion.

TheBalkansisoftentheexactoppositeofwhatisexpected,eventhoughwheneverit

shows,theWesternde-codifierwouldnotletgoofher/hisembeddedimageofthe

115

Balkans’‘wildness’ands/hewillsupportitwitharchetypicaladditionofthechaos

discoursewheretheBalkanssitsintheWesternmind.S/hewouldnotthinkofthis

understandingasillogical,butascribeirrationalitytotheobjectofinvestigationitself–

totheBalkans.

“Blackiscastasanall-purposeemotivebackdrop,amemoryofitspreviouscontent”,

declaresPrince(2008),“Blank,emptyanddry...blackdepthsareametaphorfor

hiddensound.”Myhollowboxesevokedthatmutedvoice,saidthepublicshyly

peepingthroughthepeepholes,which“...functionasescapevalvesfromthestatic,

information-freeworld”(Prince,2008)andweretheonlysourceofaccesstothe

garments.Therewerenotmagnifyingglasses,reflectors,explanationsonthewalls,but

cardswiththoughtsofwritersandtheoristsIstumbledacrossthroughoutmy

research.AmysteryoftheBalkanswasenhancedbythemysteryofhowitwas

perceived.Thelightbarelyilluminatingtheclothinginsidetheboxessparkedideasof

whatcouldbethere,butdidnotallowforstatementstobemade.Onefeltthats/he

shouldlook,butdidnotknowwhatforandaslongaswestartedfromthere,wemight

havebeenonequalfooting–theBalkansandtheWest.

“Thereisasenseofnecessaryrelease.Itisasthoughwehavegropedourway

outoftheglacialtimeofthepaintings,throughtheblacktunnelofthepeepholes,into

suddenburstsofbrightuncontainedlife,oureyeshavingtoforciblyreadjusttothe

light.”

Prince,M.2008

JustbeforeIletthepublicintothespace,thewomenworkingatthetextilecentre

walkedin.“Ah,thecoffins”,saidJanandmyfacegotalonggrin.Asinthearchives,

whateverIbroughtwithmyselffromthepast,inthegalleryshewasseeingwhatever

shehadwithhers-theBalkans’warimagesfromthetelly.

116

Figure18:ThecatalogueofBalkanisingTaxonomyproject,fundedbytheAHRC&GoldsmithsUniversity,authorandphotographer:NelaMilic

Culturalandcollectivememory

Memoryworkisdirectedtowardspracticesofcollectiveandself-transformation.

Throughit,Iamtryingtounderstandthecommunityandmyselfandascertainhowwe

gothere,totaketheBalkanstheway‘we’dointheWest.Iamregularlyswitchingthe

‘we’to‘me’–‘me’attheWestand‘me’attheBalkans,acceptingthatmymemoryof

theregionisasculturalandcollectiveasmymemoryoftheperceptionof‘Balkanness’

here,intheUK,whichisculturalandcollectivetoo.

However,mymemoryofthepeninsulaisnotthesameasmycousin’sor

grandmother’s.Notonlybecausetheyareofadifferentgeneration,buttheyarrived

hereinadifferentcondition–onethroughmarriageandotherthroughwork.Me–an

exilewillhaveadifferentviewofwhereIwasandwhereIamnow,accordingtothe

waythattransgressionoccurredandinfluencedmyBalkanandmyBritishmemory.

Furthermore,asHall(1999)considers,collectivememoryisasselectiveashistoryis

anduswhoareinvolvedin‘thepassionateresearch’asFanon(1961)definesthemany

auto-ethnographiesconductedbypeoplefeeling‘robbed’oftheirownpastthrough

theprocessofcolonialisation,areinvolvedintheproductionofidentityormore,re-

constructionthroughre-tellingthatwouldresultinamorepermanentinscriptionin

history.

117

So,Iamchoosingwhattorememberfromoneortheotherside.Ialsoperform

culturalrecall,eventhoughImightnotknowit:“inmanyinstances,suchactsarenot

consciouslyandwilfullycontrived”,asBal(1999:13)recorded:

“Becausememoryismadeupofsociallyconstitutedforms,narratives,andrelations,

butalsoamenabletoindividualactsofinterventioninit,memoryisalwaysopento

socialrevisionandmanipulation.Thismakesitaninstanceoffictionratherthan

imprint,oftenofsocialforgettingratherthanremembering.”

BeingawayfromoneculturethatIwaspartofandcomingtoanotherthatIhaven’t

beenin,myinterestinmemoryfeelslike“aresponsetoandasymptomofarupture,a

lack,anabsence”asitisforBerdenstein(1999:14).Ilackthecontinuationofthe

Balkans’historyandIamabsentfromtheBritishone.However,Imightnotbemissing

anythingbecause“thereisnomasternarrativetoforeverfixthemeaningofa

historicalevent.Neitheristhereasubjectofhistorytomakeexperienceofit”,states

Buden(2007)andassertsthatwhatwehaveinsteadisculturalmemory,whichnever

recallstheeventinitsallegedoriginalmeaning,butratherthroughvariousshapesof

itsculturalarticulation.So,whatispresentedabouttheprotesthereisonlyone

versionofit,buteveryothertypeofitisalsounfaithful.

Still,itisnotliesasSturken(1999)notes,butreflectionstiedtootherimagesproduced

andcirculatedwithintheculture.

However,“thecrucialissueinthehistoryofmemoryisnothowapastisrepresented

butwhyitwasreceivedorrejected”(Confino,1997:1390).

InthecaseofSerbia,thereisdesperationtomoveonfromwars,butabruptlyandwith

acceleration,whichisnotonlycontinuinginthemanneroftherecentpast,but

eradicating50yearsofpeacewithinstatesocialismbeforethattoo.Societiesdevelop

notsomuchthroughrememberingthepastastheydothroughforgettingitandin

Serbiathispracticeisnoticeableandithasconsequences.“Whenmemoryiserasedin

onelocalsituation,thishelpstocreateatthesametimeafalsepictureofafixed

globalidentity”,commentsBadovinac(2007).Itisnotawonderthenthatifhistoryin

118

theBalkansitselfisgettingmodified,theBalkanpeopleinsistonbeingre-inventedin

thehomogenisedjournalsoftheWest.

Furthermore,Connerton(1989)suggeststhatmemoryisneverthesameandso,we

cannotbeeither.Ifwewouldholdtherecollectionsthatarealwaysthesame,we

wouldbemachinesthatdonotlearnorexperienceanythingaftertheseeventswe

haveinourmemory,whichwouldteachustothinkofthemandofthepeoplewithin

themdifferentlythanonthefirstoccasionthatwe‘lookedback’intime.

“Whoeverhasemergedvictoriousparticipatestothisdayinthetriumphal

processioninwhichthepresentrulersstepoverthosewhoarelyingprostrate...”

Benjamin,W.1940:391

Thesystemofcanonicalhistoryseemsfalseonbothsides–theEastandtheWestand

wecancontinueitbyblamingeachother.Aswelookattheseportraits,thepeoplein

themlookbackatus,butthroughlayersofgazes-theartists’,thesubjects’,the

audience’s,ourviewiskaleidoscopicandblurred.Thememoryinthemshouldbe

decipheredandclearedasavision,notunderstoodasalostrealitytoberediscovered.

“Researchersinterpretingthememorialtracesofindividualorcollective

sufferingsandabusedosonotonlytohonourhistory'svictims,deadandalive,butin

thehopethatmemorycanvanquishrepetition.Moreover,whereasbooksandbodies

can,andcontinuetobeburned,anyattempttodistortmemoryarguablyleavesits

tracesintheformofinterpretable‘silencesandformsofforgetting’(Passerini,1983)

which,onceseized,constitutethememoryofandthegroundsforresistance.”

Radstone,S.2000:10

119

CHAPTER4

ARCHIVEASPRACTICE–Re-enactingthepast

Myarchiveisessentiallyastorytellingmachine.Itmediatesmyprocessofemersion

intoitasboththeresearcherandthesubjectofresearch.Iammyarchive.Myarchive

representsme.Itsimagesexposedefencelessness,vulnerabilityandillustratethe

conditiontheobjectsareinortheconditionsthesubjectsputthemselvesinforthis

interventionin‘thereal’atthetime.“Thesilenceoftheabsoluteimage”givesa

possibilityoftestimony,announcesBell(2009).Theportraitssay“Iwasthere”,the

picturescalltobecountedtoprovidejusticeoftheexperience.

Objectification

Iadvocateforanobjectificationoftheobjectsaspurematerial,textureof‘thething’,

physicalentities,butthinkingofthemassignifiersofcontextwithinwhichthey

operate.Objectsarealikeourselves-unstable,jellylike,whimsy,shaky,ambiguousand

withoutmeaninguntilweinscribeittothem.Weobjectify,rationaliseandconstrain

theirlooseness,abstractionandvagueness.Wecreateborders,taxonomies,labelsfor

whatisunclear,pulsating,changinginordertocontrol,utilizeandtamethose

fluctuating,relationalanduncertainentities.Iamdoingthesamewithmymemory

hereandIamopposingthatpraxistoo,rebellingtheWestwithWesternpractice

whereIsituatetheEastinordertoshowtheimpossibility,ineffectiveness,uselessness

ofdataifitisfixedinframes.

"Icangofurtherandfurtherintothewilderness;becauseit'sonlytherethat

transformationcantakeplace.MyBlackSquareisabareandframelessiconforour

times.AriseComrades,andfreeyourselvesfromthetyrannyofobjects."

Malevich,K.1915-1932

Theunderstandingofprotestliesininterconnectednessofitsobjects-images,badges,

placardsofferthenarrativethatwecanonlysense.Theywerepurposelysubversive

andseparatedfromthespacethatregularlystoreddirectmessagesprovidedby

120

Milosevic’snomenclature,aboutthegreatnessofSerbs,thenecessityofwarsandthe

constantscepticismtowardstheWest.

“Thieves”–writtenontheprotestbannerwastooobviousfor‘dominantreality’,but

“SomethingisrotteninthestateofDenmark”workedontwolevels:thereference

wastotheself–thecommunityonthestreetwasmostlyaneducatedbunchandthey

wererebellingagainsttheirmastersthroughthepowerofknowledge,organizingtheir

ownallegianceviarecognitionofthejoke.Asophisticatedremarkmadebythegroup

referredtotheregimethatdisplayedthetraitsof‘thecommoncriminal’whostole

votestoproclaimvictoryinlocalelections.Thisistheseconddimensionthatthese

objectsreflected–theirholders’disagreementwiththegovernment.

Their‘secondhand’natureprovidesthebasisofcollecting,whichdoesnotliein

“exactness”,in“silkreeling”or“thecompleteinventorizingofalldata”,asBenjamin

(1931:478)describes;itisinAppadurai’s(2010)potential,inthepossibilityoftheir

meaning,theirconditionandrelationswhentheyareplacedtogetherinrealityor

virtuality(Benjamin,1931).Itisalsointheaudience’sroutetodiscoveryofthe

collectionanditsobjects.

Therepositoryofprotestartefactscanonlybeamediatedversionofitsnarrative,

evenmoresothananyarchive.Workingonitisthegoalandinmycaseforyearsto

comeinordertorehabilitateandre-livetheevent,buttherealexcitementcomeswith

‘whatif’.Whatiftheseobjectswerecreatedatthesametimeorpresentedindifferent

partsofthestreet?Whatiftheirownersmet?Whatiftheywerenevertakentothe

street,wouldtheprotestbethesame?Thepotentialinandoftheserelationsiswhat

makesthefuturebrighterandbearablefortheprotesters,eventhoughithasits

limitationsduetoourownexhaustiveenduranceinsuchpraxis.

Benjamin(1931)evenusestheword“protest”tomarkthearchivalpractice.Hethinks

offidelitytothethingas“thewilfullysubversiveprotestagainstthetypical,

classifiable.”Thissensefortheobjectdefinesthemethodologyemployedhere–the

subject,theobjectandthepracticeofcollectingareinterwovenandthatapproachis

121

instrumentalinthisresearch.Iamcollectingandatthesametimerejectingastandard

archivalactbyreceivingguidancefromthecommunity,whichallowedmetohave,

photograph,scanandexchangetheirartefacts.Workingthroughprotestsouvenirsis

whatmattersbecauseitpermitsrepositioningoftheobjectsandthecollector

him/herself.Thismethodisobjectingthespaceandthetimetheregimeleftforthe

protesters,butitisalsoobjectingtheregimeofrepresentationthiscollectorfoundfor

herselfandherarchiveinthenarrativesoftheEastandtheWest.Thecollectorhas“a

relationshiptoobjectswhichdoesnotemphasizetheirfunctional,utilitarianvalue-

thatistheirusefulness-butstudiesandlovesthemasthescene,thestageoftheir

fate”(Benjamin,1931:60).

Itisthatstatusofthetheatricalthattheycurrentlyhold,whichisinvestigatedhere,

butthereisasentimentalattachmenttotheseartefactsandadesiretomakethemto

performthepasttoo.Manybadlyshotimages,rippedpostersandblurredplacards

haveagreatervalueinmyarchivethanjustbeingpiecesofpaperandfabric.Dueto

theircontextualandhistoricalworth,theyareapreciousevidenceoftheeventthat

thecollectorandthepubliccan(re)encounterthroughthem,forgingalifeoveragain

andsharinghistory.

Archiveaspoliticalpractice

Criticsoftheriseofmemorystudieshaveaskedcansocietiesreallyremember

togetherandisspeakingofcollectivememorysimplytospeakofideologyorpolitical

fantasy.ThisisapertinentquestioninthecaseofBelgrade'sprotest–politicalfantasy

featuresprominentlyintheeventandthearchivingofitscreativeremnants.Fantasy

settlesinthememoryofitscollectortoo,whoisthewitnessandcreatorofdigital

objectsandtheirpublic‘premiere’,butnowalso,theirinterpretation.Furthermore,

theprocessoftheircollationismostlydislocatedfromtheterritoryoftheir

‘happening’,theplacethatiscriticisedduetoitsideologicaltraits.Inthisrelational

contextofresearch,theintrinsicephemeralityofmemory–thefantasyitembodies

andtransportsplaysanimportantrole,expressedinthepracticalaspectofpresenting

data-digitalarchiveascomputationalartwork.

122

Thevirtualdemonstrationofthearchivedrawsontheelusivenatureofmemory,

hencethisprotestcollectioncanneverclaimtobeahistoricalresource“…[W]hatused

tobethoughtofasobjective‘historicaltruth’isinfactstronglyinfluencedby

ideological–politicaland/orreligiousaesthetic,philosophicalandother

preconceptions”(Segal,2013).Myarchiveisanartwork,acreativepodiumofthe

eventfromhistorywhoseobjectsfromphotographstocouponsarealsoartpieces,as

wellasitsbodyofevidence.Thearchivehighlightsitsownfalseexistence,butpoints

tothetruth.Thattruthisalwaystheonlyonewe’vegot,eventhoughitisjustapoint

ofview.

“Whenyoupoliceaboundary…youbelieveinit...Bycontrast,whenyoustudy

aboundary,itisputatrisk,denaturalized,perhapsmodified,perhapsmaintainedfor

strategic,notessentializingreasons.Thesameistrueforthespecificfantasyofoptical

purity…westudyit,butwecannotquiteendorseit.Inordertohistoricizeit,itmustbe

de-essentialized.”

Bal,M.2003:264

Thequestionthattheprotestarchiveposesiswhyinsistontheboundaryandwhoor

whatisinvestedinsuchassertion?BuildingapathfromtheEasttotheWestandback

ispolicingaboundary,butgoingaroundbothandarrivingatthebeginningofthe

journeymightbescopingandscrappingfortheunderstandingoftheintricaciesthat

eachofthosepartsoftheworldcarryintheirhistoryandculture.

Theactofconstructingtheprotestarchiveanditsanalysiscontributestothe

narrowingofthevacuumofknowledgeexistentaboutBelgradeprotestandabout

artworksthatcriticizetheregimeonitsownterritory.Mypracticeisrelyingonformats

usedthenandtriestocontinuethelegacyofrevoltthroughkeepingitsmediumandits

aestheticalive.

ItsfunctionnowistorebelagainsttheregimeofthepopularrepresentationofSerbia

inWesterncircuits.AsTodorova(1997:59)reveals:“Inthefaceofapersistent

hegemonicdiscoursefromtheWest,continuouslydisparagingabouttheBalkans,

123

whichsendsoutmessagesaboutthepoliticizationofessentializedculturaldifferences,

itishardlyrealistictoexpecttheBalkanstocreatealiberal,tolerant,all-embracing

identitycelebratingambiguityandanegationofessentialism”.Still,theprotesters

criedinsolidarityforanewsocialcontractdifferenttotheonedeliveredtothemby

thestateandlateron,theWesternworld.

Itlookedliketheprotesterscreatedanearlydemocraticsociety–inclusive,

transparent,freeinspeech,butitwasnotsustainedbeyondprotest,notonlybecause

ofthe(de)pressingrepresentationoftheBalkansintheWest,butbecauseofthe

economicstatewhichdoesnotallowforthesevaluestobeupheldbyconstantly

focussingsolelyonsurvival.

Archiveasactivism

Iamdoingthisresearchasmemoryfades–amemoryfedbypersonalexperience,

directmemory,bothmineandtheprotesters’.Iamattemptingtocaptureitbeforeit

vanisheswithmeandotherindividualmenandwomenoritisreplacedbynew,recent

andmorepersuasivememories.Ialsowanttorecordtheeventfortheonesborn

later,whocanneverhavetheexperiencesthatothershavehad.Beinglostinthe

presentanddraggedthroughthepastfortheirfuturechoices,Serbianeedstofind

waysofcommunicatingbetterwithitsyoungergenerations,helpingthemtolearn

aboutthehistoryfromitspeopleratherthanofficials.

Tothinkoneselfintothehorizonofexperienceofanothergenerationisaquestionof

education,tactandsensitivity(Schlogel,2008).Itrequirescarefulnegotiationwith

well-knownandpersonalstoriesconnectingtheprivate(individual)andpublic

(collective)memorybyweavingthepresentthroughthepastandthepastbythe

present.Inmywork,memoryisdemarcatedasastateofthemind,consciousand

unconscious,whichisencompassingevents,representationsandexperiencesfromthe

past.

Iamtryingtobeguidedbythatinheritedintergenerationalnotionofmemoryanduse

itasamethodtocreateanarchivethatwillnotdeveloparemembrancesoconcerned

124

withthepastthatitforgetsthepresent.Sometimesitiseasiertoexistinapastthatis

transparentandself−contained,thanintheuncertainandobscurepresent.Thisis

Serbianow,itis‘thewayoflife’.Anobsessionwithhistorycouldbesothatonecan

avoidthepresentandforSerbs,ithasbecomehabitual.Mytaskistherefore,a

delicateaffairanditrequiresthatIworkwithhistoryinanon-traditionalway–a

conundruminitself.“Devotiontothedeadthatisnotbornebyrespectforthelivingis

somehowunconvincing”(Schlogel,2008:8).Derrida(1994:18-19)concurswith

Schlogel:“Withoutthisnon-contemporaneitywithitselfofthelivingpresent,without

thisresponsibilityandthisrespectforjusticeconcerningthosewhoarenotthereof

thosewhoarenolongerorwhoarenotyetpresentandliving,whatsensewouldthere

betoaskthequestion‘Where?’’Wheretomorrow?’‘Whither?’”

Insteadoffocusingonthearchiveastherepositoryoftruth,Iperformitasawayof

acquiringknowledgebecausedealingwithartsandculture,especiallyduring

dictatorshipsisimpossiblewithoutaccountingforthepoliticalstate.However,the

archiveattemptedhereisitselfapoliticalapparatus,notonlybecauseitiscreated

aroundthepoliticalactivity,butthechoicesthataremadetocollectartefacts,the

formatandmethodologyofgatheringdataarepoliticaldecisions.Iamseizingthis

archiveanditsassociatedcollectiveconsciousnessasatoolforresistancein

counteringdominanthistorywithdifferentnarratives.Thisisdonebecausethearchive

isnotsimplyaplacetoamassmemory.Itisasitethatcanrenderthehistoryofthe

presentmorevisible,whichcanuproottheauthorityofthepasttoquestionthat

present.WhathasbeenwrittenabouttheBalkanscanbeinterrogatedinthearchive.

Itisinperpetuatedrenewalandtautnesswithinwhichthepastandpresentcome

togetherandhopefully,influenceeachothersothatabetterSerbiacanbefound.

InordertounderstanddevelopmentsinSerbianhistory,itisnecessarytofollowa

cross-disciplinarypatternofinvestigationasmanyeventssimultaneouslyhappened

acrossseveralplanesandtheirinteractionmovedforwardwhatweknownowas

Balkanhistory.Adigitalarchiveasaversatilepodiumoftypesanddataisbettersuited

forobtainingknowledgeabouttheregionthantheusuallinearpresentationof

singulareventsinhistoricalannals,novels,anthropologicalrecordsorpolitical

125

commentary.Myarchivecoversarangeofobjectsthatrevealthis,frompoemsto

installations;theobjectsareholdingintheirvarietyaplethoraofhistorical

possibilities,routesandoptionsforhowtheeventdeveloped.

“Iamanoldwomanwhoiseagertoemptythosewords,theyarenotcarriedanywhere.”

Celovic,J.201149

Production,use,destructionandwithdrawalofimageryhappenintheprocessesof

shapinghistoryandmemory.Heterogeneoussources-analogueanddigitalarchives,

institutionalandpersonalaccountsarevehiclesforhistoriesfromwhentheyemerge.

Weneedtoquestionthemwhenconsideringtheirartefactsas‘evidence’orwecan

acceptthosemethodologiesinthem,likemyarchive,asaninterpretationofhistory.

Furthermore,digitalculturalformsdonotjustreplaceorsucceedanalogueonesas

VanDijck(2007)accentuated.Newtechnologiesareinfluencedbyremediationand

mergedwiththerepresentationalstrategiesofolderforms.

Benjamin(1931:60)notesthatpossessionofathinggeneratesirrationalaccents,but

headmiresexactlythis.Forthecollector,hisitem,itsoriginandpastallcloseranksas

“amagicencyclopaedia,aworldordering,whoseoutlineisthefateoftheobject”.The

archivehasbeenaestheticizedandreveredfromafar,butnotunderstoodascritical

practice,whichishowIamtryingtoworkwithitinordertocontain,organize,

represent,renderintelligibleandproducethenarrativeoftheprotest,whichcanstand

asapositiveexcerptfromSerbianhistory.

Iamalsoapplyingself-historisation–amethodologypracticedbySlovenianart

collectiveIRWIN(2006),whichworksfromanimaginaryhistory.“Historyisnotgiven”,

theycry,“pleasehelpconstructit”50.Myresearchisacontributiontothatcall,trying

notonlytonarratetheself,butalsothecommunityofprotesterswhohadsimilar

49Celovic,J.interviewin201150Irwin(Eds.)2006EastArtMap:ContemporaryArtandEasternEurope,London:AfterallBooksis

establishedaftertheworkgeneratedontheirwebsiteAccessibleat:http://www.eastartmap.org[25.1.2015]

126

viewsabouttheregime,butdifferentbackgroundsandarenowdispersedaroundthe

worldorsettledinBelgrade,battlingyetanotherregime–amutationofneo-

liberalismandpost-socialistexperienceofcapitalism.Iamnotonlymakinga

collection,butalsoacommunityaroundthecollectionandIhavealreadyachievedthis

inpart,withBalkanisingTaxonomyproject.

Archiveasastage

Belgrade'sprotestwasaneventwithacityasitsstage.Itsarchiveattemptstouseits

artefactsinthesameway–spillthemthroughitscompartments,allowingtheobjects

toinhabitit,sotheywinthespace,likethecitizenswonBelgradeduringthe

demonstrations.Thetemporalityofbothconditions(physicalandvirtual)iswhat

connectsthem–protestunexpectedlyflashesthroughpilesofobjectsofcollectors’

memoryandglobalhistorytoo,aswesuddenlycomeacrossitsartefactswhile

browsingthenet.There–online,thecollectorisagainapartoftheprotest

community.Thelongingtogathertheartefactsisadesireforre-constructingthe

community,morethantherebuildinganeventofprotest.Theaimofthisattemptisto

reachoutandcommunicatewithpeoplewhoweretogetheronthestreetsonce,

almostabletoachievethechangeofregime.

In1989,afterthefallofcommunisminEasternEurope,thearchives−thedepotsin

whichthememoryofanation,ofasocietyisstored−wereopened.“Ahistorical

activitygotunderwaythatpreviouslycouldonlyhavebeencarriedoutabroad,inthe

West"(Schlogel,2008:4).Interestingly,itisstillthecaseinSerbia,informationis

inaccessibleandsomecollectionsarebettercompiledinWesternEurope,notonly

becauseformerSerbia’sleadersattemptedtocoverupthestoriesofresistanceby

forbiddingtheupkeepandaccesstotheirrecords,butcurrentSerbia’sleadersare

moreconcernedwiththepartypoliticsandEuropeanUnionmembershipprospects

thantheissuesofthepastanditspreservations.Here,inWesternEurope,emergeda

spaceinwhichthenormalisationofSerbia’shistoricalmemorycouldtakeplaceand

restorationcouldbegin,howeverbasic,flatandpartial.

127

IwatchedtheArabSpringwithtearsinmyeyes.ThememoryofBelgrade

demonstrationssurgedin,andIlongedtobeonTahirSquarewiththeEgyptians

crazedwithajoyofpotential.Afewmonthslaterandtheirmilitaryisnotsurrendering

power,eventhoughthegovernmentdid.JustlikepoliticiansinBelgrade,withtheir

childreninOxbridgeandtheIvyLeague,theywerenotpreparedtogetridofthe

lifestyle,whichtheregimefuelled.Theytookthegoverningposts,onlychangingtheir

sideandsuit,butnotabandoningtheirclass.Theyhavedonewhateverwasnecessary

tokeeptheirsocietalpositionandifthatmeantdesertingpartyprinciplesandshaping

themfortheopposingandextremeones,theycomplied.So,‘we’,theSerbsgot

democratswhowereex-Milosevic,talkingwiththeEUonpost-socialismandthe

democratisationofSerbiaeventhoughpeoplelikethemhadrunthecountry

backwardsforyears.Theoneswholetusdownarenownegotiatingourposterity.

Whatunifiedtheprotesterswhocamefromallwalksoflifewasthestruggleagainst

Milosevicandthewilltochangetheregime.However,therewereseriousdifferences

amongtherepresentativesoftheresistanceandtheiropposingviewswereneverto

formstrongunionsbasedonthesamevalues.NationalistsandLGBTactivists,refugees

andradicalpartiesstoodbyeachotherinafreezoneofprotest,buttheirprevious

controlbytheregimetamedtheextremesbetweenthem.Facedwitheachotheron

thestreet,ledbythesamebattlefordismantlingthatcontrol,theyrecognizedtheir

differencesandstillkeptondemonstratingtogether.

Unfortunately,afterthefinalsurrenderofMilosevic,thenewregimeproducedan

ambivalence,officiallyknownastransition,whichcausedevengreateranimosity

betweenthealreadyformedsides.Notguidedintheirbehaviourbythenational

government,theinternationalssteppedinaswithallotheraspectsoflife.Thevariety

ofSerbiancommunitiesandpartiesleanedtowardswhoevertheylikedwithoutfearof

authority.Theyvisiblydisplayedtheirinterests,oftenconflictingtheirownviewsfrom

thepastandmostlyforthepurposeofgettingthetenders,votesandmediatime.Let

loosefromthedictatorship,onecouldnowbeanyoneandanythingandthis

appearanceofnewidentitiescombinedwiththepowerofcapitalquicklybecamethe

strongestqualityinthenewlyestablishedsystemofvalue.

128

Archiveashistory

Theoriginsofthearchivecataloguelie,literally,inlistingobjectsincludedin

repository,displayorcollection.Brecht’shybrids,photo-epigramsthatwerepublished

asabooktitledWarPrimer(1955)inEastBerlinweredesignedaspractical,portable

‘monuments’toaidfuturegenerationsin‘criticalremembering’(Korner,2006).Even

thoughIpackagemydatacreativelyandhence,purposelyproduceartwork,itspieces

likeBrecht’scomefromhistoryandhighlightpreciselytheprocessthroughwhich

historyisbuilt–fromscratches,whichfindtheirwayintoitorgetadvocatedforbeing

visible.

Adocumentislessofaproof,butrathersupportspossiblehistories.Still,postcolonial

andsubalternvoicesspeakthroughthedocuments(inparticulartheimage)andtheir

powerthenisimmediate(Spivak,1988).Tohaveahistoryatallratherthanbe

historicizedbytheWest,demandschallengingtheideaofhistoryandconstantself-

narrativization.BydoingsointhisresearchIwanttoimprovethenebulousrecordthat

thedemonstrationsof‘96/’97haveinBalkanhistoryannals,butIalsohopetofollow

upIRWIN’smethodologythattheartistIlyaKabakovterms“self-description”inthe

articlebyPetresin-Bachelez(2010).

“Deprivedofagenuineviewer,critic,orhistorian,theauthorunwittingly

becamethemhimself,tryingtoguesswhathisworksmeant‘objectively’.He

attemptedto‘imagine’thatvery‘History’inwhichhewasfunctioningandwhichwas

‘looking’athim.Obviously,this‘History’existedonlyinhisimaginationandhadits

ownimage...”

Whileundoinghistory,Iamcreatingittoo,re-assemblingastorybyincludingwhatis

missing,inevitablyinscribingmyselfandscribingmylifethroughtextandimage.An

imagecontainsamultifacetedthought-process,asbelievedbyIRWIN,readytooffer

newinformationtothespectatorwhoactsuponit.Thisinteractionbetweenthe

objectofanimageanditsviewercreates‘aspectator’whocommunicateswiththe

imageviaevolvinginformationandnotthroughthelureofillusion.Itistheinteraction

achievedthrough‘thememory’oftheimage,andnottheimageitselfthatinserts

129

meaningtohistory(Santorineos,2009),whichIamportrayinghere.Iamimitating,re-

creating‘theoutside’perspectivethatwe,theprotestersdidnothaveatthetime,

becausewewere‘inside’ofthe‘representational’container.

Archiveasmedium

Themassmediaportrayscomplicatedrelationshipsinsuperficialandsimplifiedways

whiletheimpressionofauthenticityandhistoricalaccuracyisacquired.Eventhough

theavailabilityofmaterialsonlineincreasestheselectivenessandprovidesuserswith

‘individualtruths’,aproblemaswellasanadvantageoftheInternet,isthatthe

mainstreammediasaturatestheaudiencewithitsnarrow-linenarratives,neglecting

muchoftheeventscomingfromthecommunitiesthataretechnologicallyill-equipped

ordonothaveEnglishastheirlanguageofcommunicationtoasserttheirown

experiencesinto‘theworldlyview’.Still,theInternetisausefulmemorystage,which

offersdiscussionandvirtualsitesofremembrance.Iuseitasaplanefor

representationinmyresearchandanactivemethodologicaltool.

Themostobviousselectionprocessinthemonumentofthearchiveisthatoftypifying

thetextandimagestofollowthepathofassortment.Thisprocessisanattemptto

applyanddeviseamethodofrepresentation.Archivesavesandprotectsmemoryand

isarecordofadesireforpreservation.However,therhizomaticstructure(Deleuze

andGuattari,1972)ofmyarchivedefieslinearityintermsofthegathering,chronology

andsystematisationofthetextandimages.

Thisresearchisabouttheinabilitytobuildasuccessfularchive,eventhoughIdenote

anduseitasapractice,adisplay,amethod,atool,aplatform,atext,amap,animage,

aresource,arepository,alaboratory,agallery,amuseum,aclassroom,aparadigm,a

stage,anactivism,astory,anetwork,anobject,anartwork,aproduct,adiary,a

technology,anarrative,adatabase,amemory,aconnection,arelation,abridgeanda

passagetothepeople,totheplace,tothebelonging,tothepast,tothepresentandto

thefuture.

130

Myarchive‘anarchism’isillustratedbythegroupActiveArchives51thatworkson

deconstructionoftraditionalwaysofcreatingandusingarchives,whichbytheirbelief

constrainedthedocumentsinthem.Digitaltechnologyallowsfortheirexpansion,but

demandsaparticularpositioningandsituatednessonthenet.ArtistGraham

Harewoodadvisedmetobeatthelinearityofthearchivebynotclassifyingthedatain

itatall,butbyprovidingvisitorswithhardwarewherenothingissorted.Iremember

myfirstencounterwithInternetandIimaginehowitwouldbeforacontemporary

persontoenterthespacewherethingsarerandom.Intheworldwhereallisfluidand

mobile,Idonotwanttocontributetotheanxietywithapieceofresearchwhereitis

notpossibletotakeresponsibilityforthegivendata.AsinmyYugoYogaproject,Iam

awareofthenarrativethatIammakingandIwanttobeidentifiedasthepersonwho

questionscanbedirectedto.

“Asaculturalandhistoricalphenomenonit[theprotest]couldbetoBelgrade

morebeneficialthanitisnow.IconsideritavaluablepartofthehistoryofBelgrade.It

isaperiodwhenbesidesallthetroublesandproblems,peopleweresmiling,enjoying

thelaughterandbecomingfriendswitheachother,eveniftheydidnotknoweach

otheratall…therewassolidarity,socialawarenessanddirectingpeopletoeach

other.”

Joksimovic,D.200752

Abulkofmaterialformyarchiveiscorruptedbytheinterpretationsand

representationsofitatthetimeithasbeenconfidedtomeaspeoplearenot

indifferenttohistory.These‘facts’arecreatedbytheinterviewees,researchersand

mediaandIcanonlymakeyetanotherstoryoutofthem.

Digitaltechnologiesarepartofthesystemoftransmissionthatischangingour

structuresofknowledge.Thepracticeofarchivingnowadaysquestionspresence,time,

space,embodiment,sociabilityandmemoryaswellascopyright,authority,

51Activearchivesmanifestostatesthat:“Practiceswhichcantakeplaceonlineorinvariousgeographical

places,andwhichcanbeatvariousstagesofvisibilityforreasonsofrightsofaccessorforreasonsofresearchandprivacyconditions.”Accessibleat:http://activearchives.org/wiki/Main_Page[25.1.2015]

52Joksimovic,D.interviewin2007

131

accessibilityandpreservation.Therefore,wecannotassumethateveryonecanbehis

orherownarchivist.Inowunderstandmypraxisasmore‘alternative’ratherthan

‘counterarchival’becauseIdoworkagainstthedominant,whichIhaveto

acknowledgeandengagewith,inordertoproposedifferentmodelsofarchiving,but

Iworkalongsidebothofthosepossibilities–archivingtheprotestindividuallyasa

protestparticipant,forthepublic.Iamcontestingtheexpectedsetupsbyproducing

casestudies–uniquevesselsofunexpectedcontentthatlinkbackandforthtomy

theory.Thatexperienceisimpossibletotransporttoanotherpersonandinfullasitis

alwaysexceptionalandframedbytheagendasbehindthecapturingandtransmitting

process.

CaseStudy

BG:LOG

TheBG:LOGprojectwasbasedonthebeliefthatcultureofrememberingand

communicationofmemoryinpublicspacecontributestocommunitycohesionand

incitescitizens’involvementinthedevelopmentoftheirneighbourhood.Itaimedat

recallingandsafeguardingoralhistoriesandmemoriesandrecognisingtheimportance

ofcommunitymemorypreservation.Wewantedtokeepthememoryoffamily

houses,importantbuidlings,yardsandstreetspacesspecificforBelgrade,aswellasto

preservetheeverydaylifebytheordinarypeoplethroughlocalstoriesthatwehave

listenedtosincewewerechildren.

Theproject’sactivitiesencompassedworkshopswithcitizensrelatedtothewayoflife,

urbanandcommunityadvancementofBelgradeaswellascreatingpostcardsanda

multimediaon-linemapdisplayingoralhistoriesandthememoryofthecommon

people.Itwasenvisagedasaparticipatoryprojectthatexploredthescopeinwhicha

cultureofrememberinginaparticularurbanplaceaffectsbasicprinciplesofits

functioning–connectionwithinthecommunity,asenseofbelongingtothecollective,

careandresponsibilityofanindividualforthecommongoodandthequalityofthe

localenvironment.

132

Theinnovativenessoftheprojectliesinthemethodologyappliedtotheworkwith

workshops’participantsanditisoneoftheexamplesofmycontributiontoacademic

knowledgeinthisthesis.Thewholeprojectwasconceptualizedastheresultofan

intergenerationalcollaborationanddialoguebetweenseniorcitizensandyoung

people,asmemoryequivocallyinheritstheirexchange.Eventhoughthestructureof

theworkshopsandmethodsapplied(groupandindividualinterviews,discussions,

narration,creativewriting,practicalworkwithdigitalmedia)weredefinedinadvance,

theprojectteamwasopenandresponsivetotheneedsofparticipants.Thisresulted

incontributors’commitmenttotheprojectandinalternationofourmethodology

whenitsuitedthem.

Thecityhasbeenthroughanumberofchangesduringthelast60yearscausedby

socio-politicaltransformationsofthecountrieswhosecapitalithasbeen.Therefore,

thefindingsoftheprojectpresentapartofwidercorpusof20thcenturyEuropean

memory.

Figure19:Postcard(front)fromthepilotproject,designbyKatarinaSasovic

Iaskedtheresidentstodescribethelocalitytome,aswellastheirlivesintheareajust

astheyrememberthem.Asoralhistoriesweredecanted,supportedbyafew

photographs,Belgradeemergedasasiteofdestructioninthe1st,2ndworldwarsand

theBalkans'warsinthe’90s.Featuredbyitscitizensasaconstantplaceofchange,the

extremesofpovertyandwealth,whicharecommontourbanstructuresparticularlyin

capitalistsocietiesseemanordinaryinjusticetoBelgraderswhoareusedtoboth

sufferingandcelebratinglife.Ifonedidn'tencounterthesacrificestheymade,one

133

wouldthink,asmostoftheworlddoes–thattheyarecrazy.DuringMilosevic's

regime,Serbsacquiredanappreciationofsmalljoysasastrongtraitalongsidetheir

postulatedviolentcharacterduetothefearthathespreadtotheneighbouring

countries.Notonlyhasthepracticeofdictatorshiponhisownnationbeenneglected

inthatassessment,butSerbsbecametheembodimentofterrorintheviewofthe

globe.Ihopethatthisprojectandmywholeresearchencouragespeopletoaskwhyis

itthattheyareperceivedinsuchway.

Pilotproject–Daysofremembrance

ParticipantsofthepilotwerecitizensofBelgrade’scouncilofVracargatheredaround

TheAssociationofVracar’sPensionersandpupilsofhighschoolslocatedonthe

territoryoftheborough,aswellasuniversitystudents.Groupsizesvariedfromsession

tosession,butthetotalnumberofparticipantswas25.

Seniorsmainlymappedthememoryofthelocalareathroughpositioningthedots,

whileyoungonesconductedinterviewsandparticipatedindiscussions,editingand

processingthecollectedartefacts.Duringthepublicpresentationoftheproject,they

weremostlythehosts,explainingtheprocessandthemediationofthemapcontentto

visitors.

Thesessionswereattendedbyanincreasingnumberofparticipantsduetowordof

mouththatspreadamongthelargegroupofVracar’spensioners(friends,neighbours,

relativesetc.).Eventhoughwetookthenecessarystepsinordertoanimateyoung

people(distributinganon-linecallforparticipation,visitingschools,presentingthe

projecttoschoolofficialsandteachers),communicationwithschoolrepresentatives

failedgiventhattheirsupportandcomprehensionoftheprojectwascrucialfor

engagingpupilsinalargernumber.Still,theoneswhomanagedtobewithuslearnt

howtoorganizeandpresentcollecteddataandartefactsforthedigitalrealm.

Withthisproject,Ihavetriedtoanswersomeofthequestionsthatwereunderpinning

mythesis:Howdocitizens'memoryimpactlifeandconnectionswithinthe

community?Inwhatwaydoesthepastcontinueandbecomepartofthepresentby

134

preservatingthenarrativeofthecommunitythroughitsoraltransference,written

recordingandvisualcommunication?Howareprivatehistoriesandmemoriesmade

presentinpublic?

Thesequestionscameoutofmyobservationofalackofsolidarityinpublicspace

illustratedbyadoormatchainedtothestairsatmyoldbuildingtopreventtheft.At

thesametime,theftwasregularlyoccurringinthebasementsandwiththeriseof

povertyandnationalism,‘others’(Gypsiesinparticular)wereblamedforthatwhen

onlyresidentshavethekeysofthemainentranceandthebasement’stwodoors.

Figure20:Chaineddoormat,photographbyNelaMilic

TheinterviewwithAleksandraSekulic,thearchivistofCZKDabouttheprotestin

Belgrade,servedasapointofdepartureformyacademicinvestigation.Shetoldme

thatVracarci(peoplefromtheboroughthatmyoldstreetborders)areguiltyforthe

poorstatethatSerbiaisinnow.Iwonderedwhoarethesepeopleandhowtheyrelate

toeachother.Didthedepartureofsocialismcausethebreachoftrustinthe

communityandifso,doestheendofsocialismmeantheendofthecommunity?

Takenasaposhpartofthecity,affluentVracarhasbeenasoughtafterlocation,

especiallyrecently.Thenouveauricheareinterestedinkeepingtheirstatusby

becominglocaltothisboroughandtheyhaveinsistedonbuyingpropertyhere.

Impoverishedcitizens,particularlytheoneswhosehabitatconsistsofshabbyhouses,

builteitherbeforetheWW2orthegoodonesthatworsenedduetothelackofmeans

formaintenancewerehappytosell.Thenewresidentsremadethemfrombungalows

tohighrises,creatingtunnelsfromsmallstreets.Somedevelopershopedthatthey

135

wouldselltheflatsexpensivelyandaskedforlargebankloans,butthefinancialcrisis

andthelackofprofessionalexperiencecausedmanyofthemtostopbuildinghalfway

through,leavingthesitesexposedtofurtherdeterioration.Vracarnowhasstreets

comprisedofamixofhighrises,19thcenturyhouses,buildingsites,socialist-realist

constructionsandvillas.Itisanarchitecturalmessandvisiblyaplacewithout

regulationsaboutthecitylandscape.“Developersarebesidepublishersthebiggest

moneylaunderingmafiainBelgrade,”saysIrenaSentevska,acolleaguewhoworksin

publishing.Thecorruptionseemsnottobeonlyofthesoul,butofthemindtoo.

Furthermore,thedivisionbetweenruralandurbanSerbiaisvastandhasalwaysbeen

substantial.Peoplewhoarrivedinthecitieshadandhavedifficultiestoadapttotown

rulesandforthatreasonBelgradeishardlyametropolis.Bothhostcommunityand

thenewlyarrivedactwithgreatsuspicionandjudgmenttowardseachother.This

relationshiphasbeencomplicatedduringandafterthewarsbecausemanyofthe

newcomerswererefugeeswhowereeitherprotectedorletdownbythestate.They

adjustedtothatsupportdifferently–somebyactingnegligentlyanddisrespectingthe

cityanditsresidentsandsomecontinuingtosufferinpoorhealthandworking

conditionsandlivingonthestreets.Thistensionbetween‘natives’and‘newcomers’

ontopofthepovertypromptedsomeoftheSerbstocallupontheTurksfrom

Ottomantimeswhotheywereproudofresisting.ConsideringtheprosperityofTurkey

incomparisontonowadaysSerbia,itisnotawonderthattheoldrelationshipisre-

figured.

Vracarciseemconnectedbythevaluesofthelifestylegainedmostlybeforeandduring

thesocialisttimes.Somementionedthepossibilityofchoosingwheretolivethrough

workandbuildingonthatproperty(oftenliterarily)butalso,byprovidingsubsequent

onesfortheirfriendsandfamily.Oneelderlylady’sfamilyownednineflatsbeforethe

WW2andthegrocerystorewherethepresidentofBulgaria,TodorZivkovandhiswife

MaraMaleevaworked.Manyofthemspokeabouttheinternationalrelationshipsthey

achievedthroughtheirprofession,holidaysandeducation,butalsothroughtrade,

amongotherthings,ofproperty.Thestate’ssupportofsportsallowedforthose

connectionstosparktooonbothlocalandgloballevels.Someparticipantsstillhold

136

thosestatelylinksthattheyofferedtoexploitforus,whichwetookasasignof

respectofourworkandasteelyreminderofhowSerbiastilloperates.

However,inthisnetworkedsociety,wealsolearntaboutoutstandingprofessionalism

–thestandardsatthejobsheld,theprideinthecompaniesworkedforandthe

appreciationoftheideologythathadbroughtthosejobsandhighlivingstandards.

Intheiraccounts,thestateofsocialismappearedasatimeofblissanditgot

prolongedduetothebenefitsthatcontinuedfromitsleft-overs,buttheclasssystem

enjoyedduringthosetimeswasn’tovert,visibleoradvertised.Itwasonlyaprivileged

few,manylivinginVracarthathadit.Thatsocialismwasn’tshelteringeveryoneand

themajoritywereinpoverty,whichcausedthewholesocietytobepulleddown,but

thosewhowere‘upperclass’withoutmanyofusevenknowingthatclassesexisted,

startedrevealingtheirstoriesofluxuryinourworkshops.

Iunderstoodthoseconfessionsasassertionsof‘proper’class,throughwhichthey

wishedtodistinguishthemselvesfromthenouveaurichesthatarenowmovinginto

thearea.Oldage,alossofhealth,retirementfromaworkingroleinlife,dementiaand

thelackofcarefromfriendsandfamilyforsomeofthemtookitstollandhistories

neverheardbeforepouredoutofourelderlyparticipants,oftenleavingusunsettled,

disconcertedandsometimesfrightened.Wewouldburstoutontotheroadassoonas

wearrivedatasafecorner,competingwitheachotheraboutwhohadgotthemore

powerfulexperienceoftheday,speakingloudlyaswecouldnotcontainthe

excitementofthetestimonythatweheard.

Athome,wewouldlistentoourrecordingsandexchangethembetweenotherteam

members,transcribingforhoursthoseaccountsofthecountrythatwe’dneverknown.

ThisparallelSerbiasometimesgotadirectintersectionintoourlives–wecould

identifytheplaces,thedailypractices,thefamilydynamicswhichcouldhavebeen

ours,butothertimesitwasanotherworldthatwedivedintoandswamthroughit

enjoyingtheexclusivityofapreviewthatwasinfact,anaftermath.Welearnedabout

137

thepastinthepresent,knowingthatwewerestoringitforthefuture.Wegorgedon

thearchivepractice,discoveringtheoldanew.

Wegotfeedbackfromparticipantsthroughtalksduringandaftertheproject.The

teamunderwentaninternalevaluationtoointheformofadialogueandanalysisof

aspectsofprojectimplementation.Themostimportantimpressionwasthatthe

approach,whichweappliedprovedtobeadequateandresponsivetothefieldaswell

astotheparticipants.Reactionsofbothgeneralandexpertpublicconfirmedthatthis

kindofpracticeintheprotectionandcommunicationofcommunitymemoryisneeded

andeffective.Therefore,therelationsandpartnershipsestablishedwiththeproject’s

participantsremainedafteritscompletion.

Wewereopenandimmediateinourexchangewithparticipantsfromthebeginningof

thefieldworkandwetriedtomakethemrelaxedbecausesomeofthemdidn’tfeel

comfortabletalkingaboutprivatememoriesandgivingpersonalremarksinfrontof

thegroup.Somehadbarriersbecausetheyhadn’thadanopportunitytoworkwith

artistsbeforeortoparticipateinculturalactivitiesofthiskind.Somehadthe

experienceofbeingused,manipulatedandfoxedformostlypoliticalpurposesand

theystoodawayfromus,butourapproachwiththeoneswhowemanagedtoinvolve

resultedinrelationshipsbasedonrespectandconfidence.

Themostbeneficialoutcomeforallparticipantswastheintergenerationaldialogue

throughwhichmanyquestionsthatwereimportantforthelocalcommunitywere

raisedanddiscussed.Seniorcitizensprovidedaninsightthatwashelpfulfor

comparingpositiveandnegativefacetsofchangesinthelocalcommunity,whileyoung

onesrecognizedthevalueofthoseaccounts,especiallysincetheperceptionofthe

commongood,belongingtoandsharingwiththecommunityhadsignificantlyaltered

inthelast50-60years.Theelderly,whoascustodiansofthesocialmemoriesoftheir

communitieshavetraditionallyservedas‘mnemonicgo-betweens’inourworkwere

continuingtolinkgenerations(Zerubavel,1996).

138

Figure21:Imagesfromworkshopparticipants’familyalbums,unknownauthor,anonymouscontribution

Withthisproject,Kulturklammer,atinyNGOandIdevelopedamix-methodapproach

(oralhistory,mapping,photoelicitation)forengagingawiderangeofpeoplein

reflectionandthisaddedexperienceandknow-howtothefieldofparticipatoryarts

andwearehopingtoformallyinvolveitwhenwemanagetoengagemorecultural

institutionsinourworkinthefuture.Currentlytheproject’sresult–theonlinearchive

displayedasamapisusedasaninformativedatasourceandabaseforfurther

developmentofalargestructureddataset.Therefore,itdeservesabettersupport

thanaone-offgrant-basedmaintenance.Anumberoforganizationsandinstitutions

arelinkedtoitthroughtheirofficialandsocialnetworksandthisshowstheinterestof

thoseculturalagents,butweneedacommitmentfromsomeofthemtopursue

growthandbuildthequalityandinnovationwithintheprojectthatwestarted.

BelgradeLog

Belgradeisacrossroadcity–notonlyaspotonthesilkrouteandthejunctionoftwo

longrivers–theEuropeanDanubeandtheBalkans’Sava;thecapitalofSerbiaisa

hypersitewhereitshistoricalpatchworkrevealsparalleltimelines.Theseare

embodiedinthepeoplesandplacesthatweworkedwith.Wewontwolocalgrantsto

runaprojectacrossthewholeofthecity.

Ourproject,nowcalledBG:LOG53,startedinsummer2013.Itstemmedoutofmany

concernsthatwehadwiththecityandhadheardfromourpilotprojectparticipants;

53BG:LOGprojectmap,KulturklammerAccessibleat:http://www.kulturklammer.org/bglog-mapa/

[25.1.2015]

139

fromissuesandquestionsofcommunity,labour,professionalism,politicsofspace,to

thenostalgicreachforbothpastandfuture.Firstly,wereturnedtoknown

collaborators;thepensioners’clubinVracar.Wewantedtospeaktothepeoplethat

we’dmissedlasttime,tofillinsomegapsintheheardstoriesandtore-kindleold

relationships.AsthepensionerswereandstillareapowerfulcommunityinSerbiaand

athirdofthemsupporttheirfamilieswiththeirpensions,accordingtonewsreports54,

theirrecommendationtootherclubsacrossthecitymeant‘afootinthedoor’forus.

Wedidnothavetoestablishcontactsanew-thecamaraderiebetweenfriendsofthe

samegenerationworked,sowewereofferedworkshopsintwootherboroughsof

Belgradethatwerecrucialfortheproject.Inthemonththatwehadtomapthewhole

ofthecity,weoptedforfourboroughsthatrepresentitsdiversity:themostextreme

onebyitsdemography–SavskiVenac,encompassingtherichareaofDedinjeandthe

poorareaofSavamala;thebiggestandthenewestborough-NewBelgrade;themost

separate–ZemunwhichhadnotoriginallybeenpartofBelgrade,andwasonthe

othersideoftheAustro-HungarianborderandVracar,anintellectualhubofthecityas

discussedabove.Thereweremanyboroughs,whichwewerenotabletocover,given

thelimitedcapacityofourteamandtheamountoffundswehad.MarijanaSimu,the

directorofKulturklammermanagedtheproject.Iwasemployedasanartistonitand

KatarinaSasovicwascommissionedtodothegraphicdesign.

WefirstvisitedBelgrade’sCityArchiveattheirheadofficeinNewBelgrade.Their

employee,SlobodanMandicwhoisinchargeofarchive’sonlinepresenceincludedour

mapontheir‘Recommendations’webpage.Hecongratulatedusonthepilotwhenwe

arrivedandaskedwhatmoreweneedtofurtherit.Wesuggestedgettingsome

archivalmaterialabouttheboroughsreadyforthepeopletodiscussspecificlocations

inthematworkshops.Weagreedtoengageahistorianwhohadalreadyenquired

aboutworkingonourproject,butshenevershoweduptoworkwithus.

54VecernjeNovosti(EveningNews)newspaperMay222013

140

Manyyoungpeopledidn’tcome.Onegirlcamehavingheardaboutusfromanother

projectandexplainedthatshewasespeciallyinterestedinourapproach.Shethenhad

tourgentlygoonholiday,andsodidnotobservetheworkshopsforherresearchand

wasnotabletorevealmoretohercolleagues.Shewasfromacompetinggroup–the

DorcolSoundMapprojectfromtheOldCity(StariGrad)borough.Afterourmapof

Vracarprojectwaslaunched,wehadbeencontactedbytheyoungcolleaguesfromthe

DorcolSoundMapwhohaddoneanonlineprojectconsistedofaudio-recordingsof

legendaryDorcolpeople.Theywantedtoknowhowweachievedourmapand

Marijanaexplainedthatweworkedinanoppositewaytothem–wetalkedtopeople

andtheyendedupexposingthemselvesaslocalheroes(literarily-Miroslavwas

proclaimedaheroofSavamalabytheOctoberSalon,acontemporaryartsfairinthe

area).Wedidnotspecificallytargetknownpeople,andwedidnotcreatecaricatures

ofestablishedcharacters.Thismeantthatsometimeswedidnotgetanythingfrom

ourresearchcontributors–ariskwewerewillingtotake.

Bynothavingexpectations,wegotthemostoutofpeople;bybeingquiet,waiting,

offeringablanksurfaceforthemtowriteon.Theyconfidedinusnotonlybecausewe

weresilent,butalsobecausethepeopleofBelgradeneedtotalk.Wehavewitnessed

thatoverandoveragain.Theneedtobeheardseemsstrongerthantheoneforfood

orwarmth.Evenmore,havingavoicematterstothemaslifeitself–theycannotsee

thefuturewithoutit,sotheymightaswellbedeadasnooneasksthemforanything

atpresent.Withourprojectweseemedtoberestoringtheirvisionofthecityand

keepingthemaliveinit.

Onourmap,theirvoicesarevisible,sometimesevenheardandtheiraccountsare

accessibletopeoplearoundtheworld.ThemapisavailableinEnglishandSerbian.

Theirtestimoniesprovidethecontentanddictatetheinfrastructureofthemap;their

storiesarethedotsandtheconnectionsbetweenthem.Inthewrittenpartofthe

thesis,IdescribetheprocessofworkingwithBelgrade’speopleandtheprojects,but

onehastovisitmymapsandarchivestoaccessthenarrativesofprojects’participants.

141

However,ifviolenceiswhatisenvisioned,wearenotstrengtheningcommunitywith

thisproject;wearehandingitthetoolstoripitapart.FilmmakerLeniRiefenstahl

‘only’providedaplatformforHitler’sviews.Hesupporteditbyofferingthemeansfor

herworkandindoingsoinfluencedtheGermanpsycheatthesametime.So,wehave

beencautiouswiththewayweexposedthedata,whichweobtainedattheworkshops

-somewererevealedasaperformance–assertedforinclusioninthemapbytheones

whohadanagendaforparticipationandsomewerepassedoninconfidenceand

unintendedforthepublic.Therefore,wehadtotreadcarefullyinordertointervene

withoutharminthesocial,politicalandeconomicfabricofthislocalhistory.

Furthermore,ifwewerenavigatingtherelationshipwithparticipantsoftheproject,

wewouldbeinchargeofitsdirectionandso,wewouldholdthepower.Howcouldwe

thenthinkofitasparticipatoryproject?ChrissieTillermentionedincorrespondence

withmetheparticipatoryintensityasoneofthemeasurementsforsociallyengaged

projects.Iembracedthatcriteriaasabadgeofhonourandacceptedtojoinherteam

tocontinueresearchonparticipatorypracticeintheprojectTimeCase–Memoryin

Action55.Shesuggestedtwomorecategoriesforassessingparticipation:themeansof

productionandthecontentofthework.Ourprojectwinsonbothstandards.Wehave

adjustedthetoolsthatweusedaccordingtotheparticipants’desiresandwetook

picturesandrecordingsonlyfromandoftheoneswhowantedtocontributethemto

ourmap.

Somepeoplethatwemetinthewinterprovedmoreimportantinthelocalcommunity

thanwethoughtinthesummer.Theyspokeoftheirpoliticalaffiliationsnow

unashamedly,offeringthemtousifweget‘introuble’:“HereisMayorDjilas’smobile

phonenumber”.IunderstandthatgiftastheBelgradeelite’straditionalwayof

‘gettingthingsdone’-throughconnections.MycolleagueMajaJovanovicremindsme:

“BelgradedoesnothavearistocracyinEuropeanterms”;‘theelite’thatspeaksof

connections,squaremetersofflatsandspendinginEurosistheclassofpeoplethat

55TimeCase.MemoryinActionisanetworkoforganisations,groupsandindividualsinterestedin

participatoryartsand20thcenturymemorypractices.Accessibleat:http://www.timecase.org[25.1.2015]

142

formedinsocialisttimes–thegroupwhohadafunctioninthesociety,sotheywere

simplycalled‘functioners’.

Theyheldhighprofilejobsatinstitutionsandorganisations,wereabletoemploytheir

childrenandschooltheminternationally,buyflatsinwealthyareasandthecitycentre

andgoonexoticholidays,likeotherrichEuropeans.Thisiswhyonewouldthinkof

themas‘ouraristocracy’,butthatisfarawayfromtitlesandestates.Still,theylearnt

fromeachother–therichEuropeansandourestablishmentthatmanagedto

purchaseflatsfortheirfamiliesthatlaterwentabroadtoavoidthetroublesinthe

countryandtheyarenowcollectingmoneyfromrentingthepropertytheyleftbehind.

Additionally,theirpoliticalsympathieskeptthemonthestate’ssideandtheyobtained

itsperksthroughthoseconnections,replicatingtheorderoftheWest.So,ourfirst

VracarmapcanbereadasadarkdisplayofpoliticalpowerexistinginSerbiaduring

socialisttimesandcontinuingunderMilosevic.Itisalsoahumorousdepictionofthe

community,butifonereadscarefullytheCZKDarchivistCaca’swordsabout‘people

whoareguiltyforeverything’ringthrough/true,astheyseemtobetheoneswho

couldhaveinfluencedchangeinthecountrywhenitwasmostneeded.Evenifthey

tookpartindemonstrations,theyweretherewhenitwastoolate.“Ihavetotalkto

Braca–hisauntisTito’swife”,saidoneofthemandwalkedawayfromtheinterview

withme.Oldpowerstillrulesanditisclearlyfavouredoverotherarrangementsfor

addressingcitizens’needs.

OurworkshopparticipantJelenagaveusthelowdownonBelgrade’shistoricalsitesas

anamateurhistorian.Weencouragedhertothinkdifferentlyandtounderstandthat

wewerenotthatinterestedinofficialhistory.Shedoesn’thavetotellusaboutthe

orderofmonumentsinKaradjordjevparkweexplained.Instead,shetoldusaboutthe

medievaldoorfoundwhenalocalpoliticiantriedtobuildaparkinglotthere.She

contactedtheCentrefortheProtectionofCultureandtheyarrived,openedthedoor

andfoundatreasureforwhichsheonlygota‘thankyou’call.Wedidnotreallyknow

whoissafeguardingcultureandnow,itseemstobedonebythepeoplewhosesense

ofcommunitywasinstilledduringthesocialisttimes.

143

ThenwegavealecturetoVracar'spensionersastheyhadaskedforourstories‘fora

change’.IchokedhalfwaythroughwhenIwastalkingaboutthebombingin1999.Old

peopleandus,theyoungonesastheycallus,unfortunatelyhavethatincommon-a

bondofwar-anexperiencedifficulttoneglectwhenknown.Itislikenooneelse

comprehendswhatwehavetakenpartinandwehopenoonewill,butamong

ourselves,thereisarespectandunderstandingbecausewesharesuchan

extraordinaryevent.Someoftheelderly,likewetheyoung,havegonethroughit

severaltimes.

However,morecheerfulstoriesofwater-theDanubeandSavariverskeptbubbling

uptothesurface,connectingthecitytoitsotherparts,betterthanitsarchitectshave

done.SavskiVenacborough,wherewemovedtonexthasfourbridgesaswewere

told,sothenarrativetiestherewiththewholeofBelgradewereboundtobestrong.

Iwroteablogwithstoriesofcommunityliving56.Thepostrevealingthestoryabout

thefirstliftinMisarskaStreetmadeusalllaughandpointedouthowweusethelocal

spaceco-habituallyforsharing,engagingandlearningabouteachother.Ihopedto

offerideasaboutparticipants’equalitythroughtheinteractionsfromtheseprojectsto

asmanypeopleaspossiblebecausetheirseparationfosterselitism,offersasenseof

exclusivityandstopsdevelopmentofcommunalspirit.Ifonewantstobepartofthe

collective,onehastoadoptarole-notaspecialone,butonethatisascrucialasthe

restoftherolesare.Iwishedforotherstofindpleasureinbeingoneofmany,working

asagroup,inateam,butIwasawarethatitisdifficulttosuggestthatapproachto

somecommunities.ArtistsinSerbiawhoareeducatedinschoolsatpresent,mostly

becausetheybelongtotheelitealready,thinkoftheirpartinsocietyassoloartists,

separatedevenfromeachother.Notoneoftheartacademiesprovidesanoptionfor

workinginagroup,orcollaboratively,letaloneinaparticipatoryway.Onecanonly

developasanartistintheirdepartmentasa‘magical’,‘idolised’,‘cult’persona.With

56Milic,N.2013BlogBG:LOGprojectwebsite,KulturklammerAccessibleat:

http://www.kulturklammer.org/view/179[25.1.2015]

144

ourproject,wewerebringinganewartspracticeaswellascitizens’engagementthat

hadnotbeenusedmuchinSerbia’sculturalcircles.

Inourdealingswiththegovernment,wedidnotgofarupthehierarchicalladderwith

thecityorthestateemployees.Marijanakeptexplainingtomehowitallworkswith

thefunding,whichwewoninapubliccompetition.Ormoreprecisely,howitdoesnot

workbecauseitwasonlywhenwehadalmostfinishedtheprojectthatwegotpaid

fromtheCitySecretariatandMinistryforCulture.Agovernmentofficialhadbeen

unobtainableforthreemonths,unabletosignacontractwithusinordertorelease

thegrant.Ironically,bothMarijanaandIknowhimthroughfriendsandcolleagues,so

wehad‘aconnection’,butitdidnotwork.Besides,therewasanotherelectionanda

changeofstaffintheMinistriesasthenewpoliticalaffiliationsbegun,sowedidnot

expecttohavethatsignatureforsometime.ThenewMinisterforCultureistheHead

ofthePhilharmonicwhoreceivedthenewpostaccordingtohispopularityinjudging

an“Xfactor”typeoftelevisionshow-thatwasthelevelofculturalrecognitionamong

hispartypeers.

Atonepointduringtheproject,MarijanadecidedtocontactMinistry’sfinancesoffice

directlyandshewastoldthatwewouldbepaiduponprovidingreceiptsbutthatonly

ones,whichwentthroughherbusinessaccountcouldbevalidated.Thiswouldmean

thatshewouldhavetohavethousandsofEurosinherbankaccountinadvanceofthe

project.Marijanasuspectedthatshewasnottheonlyonewhocouldnotsatisfythis

condition,andthewomanontheothersideofthephonelineconfirmeditwasa

problemforeveryonewhogotthegrant.“Icannotdothisanymore”,Marijanasaidto

me.“IpracticallyworkfortheMinistryandtheytreatmewithcontempt.”Ifelt

terrible.IencouragedMarijanatokeepherorganisationgoingandhopedtoprovide

fundingfromtheUK,butIdidnotmanagetodoso.

Westartedtheprojectanywaybecausewehadgottheapprovalofthestate,cityand

theboroughgrantandwethoughtthatthiswouldbeenoughtosustainus.Themoney

didnotcome,butIbroughtmypersonalfundfromtheUKandMarijana’smother

provideduswithmorecash.Ihadn’trealisedthegravityofthesituationthatMarijana

145

wasinduetoherwork.IhaveneverbeenenthusiasticabouttheNGOsectorreplacing

stateprovisionofculturalfacilitiesasNGOsdonothavethecapacity,staffing,profile,

knowledgeorexperiencetoworkasbastionsofcultureinthewaythatnational

institutionscan,butincurrentcircumstancesprofessionalslikeMarijanaandher

organisationareallthatSerbiahasofculturalactors.

WebeganourprojectjustafterculturalworkersinBelgradeheldademonstration

againstthegovernment’sdecisionnottosupportitsexistingculturalprogrammes

determiningthemnottobeastatepriority.Ifeltguiltyforgettingthegrantfromsuch

astate,guiltyforworkingwhenmylocalcolleaguesdidnot,guiltyforbeingaforeigner

takingtheirmoneyasIwasawarethattheyareperfectlycapabledoingevenbetter

jobandprojectsthanme.IalsofeltguiltyfortalkingMarijanaoutofclosingher

organisationaftersevenyearsofgoodwork.“Idonottakepleasurefromforeigners

beingdelightedwithmywork,Iwanttobeappreciatedhere”,shesaid.

Figure22:Picturesfromworkshopparticipant’sfamilyalbums:invitationtotheball,weddingphotoandthelocalswimmingpool,authorsunknown,anonymouscontribution

ProjectMethodology

Westartedextendingthepilotintoafull-scaleprojectwithalongerseriesof

workshops.WereceivedinformationonplacesinBelgradeviaparticipants’

reminiscenceinvariousformats-throughnarrativeandphotoelicitationaswellas

mixedmediathattheyincludedthemselves.Webeguncreatingarepository,which

demandedadisplaythatwouldallowforallthoseobjectstoberepresented.

146

Throughthatcombinationofmethods–audio,visual,literary,wedevisedawayof

working–amethodologyitselfconsistingoftheseaspects,whichwereapplicableto

differentstagesoftheprojectordifferentprojectcontributors.Weconcludedthatnot

allpeoplehadphotos,notallweregoodstorytellers,notallwouldwanttheirpicture

taken,butallwhowantedtoneededtobeabletotakepart,soitwasuptoustofinda

wayforthemto.Wehopethatwehavedonejusticetotheaccountsthatwegotfrom

ourcontributorsbydiversifyingtheexistingethnographicmethodsandapplyingthem

indigitalspaceinordertocreateanonlinecollectionforotherprojectsand

investigationsthatmightspringfromit.Wefoundasolutionfortheexposureofsuch

accountsindisplayofthemascategoriesonthearchivemapofthemanydiscourses

thathadbeenexposedthroughourproject.Wedevisedanonlinearsenalthat

exhibitedourobservationsofthecity’sphenomena,therapidlychangingdemographic

andphysicallandscapesthatclashwiththepreviouspoliticalandsocialsystemsthat

hadbeenentrenchedinthisenvironmentfordecades.

Withtheprocessofthemapandarchivemaking,weexploredtheperformanceof

history.Asthemapwillbeusedbymanygenerationswhowillnaturallyhavedifferent

personalhistories,itpresentsaplacewheretheycometogethertofindacommon

story.Weinvestigatedthisfurtherbyaskinghowtheyremembertheeventsthatthey

shared–accordingtotheircompany,theirworkortheirstageoflife?Iwasparticularly

interestedintherecollectionsoftheprotestthatpoppedoutoccasionallyandwere

swiftlypulledawayfromother‘citydelights’–thestoriesofyouthandurban

developmentfromtimeswhenbothweresafe.

Werecordedmemoriesdigitally–withanaudiorecorderandcamera,atechnique

thatcanbefurtherdevelopedbyotherswhowishtocompileadigitalarchiveasaway

ofdebatingwhatisimportantinsharedhistories–thepeople,thestories,theimages

orsimplytheprocessofreminiscenceconductedbythegroupsandindividuals

involvedinit.Inourproject,everyonewasinvitedtohaveaninputinhowwe

selected,uploadedanddisseminatedthecollectionthatwecreatedandthen,howwe

exhibitedit–asaninstallation,apostcardoravideo.Iofferedwritingand

147

photographytutorialstoprojectvisitorsandparticipantswhilstdevisingthearchive,in

ordertoconnectthedotsonthemapthroughconnectingpeoplewhocametoshare

thememoriesandthenthefriendshiptoo.

OurVracarprojecttookaweekandthesubsequentBG:LOGwasamonth-long

engagement.Wesawthataninstantrecollectionofthepastwasdifferenttoalong-

termreminiscence.Bothgivebirthtostories,butoneisusuallypersonalandso,

emotionalandimmediate;theotheriscollective,reflectiveandholistic.Theyare

equallyvalid,butitistheirdifferenceandthetensioninwhichtheylivealongsideeach

otherthatinspiresmyworkwithmemory,history,technologyandsomywhole

academicandartspractice.

WemovedonfromtheheartofBelgradeanditsstoriesofgardens,rugbyandlabour

tothebordersofthecity–theboroughofZemun.Wemetmostlymenattheir

pensioners’clubandtheyturnedupreadyfortheworkshopwithhistorical

paraphernaliaabouttheirlocality.Ienteredwithacolleague–theartistJelenaIlicwho

isfromtheareaandwantedtoexperiencetheworkshopsthatwewererunning.

Iwasdisappointedatthestart.MarijanaandKatarinaarrivedearlyandinthehasteof

gettingourrecordingequipmentoutofthecarandparkinglot,theywerehurledinto

theclub’spresidentofficewherehepositionedeveryoneandgavepermissionto

speak.Itriedtobreakthatsetupbymakingajokefromthedoorwayandaskingifwe

shouldn’tgooutsideastheweatherwasnice.MyBritishstrategydidnotworkhere

andIwasgivenachaironwhichtositandlistentolecturesfromtheinvitedpeople;

thosehighprofilemen(museumcurator,chiefofthefirestationetc.)whonarrated

officialhistorytous.Theirillustrationsandrecordsofitwerelovely–aballroom

dance,picturesoflocalsignposts,newspaperarticles,butwedidnotcollectmuch

personalhistoryeventhoughItriedtointerruptpresentationsacoupleoftimestopull

themout.

Awaitresswasorderedtocomeinandserveusadrink,soourrecordingscapturethis

commotiontoo.IfeltthatwehadwastedourtimeandIaskedourteamforde-

148

briefing.Iexplainedthatweshouldneverstartbeforethewholeteamwaspresent

becausemanyofthesocialrelationsthatweshoulddepicthappenedsimultaneously.

LikeinVracar,whenonepensioneroragroupcamelateandwewereinthemiddleof

theworkshopwiththeothergroup;ifoneofuswasinthecontrolofit,theother

wouldmoveawayandworkwiththatlatecomerorgroup.Onehadtobeattentiveto

noticewhensomeonewasintheneedofwaterorabreakandtousethatopportunity

topressformoreinformationorre-stagetheconversationifitwasnotgoingwell.

Wehavetoallowworkshopparticipantstoleaduswiththeirstories,butwemustbe

inchargeoftheworkshopspace–bothphysicalandimmaterialviaitsnavigation.

Otherwise,wewouldcollectwhatwehaddoneourfirsttimeinZemun–pre-planned

fabricandwhatparticipantsimaginedwewanted.

Conversationisalwaysmediated,justlikememory,butwemuststrivetowards

conditionswheretheunexpectedhappensandweexperienceitscreationonthespot.

Thisiswheretheworkshopbecomesacreativespace,intheexchangeofgoods,

whereour(facilitator’s)andtheir(participant’s)intentionsmatch,ratherthanone

leadingtheother.

Marijanatookmyfeedbackstolidly,insistingthattheydidnothaveachoice,but

acceptedtobepositionediftheworkshopwastohappenatall.Weaskedifwecould

gathercasuallyatthecaféinthegardennexttime.Theclubpresidentallowedthisand

wemanagedtohaveourregularworkshopthedayafter,wherewegatheredsports

storiesandtheirchampionswhowalkedthroughtheirgloriouspast.Myunclewas

amazedwhenheheardthatwehadmetPartizan’steamfootballchampionMarko

Valok.Likemyfather,hesmirkedatour‘pensioners’project’,sowewerepleasedthat

ourparticipantshadimpressedouraudienceonthisday.

ZemunresidentswereproudoftheirAustro-HungarianheritageandoftheirDanube.

Theykepttellingstoriesofwaterthatspilledtoournextworkshopwiththeresidents

ofSavskiVenacborough,theareabyanotherofBelgrade’srivers–theSava.Those

twogroupsofcitizensplayedoffeachotherwithoutknowingit,asweworkedwith

themseparately.TheZemuncrowdcomplainedaboutvagabondswhoknockedover

149

thewatermelonsfromtheboatsastheywerearrivingfromSremthroughZemun’s

waterstobesoldinthecity’smarkets.SavskiVenacresidentsadmittedthatitwas

themwhowerewaitingintherivertopullawatermelonofftheboatandlettherest

fall.Asthewatermelonsfloated,otherswouldfetchthem,avoidingawhipfromthe

rascal-readyboatman.Belgraderswerecorroboratingtheiraccountsandindoingso,

creatinganidentityofbelongingtothecity.Theywerereminiscingaboutthepast

whereconflictsweremeaningless,givingthemselvesanopportunitytoremovethe

lossfromthoseclashesandgainspaceforacollectivefuture.

InSavskiVenac,atthefirstworkshopwestumbledacrossthewriterofalocalhistory

bookanditwashardtomakehertounderstandthatwewerenotlookingforofficial

history,butpersonalones.Shetalkedoverpeople,sowepositionedourselvesinfour

cornerswiththehelpofyoungpeoplefromourVracarprojectandtriedtoencourage

otherstospeaktoo.Manydid,especiallywhenthewomanleftandwestartedmaking

friends.Theywereenthusiasticaboutouractivityintheircentreandtheycameagain,

bringingmorestoriesandmaterialsandtheyofferedusotherengagementswiththeir

localinitiatives.

Wewereinvitedintheirhomesandwecouldseesimilaritiesindemographics–class,

ageandgenderwithVracar’spensioners.TheirMajdanheadquarterswasbuiltforand

usedbychildrenaspertheresidents’request,soSavskiVenacpensionersonlyused

thesefacilitiesfortheirgatherings.Thatintergenerationalcontextresonated

throughoutourworkshopbecausemostofthestorieswerefromchildhoodorrelated

tochildren.Oneoftheparticipantsprovidedapossibleanswertoourquestionof

solidarityduringsocialisttimes–thereweremorechildren,aproofofwhichisthe

photographofaboutfiftywhoalllivedinonebuilding.Weleftthemasrejuvenatedas

theyleftus.

150

Figure23:FromJelena’sfamilyalbum,authorunknown

WhenwearrivedinNewBelgradeanditspost-warpensioners’clubourenthusiasm

suffered.Mostoftheresidentsinthisboroughwerepoliceandmilitarypersonnel

fromTito’sandMilosevic’stimeswhentheyenduredgreatbereavements.Weheard

aboutlosthomes,sonsandjobsandBelgrade’snarrativesturnedsourandbleak.They

rarelysmiledevenwhentheyjokedandtheyspokeaboutacceptanceofpoverty,war

andhardship.Theyprojectedhope,buthadlittleofit.Theywereangryaboutthe

currentstateofaffairsinSerbia,grievingthepastlivesofboththelivingandthedead

andtheyconstantlyasked:“whatwewerefightingfor”?Weheardmostlyabout

YugoslaviaratherthanSerbiaorindeed,Belgradeandagainwitnessedtheneedto

talk,thedesiretoexpresstheunspoken,totellthestoriesthatpresschests,choke

throatsandwhentheycomeout,theydosointhesmokeofcigarettesencirclingevery

siteinthecity.

Wecollectedallthestoriesanddraftedthemapfromthenarrativesinourrepository.

Theywereofdifferenttimes,differentcommunities,differentareasofBelgradeand

werealisedthatourVracarmapwasasmallprojectincomparisontowhatfacedus

now.Wehadtodividethenewdigitalmapinsectionsthatcouldloadaccordingtothe

users’desiretoviewaparticularpartofthecity.WecontactedtheGeodeticCouncilto

clearthecopyrightofthemapthatweintendedtouse.Theynotonlyrefusedthe

partnershipwithus,butforbadeustousetheirVracarmap,whichwehadgotfrom

thecouncilauthoritiesforourpilotproject.Theythreateneduswithacourtorderand

wantedustopayfortheuseoftheirmap.ThisiswhyMarijanawantedtogiveupher

151

organisation–shedoesnotgetasenseoffuturewithcolleagues,henceshedoesn’t

holdabeliefinthedevelopmentofthesectoritself.

WetookVracar’smapoffKulturklammer’swebsiteandstartednegotiatingtheusea

differentoneamongourselves.Ourprogrammergaveusexamplesofothermaps,but

HistoryPinorGoogleMapswerealreadysetpiecesofwork,whichIwasreluctantto

includeintheoriginalartworkthatwehadjustproduced.Ourgraphicdesignerwas

readytomakesomethingelse,buttheadvantagesofnavigationinstalledbyGoogle

andothercorporateswereimpressive.WealsotriedtocontactotherBelgrademap

providerstoseeiftheywouldrecognisethebenefitsofpartnershipwithus–we

wouldinherentlypromotetheirmapbecausewewereplacingdotsassightsofinterest

onit.However,Marijanarefusedtocontinuehoping.Shehadhadenoughofthe

agonyandencouragedmetoaccepttheavailableGooglemapasthebackgroundfor

ours.Googlewon,myresistancewasfutile.

WhenGoogletriedtomapKaludjerica,‘wildsettlement’ofBelgrade–theunlicensed,

unlawfulandunpermittedbuildingareaontheoutskirtsofthecity-itsvehiclegot

lost.TheresidentstoldstoriesthroughlaughterofaguyinthecarwiththeGooglesign

andthecameraontopofitaskingforhelpoutofthemarshesandpitsthathehad

falleninto,andaskingfordirectionsinthewhirlofunnamedroads.Corporationslike

Googlereignthroughordersofpower.Withouttheabilitytoenforcetherulesof

order,theirpowerisdiminished.Withouttaxonomy,thereisn’thierarchy.Without

hierarchy,nobodyisontop.GoogledidnotlikethatandBelgraderspaidthepricefor

itduringtherecentfloods.GISthatwasnotestablishedintheregionbecauseofareas

similartoKaludjericacouldnotprovideessentialinformationfordisaster

management.Thelocalitysufferedfromthelackofknowledgethatcouldhavebeen

utilisedthroughtechnologyofGoogle.

IaskedDraganStanojevic,mycolleaguefromthesociologydepartmentattheFaculty

ofPhilosophy,whatprojectIshoulddonexttimeIcametoBelgrade.“None”,hesaid.

“Youarethinkingintermsofpost-capitalism,asaLondoner.Wehavenotevengone

throughcapitalismheretoseebeyonditandcomebacktocommunity.”Ilefthimwith

152

myheaddown.WasIpushing‘togetherness’onBelgraderstooearly?Whatifthe

conditionsneverariseforittohappen?ShouldIthennoteventry?Whatwouldit

meantogiveup?Wouldlocalartistsfinallytakeover?

Figure24:TheworkshopatVracar’spensioner’sclub,author:MarijanaSimu

153

CHAPTER5

POSITIONALITYANDREFLEXIVITY-Narrativecartography

“Eastisarelationalcategory,dependingonthepointofobservation...”

Todorova,M.1997:58

Locationandpositionalityareusefulconceptsforinvestigatingprocessesand

outcomesofcollectiveidentification-theclaimsandattributionsthatindividualsmake

abouttheirsocialposition,theirviewsofwheretheybelong(Anthias,2002).

IcapturedthestreettheatreofprotestinthefilmStreettheatreImadethatwas

screenedattheBiennaleofYugoslavSocietyforStageDesignandtheArtofSpectacle.

MyfilmtreatedthecityasastageduringBelgrade’sprotest,theapproachthatmany

artiststookatthetime,notonlybecausethethemelentitselftothecircumstances,

butbecauseourvocationalmethodwastoparticipateinthedemonstrations.

Together,wewerelessfrightenedabouttherepercussionsofpubliclyexposingthe

materialthatwasforbiddentobroadcastformorethanamonth.

Alsoajournalist,Iwasontheprotestwiththecrew.Theprotestersapproachedus,

askingforwhomweworked.Theywereeagertosupportforeigncorrespondentsas

thelocaltelevisionwouldn’tmentiontheprotest,buttheywerereadytoknockdown

theemployeesofnationaltelevisionthatwerealsoonsite,recordingforthestate.My

positionwas,asJoksimovic57hasexplained:“Us,journalistsconsideredourselvestobe

apartoftheprotest.Weprovidedlogisticalsupport,likeaskingpeopletobringhot

drinks,allnight…Itstartedprofessionally,butitquicklytransformedinapersonalfight

becauseasajournalistIwasbeatenupbythepoliceandtakentoemergencyward

wheremyheadwasstitched.Iexperiencedthatasapersonalattackontheprofession

andme.Mostofmyactionslateronwereapersonalrevolt.”Forthisreason,whenwe

couldnotbroadcast,wegavethefootagetoforeigners.

57Joksimovic,D.ininterview2007

154

Myfamilycametosupportmeatthebiennale,evenmybrotherdid,butthefilm

disappearedfromthetelevisionarchiveandmyhome.Iaccusedmybrotherfor

erasingit–heworkedfortheMinistryofForeignAffairsandwehaveneverapproved

ofeachother–differingasmanandwoman,asscientistandartist,asoppositionand

state.Hesworethathedidn’t.Weneverspokeaboutitsince,butIfindthatmythesis

is,amongotherre-cyclingendeavours–ofthepast,friendships,memories-are-

constructionofthatartpieceandmaybearelationshipwithmybrother.

IreadoneofJohnSimpson’sbooksabout“themadworld”.ItstartswithBelgrade–

thatmadcitywherehewasduringoneNATOcampaignin1999.Madnessisnota

naivecategoryhere.Bjelic(2009)discusesitasapoliticalfactor,acharacteristicwoven

inthepathologyoftheWestandimposedontotheBalkanssinceFreud.Bjelicclaims

thatFreudhimselfunderminedtheBalkansinordertofitintotheWest.Milosevicdid

notallowthethenBBCworldaffairseditor,Simpsontohaveacrew,buthecouldstay

inSerbiaonhisown.SoSimpsonborrowedmine.My‘boys’weresplashingaroundthe

Hyatthotelinthecityandcouldnotbebotheredtocomeoutofittosheltersand

bombsiteswithme.Theyweregettingforeignmoney,sothesenseofnationalpride

wasoverridden.TheBBCwas‘agig’thatmighthavetakenthemplaces.Whatplaces

didIhavetooffer?YearslaterIfindSimpson’sbookonaBrickLanemarketpavement

pitch.IlookatthephotographfromBelgradechapter.Thecaptionstates“ourcrewin

Belgrade”.Balsa’snameisspeltwronglyandMicadoesnotevenhavesurname.

Positionality

Orientalism(Said,1978)isaconstructthatworksthroughitsrepetitioninwhich

storiesre-enactthepresenceofthoughtsandideasabouttheOrientasatextual

presence,whichinturnmarksitselfasrepresentationinwordsandimages.

OccidentalismisaformofresponsetoitdevisedbyCarrier(1995)andsubsequentlyby

BurumaandMargalit(2004)wheretheydevelop‘thepicturing’oftheWestthrough

theeyesofitsenemies.OccidentalismispracticedbyfemaleartistsinEasternEurope,

especiallyperformerswhokeeprepetitionasamethodofcancellingtheissueitself.

Theartistsarenoterasingthepast,butinflictingandinfectingasubordinateprocess

155

oftaxonomywithinwhichtheyareobjectsofobservation.Byunderminingits

technologyofclassificationandinstillingtheirownnarrativesinthesupposed

modernityoftheWest,theyareactivelyreconstitutingtheirothernessintoanew,

self-shapedidentity.

Thelargeamountofmis-representationcannotbeeradicated,sotheyhavesentitto

oblivionbymakingitempty;revealingitasanideologyandavaguerhetoricthat

doesn’thavemeaningbecauseitgetsconstantlynarrated,tillthatstorydissolvesand

doesnotmatter,asanechointhebackgroundofamoreimportanthappening.

“Wehadsomuchhappen,forusharrowingthings,whenonefinishes,theotherstartsandthenthatotherpressestheimpressionsoftheprevious…thatwasallhappeningonthestreetsandsomehowitallgotinterwovenandifitisinourmemory,wewouldhavegonecrazy,itisluckythatweforget…”

Zitnik-Paunovic,S.201058

Dayton’sagreement,whichwassignedbytheleadersofallthreecountriesinthe

Balkans–Serbia,Bosnia&HerzegovinaandCroatia,iscolloquiallycalledHolbrooke’s

agreementasthenAmericanassistantsecretaryofstateRichardHolbrookemanaged

togatherpresidentsMilosevic,IzetbegovicandTudjmantocomeupwithamapfor

disputedterritoriesinex-Yugoslavia.Asnoneofthesenationswerehappywiththe

result(SerbiagaveawayasectionofRepublikaSrpska(SerbianRepublic)forwhich

Miloseviclostthetrustofmanyofhissupportersandsostartedhisdownfall),

HolbrookeandtheUSwerecelebratedaswinnersofthedealthathadallegedly

stoppedthewar.AsaresearcheratthetelevisionstationAl-JazeeraEnglish,Ihadthe

opportunitytoviewthefootagefromthevillagesonthenewlyestablishedterritories.

Herethemembersofonefamilywhoareawareofthekillingscommittedbytheir

neighboursacrosstheriverdon’thavetherighttotakethemtocourtastheynowlive

inanotherstate,butwatchthemeverydaygoingabouttheirbusiness.Onecountry’s

heroesareanother’swarcriminals.

58Zitnik-Paunovic,S.interviewin2010

156

Thisparadoxisacommonleftoverofwars,complicatingpeaceandreconciliation

processesandleavingtraumaticconsequencestoliveon,escalateanddeviate.How

muchishumanlypossibletoovercomeisthenaquestionofanindividual’sstrength

andaconstantchallenge.Asnobodyis‘plucked’fromhistory,thisauthorisneither.

OnthewaytoNorwichwheremycousinlivesfromHeathrowairportduringtheNATO

campaignonSerbia,Isawthebombersfromthebus.Aftersleeplessmonths,Iarrived

inanenemylandlookingforshelteronlytofeellikeatraitorthemomentIreached

safety.ApartfromallowingBritishreaderstoputmyobjectivityintoquestionwiththis

information,Iamdealingwithotherobstacles,onealreadydeliberatedon:inthesea

ofwritingsabouttheBalkanwars,canthestoryofprotestmatter?

OtherhurdlesconsistofthefactthatEnglishismysecondlanguage,especially

becauseIdidn’tcomehereforschooling,somy‘speech’istheproductofthecompany

Ikeep,whichismostlypoorLondonEastEndresidentsandotherrefugeesandasylum

seekerswith‘tough’and‘disadvantaged’epithets.Mysocialstatusofrefugeeand

studentdonotprovideanadequatethronefromwhichtochallengesomereputable

academicswhoclaimtheBalkanstobetheirareaofexpertise.Furthermore,Iwaspart

oftheprotestmorethanfifteenyearsagoanditsimportanceforme,livingoutsideof

Serbiamightbeanostalgicreachouttomycountryoforiginandso,insomepeople’s

view,mighthavelittlescientificsignificance.Finally,Serbiahaschangedwithinthe

periodthatIwasaway.Itsactivistsembraceddifferentrolesandnowspeakofthe

protestthroughthem.

Still,everytimeIcomebackandseetheonesIsharedthestreetswiththatwinter,

theyspeakabouttheprotest,orifnot,theyfinditintriguingthatIamwillingandable

tocollectthatmemory.Theyspreadtheirnetstohelpoutandgenerallyrootformein

silence.Ifeeltherespectasafriend,butmoreinterestingly,Ithinktheyappreciatethe

jointexperiencingofsomethingthatwasextraordinary.Eventhoughitwasa

dangerousattemptatrevolution,itwastheendoftheroadforpeoplewhohad

nothingtolose.Beingthere,whilethisroadwaswalkedoniswhatgivesmea

reputationof‘thesisterSerb’amongmyfieldworkcrowdandtheyallowmetoaccess

itwithawelcome.

157

However,mynowphysicaland‘hardcopy’libertythatIhadwithmyBritishpassport

ofjumpingfromtheWesttotheEastandbackisnotpossibleformanyofmyfamily,

colleaguesandresearchparticipantsandononeoccasionduringaninterview,Ihave

beentoldsoinadisturbingway.Beingaddressedas‘You,English’59refutedmyhistory

inSerbiaandmademefeelsadthattheyearsoffriendshiparecloudedby“my

Westernpracticeofinterviewingdesperatepeopleforpersonalglory…”

Workingthroughwarcrimesdata,inordertospeakofaglimpseofgoodaboutthe

Serbsseemsnotanimportanttaskandthisviewofmyfrienddisappointsinequal

measureaswhenSerbiantennisplayersaresupportedtowinagameagainstallthe

countriesinvolvedinSerbianwars.Itistheirregistryofpaybackthatshinesthrough

andsoIkeeptheradarofmediationonmyownwritingthatcanbeusedasan

interrogationofthistwo-waytrafficofrevengeorIhavejustbecomeliberalaspermy

workingenvironment,shootingmyselfinthefootoradoptingthecustomarypractice

ofself-censorshipexercisedindictatorships.

Inthesearchformy‘lostcommunity’Iamalsoadjustingmyrecollectionsandthey

sometimesappeartomeandtoothersasschizophrenic.Oftendivingintoandunable

togetoutofthepast,fromtimetotimeIembracedaphilosophyofcontradictory

thinking,allowingmyselftochangemymind.Havingcategoricalideasatfirstwithin

memorydiscoursewasalostbattle,henceIunashamedlyswitchedfromhavinga

stronglineofenquirytofollowinganunravellingofmyownandotherpeople’spasts.

Myauto-ethnographicapproachtoresearchisaconstructionoffictioninthecentreof

whatIRWINdefinesasself-historisation.ItisamethodfordemocratisingtheWestern

arthistorythatrulesthetrajectoryofhistoryofart,byinvitingartistsfromEastEurope

toincludethemselvesinitbyarchivingtheirworkandinscribingitinaglobalart

history.MypositionalityisidentifiedbyRogoff(2000)asworkingincontrasttoa

59Milicevic,D.‘Kokica’interviewin2010

158

traditionalmodelofarthistorywheretheknowledgeobtainedisdistant,universaland

abstract.

WhenIgototheeast,Iamoftenofferedartworktailoredaccordingtowesternworld

referencesinordertodisplayitintheUK.Itisnowonderthattherehavebeenlittle

considerationfortheregion’sculturalheritageonitsowntermswithoutrelationto

other,better-knownhistoricalcultures.IntheBalkans,arthistorieshaveoften

followedthetrailofnationalhistoriesdevelopedwithemergingorconsolidatingWest

Europeanstates.Tocountertheinvisibilityofitsotherhistories,itisessentialtomake

theterritory’sculturalpastmoreknowableaccordingtostandardsinhistoricalandart-

historicalresearch,sotheclichésofBalkan-nessarealleviated.

“Us,whoarecommittedtocultureandidentitythathasnotbeeninherited

fromonehistoricallydominantgroup,wemustbecomethemainstreaminorderto

changeitfromtheinside.Toooftenwesettleforset-asideandparticularised

institutionsonthemargin,dealingwithamarginalisedregion”(Early,2008:40).

However,itishardtofindthedatatosupporttheviewoftheBalkansoutsideofthe

studyofnationalismandanycreationofsuchinformationinvitesitspositionality

withintheexistingworkonnationalism.Myresearch,thereforeisnotasimpleexposé

ofthecross-wiringoftheEastandtheWest,butanexposureoftheplightofeffacing

under-representationandevenmore,mis-representationofEastEuropeintheWest

Europeanculturalcontext.Adistraughtstateornationalsufferingisoftenusedasa

self-evidentargumentintheserviceofnationalism,butHobsbawn(1983)has

describedasituationinwhichpoliticalinstitutionsandideologicalmovementswereso

unparalleledthateventraditionhadtobedevised.

Forexample,inmanynewlyformedstatesavarietyofnewdevicesandsymbolswere

takenintousage.Inthenovelstate–Serbia,formerlyarepublicofYugoslavia,much

haschangedbetweenandafterthewars.Theinsigniaoftheoldpower,national

anthemsandflagsfellandnewoneswereconceivedoroldonesre−introduced.This

159

showsthathistoryisnotafinishedstory,butconstantlyre-writtenone,somemoryis

alwaysafiction(Kacandes,1999).

Nationstooarenotfixed,butliberating,progressingandrelativelynewphenomenon

inhistory.Fortheirdevelopment,theremustbeasenseofkinship,thewilltobe

unitedandthedesiretolivetogether.However,thenationhasviolenceattheheartof

itsconcept-itliesinthegatheringofthenation/nationalismandthehistoryof

colonialismthatisascribedtoit.Nationhastodrawonfoundingmythstoappearold

andlocatedwithinevolutionarynarrative,likethestoriesoffoundingfathersand

genealogiesofthehomogenousheroes…commonglories.Theprotestin‘96/’97is

ejectedfrommodernSerbia’shistory,largelybecausethere’snoagreementthat

Belgrade’suprisingwasapositivehistoricalevent.

ThestoryofthebattleinKosovoin1389isafoundingmythinSerbiausedby

nationalistpropagators,butthehistoricaloutcomesoftheTurkishandSerbianclash

mightprovideadifferentaccountfortheopposingsides.Thisbattleisglorified

amongstSerbsandservesasaregressive,reductive,old-fashionedtalethatSerbshold

onto.However,isthisalegendmisunderstoodonbothsides–SerbianandWestern?

DidittraveltotheWestandthroughgenerationsinSerbiaandarrivedwhenitwas

alreadydistortedthrough‘Chinesewhispers’?Arewetoclaimpastgloriesforever?If

so,wewouldalwaysstaywithourfailurestoo.DoesthatdangerkeepSerbsreminding

themselvesandtheworldthattheyarehonourablepeopleandnot‘thebutchersof

theBalkans’?

Eurocentrism–Asymmetryofmemory

Apartfromitslocalcontexts,SerbiasitswithinthediscourseofEurocentrism.

EurocentrismadvocatesthatthehistoryofEuropeisexceptionalandimplies

standardizationthroughimitationandcatchup.FromAmin'sperspective(2010),

EurocentrismiscommontobothvulgarMarxismandmainstreampoliticaltheories

becauseitsimplifiescomplexdifferencesandhasthesameoutlookonstatesand

nations.

160

ThisisevidentinEurope’streatmentoftheBalkans.TheEuropeanUnionclosedits

doorsuntilSerbs,CroatsandBosniakssurrenderwarcriminalsasifthiswasthesame

issueforallthosecountries.TheeagernesstojointheEUisinvited,evenfuriously

encouragedbytheEUitselfandsimilarlytotheNATOexcuseforbombinginSerbiain

’99,Serbsareputunderpressureasifthatisgoodforthem(NATOclaimeditwill

propelpeopletogetridofMilosevic).Europeactsandappearsastheattractive

correctionalbody,butifSerbsbehaveinthesamewayasthatbody,theyarebranded

‘aggressive’.ThesupremacyoftheEuropeanUnion’sprivilegeprevailsinEuropeand

thatisEurocentrism.ThisdisproportionbetweentheBalkansandEUinparticular,is

harshlydepictedinreferencetotheatrocitiesintheSovietUnionbyOrlandoFiges

(2009).

“IntheWest,bycomparisonwithourattitudestowardstheHolocaust,weare

reallyquiteinsensitivetotherepressionsoftheStalinistregime.Weareignorantas

well-weknowaboutAuschwitzbutwhoknowsaboutMagadanorKolyma?Perhapsit

isaproblemofwhospeaksforthevictims?ThereisnoSpielbergfortheSoviet

Holocaust.WhocaresaboutthemillionsofpeasantsmurderedbyStalinwhenthere

areJews(likeus)tocareaboutinstead?Orperhapsitisbecausewestillharbourleft-

wingsympathiesfortheMarxisttradition...”

FigesfiguresMarxismhereascommunistchic–anotherwesternparadigmonquitea

diverseideologicalsystem,sofrequentlydepictedasonlyaphilosophicalconstruct.

ForwesternsocialiststhatIhavemet,oppressiveregimesinEasternEuropeare

heavilyromanticized,Marxismtoo,whiletherewasn’tachanceevenfortheexistence

oftheleftinthem.Therewereonly‘spectresofMarx’asDerrida(1994)announced.

Furthermore,aftermanyyearsofholidaysbyBritishandGermansontheCroatian

coastbeforeandafterthewar,Haguetribunalrepresentativesfreedcaptivegenerals

oftheCroatianarmy.SomeCroats,embarrassedoftheactionsofthosegeneralsare

evenmoreashamedofthemnow,whileotherscelebratetherelease.Thedecision

wasbiased,notsomuchforstatingthattheCroatianmilitarypersonnelwere

innocent,becauseeventheirownpeopleknewthiswasnotthecase,butforpointing

afingeratthesidethatstayedjailed–theSerbs.

161

Schlogel(2008)statesthatEast/Westpolarityinone’sexperienceproducesdifferent

centresofhistoricalinterest,differentperspectives,differentsensibilitieswithrespect

todifferentthemesandtherearedifferentcaesuraswithdifferentmeanings.Previsic

(2009)concurswiththevariabilityofpositionalityandexplainstheeffectthatthis

differencehasontheBalkansasasubjectofresearch:“Speakingabout‘marginalised

regions’alwaysconnotesaspecificpositionorperspective:therearepartsofour

worldmorecentralthanothers.ByfocusingontheBalkansas‘marginalized’,we

assertthatotherregionslikeWesternEuropeorNorthAmericaaremorecentral.”

Previsic’sperspectiveisofamigrantwhoseexperiencesoftheWestandtheEastare

alteredduetotheabsencefrombothterritoriesinquestionandwhoholdsstatesof

discomfortduetoalackof‘full’belongingineitherofthosegeographies.Webothare

questioningtheEuropeanculturalconceptofSerbiafromtheperspectiveofits

peripheryinordertohighlightitsprocessofconstructionthatbenefitedtheWest.

ProductionofKnowledge

ThenationalcompartmentalizationofknowledgeintheregionimpactedBalkan

studiesabroadthatreflectedthatsametaxonomisation,whichiscapitalizeduponin

interdisciplinarycontextsandonaprojecttoprojectbasis.Thisisbecausetheregion

hasbeenaffectedbyamultitudeofinfluencesfromdifferentdisciplines,whichare

almostimpossibletodistinguish,soitisunmanageabletograspthefieldofBalkan

studiesinitsentirety,ofteneveninparts.Serbiahasbeenmediatedbyeverystudy

thatwantedtoanalyseit.Thismakessustainableinvestigationsdifficultduetothe

enormityofresearchattempted.Iamstrugglingwiththewealthofinformation,much

ofitirrelevant,underresearched,badlylinked,wronglyscaledetc.IfIwastostart

correcting‘thesaid’andIamoftencompelledtodoso,thearchiveoftheprotestand

itsinterpretationwouldneverbecompleted,butImuststrivetodobothbecauseonly

inthatwaycanmyprojectkeepacommunityaroundit.

Irefusetoallowforthedisappearanceofcollectiveactorsintheshadowofthe

historicalprocessandtheleadershipcultthathasbeenwidelypublicised.“Thestage

162

ofhumanhistoryhasbeensweptcleanofpeople”(Schlogel,2008:9)andtheonesthat

theworldknows–TitoandMilosevicarenotSerbia’sbrighteststars.Ataskofa

researcherisoftentomovethesefiguresasideandlookatthepeoplewhoseaccounts

westilllack.

Howeverexhaustingthisinsightfuljourneyis,ithasthesupportfromthinkerslikeTal

(1996:23)whoclaimsthataculturalcriticshouldinsistthatnothinggoeswithout

saying.

“Whenculturalcriticsseektoexposeandthenquestiontherationalesfor

specificcommunitypractices,wesituateourselvesinoppositiontodominant

discourse.Wequestionourownbeliefsandthebeliefsofothers.Weappealto

people's‘goodsense’,andwemeasureoursuccessbytheamountofargumentwe

generate.Weactivelyworktowardsthebreakdownofconsensus...”

Serbshavebeenwitnessingstateactorsworkingwiththemedia,themilitary,NGOs,

corporationsandotherinstitutionsforyearstoprojectstrategicnarrativesnationally

andinternationallyandtheyfeelthatasanation,theyhavelostthesayintheirown

history.Furthermore,reflectingonmemoriesencouragesawarenessofthefabricated

natureoftheconceptofthenation.InAnderson’s(1991:7)writings,memoryfeatures

asresidingonacommunalstanding(inthemediumofprint),whichprovides“deep,

horizontalcomradeship”almostdevoidofthepolitical,socialandeconomicrelation.

However,thatoutlethasbeensoinfluencedbyWesterninterpretationsofnationalist

politicaldevelopmentsinSerbiathatitholdsmostlytheseWesternviewsandtheone

whoproposesdifferentapproachesfindsthatspacealreadycrowdedwithopinionsof

variousparliamentarians,academicsandPRs.Ifnarrationisatthecentreofthenation

(Bhaba,1990),theSerbshavetonarratetheprotesttoimprovetheirimpressionof

themselvesandtheunderstandingthattheyhaveoftheircommunity,butbeing

brandedaswarcriminalssowidelyandforsolong,theSerbsnowthinkofthemselves

assuch.

163

Publicmemoriesareintrinsictotheconceptsofnation,heritageandcommunityand

theytiememorytopower.Ifwearetoquestionthatpower,wearetoaskhow

individuallivesareaffectedbystrategicmanipulationofmemoriesandhowminorities

withinthesepublicnarrativesresistsuchimpositions.Revivingthememoryofthe

‘96/’97protestinmyarchivethereforeestablishesamorebalancedaccountofthe

eventsofthetimebydrawingonthenationalcorpusofsharedmemories,notonlyto

recollecttheterrainofwars,butthegroundofindividualsandasocietyinSerbiathat

opposedthemtoo.

IfIweretowriteaboutthewars,IwouldfitbetterinintellectualcontextoftheWest

becauseitwouldbeeasiertoobtainfundsforresearch,especiallyifIweretoprolong

theinfluenceofjusticeandreconciliationparadigmspushedontotheregionina

particularformatthatisdesignedbyNGOsandfundersof‘democraticvalues’.This

one-dimensionalviewofdemocracypropagatedbytheWestinSerbiaseemstomeas

yetanothermantraofthepowersatplay.Thenewstatedoesnotprojectitsidealsso

stronglyanymoreandthatmakestheWesternassertionsofvaluesevenmore

unconvincing.TheWest’sinfluenceemergesmorevisiblyinSerbia’sbureaucracyand

thesystemsarrivewithviciouscapitalistdemandsthattheSerbscannotsatisfynor

acceptastheinfrastructuretobuildtheircountryon.Rejectingthatfutureand

uncomfortablewiththeirpresent,theSerbsoftenindulgeinthepastwhichislong

gone-whenSerbiawasakingdomandsohistoricallyclosertotheirWest

determinationstoday,yetfarfromtheirviolentcontemporaryhistory.

Anderson(1983)deliberatesonhowrevolutionarygovernmentscontinuetousethe

legaciesofdeadregimes.TheevidenceofthisviewexistsinSerbia,butthe

governmentafterMilosevicishardlyrevolutionary.InsteadofMilosevic’stalksabout

prosperity(Gazimestan60),nowtheyclaimthatthey‘willcertainlyachieveit’.

Andersonexplainshowstaplesofthe‘imaginedcommunity’arefurtherpreservedby

theilluminationandglorificationofcertainaspectsofoppositiontotheofficialhistory.

60ThisspeechbecamefamousforMilosevic'sreferencetothepossibilityof‘armedbattles’,inthefutureof

Serbia'snationaldevelopment.ManyhavedescribedthisaspresagingtheYugoslavwars.Milosevicactuallyspokeofthe‘battles’inthecontextof‘implementingeconomic,political,cultural,andgeneralsocialprosperity’andhelatersaidthathewasmisrepresented.

164

TheoverturnofMilosevic’sregimein2000isoneofthesemoments,regardlessofthe

failureoftheoppositiontoachieveitforoveradecade.AmItobeaccusedofthisvery

approachthatIamcriticisingbecauseIamwritingabouttheluminousprotestandnot

focusingonincriminatingremnantsofthepast?Atthesametime,doesn’tonehaveto

havesomekindofmeaningandso,meaningfulpast?

Serbia’sattemptedrevolutionin‘96/’97wasconsideredapeaceloving,non-violent

struggle,butthepoliceandthegovernmentwhoactedwithviolencewereSerbstoo.

Thishighlightsthedifficultywithtranslatingnarrativesacrosslinguisticorcultural

boundariesandwithinorbetweennations.TheofficialsinBelgradereportedthe

protestersasrascalsandittookawhilefortheactorsoutofthestateinfluenceto

realizethescaleoftheevent.IntheWest,theSerbswereaggressors,soitalsotook

timebeforeresistancetotheregimewasacknowledgedasthemovementmobilising

thechangeofit.

Iquestionintellectualexchangesasrelationalprocessesratherthanassimpleaccrual,

becausetheyhighlightthepoliticsofknowledgeinacademicresearchandcanproduce

moremoderate,convincingandlocatablearguments.Myresearchisnotthewhole

storyanditisimpossibletobe‘impartial’,butitisnevertheless‘astory’notyet

accountedfor(Cook,2005).Furthermore,theprotestexploredhereistheversionof

thiseventonlyfor‘now’.Itwouldbestrangeif,alongwithfundamentalalterations,

ourmemory,ourunderstandingofthepastalsodidnotchange(Schlogel,2008).

Thedominantglobalelitesinchargeofworldflowsconsistofindividualswhoare

‘citizensoftheworld’aspertheirfluididentities.ThisisthepositionthatIpartlyhold,

justlikemyfellowWesterners.Ontheotherside,therearepeoplewhoresist

economic,culturalandpoliticaldisenfranchisementandinordertogathertheir

strength,theyhavetoworkasacommunityandformacommunalidentity(Friedman

andRanderia,2004).

WithSerbia’ssocialisthistory,thislattermethodistheexpectedorientationofthe

nationanditpresenteditselfattheprotesttoo.Topographicalbordersof‘Europe’for

165

theprotesterswerenotreallyimportant—theimaginaryspaceofitwas.Thespatial

metaphorof‘Europe’alsoplayedaroleinthewideroppositionalnetworksofSerbia:

theideaof‘Europeancivilization’(Jansen,2001).

Whenbothmicroandmacroarecolonized,thetaskistoqueryboth.Still,Istay

interestedinparticularlyhowtoliberatethelocal.Wedonothavetheintentionto

createmoreEuropeselsewhere,butquestiontheonewehave,itsautonomy,its

language(s),itscosmopolitanism,itsartanditspolitics,evenifEuropeansresistitby

labellingourvoice‘unsuitable’,justbecauseitisraisedand‘atthesedifficulttimes’

Europefindsthisinconvenient.WhenweretheSerbsaskedabouttheirconvenience?

Furthermore,weseemtoindulgeincosmopolitanismviamemoriesthatothershave

ofus.

‘Internalglobalization’(LevyandSznaider,2001)throughwhichworldconcerns

becomelocalexperiences,growsoutofmediarepresentationsavailabletous,

instillingavaluethatsurpassesoursurroundingsandcommunities,promotingand

nurturinganextra-territorialqualityofcosmopolitanmemory.Huyssen(2002)takes

theHolocaustasanexampleofaneventthathassuchaplaceinourmemory,

becomingametaphorforothergenocides,butbydistancingthelocalorbringingthe

globalconcerntoourownenvironment,eventhoughusefultorevivethedebates

aroundit(LevyandSznaider,2001),Huyssenworriesthatwecouldbehindering

insightsonlocalhistories.Thisismyconcernwiththenationalisationofmemoryinthe

Balkans,bothinternallyandexternally,becauseitgetsattachedtothenationstate,

ratherthantheexperiencesofthepeoplewhoholditinindividualwaysorasashared

cultureofthecommunitythatmightnotcorrespondtolargernationalinterests.

Nevena:IrememberthatmumandItookrollsandmuffins.Nevena’sMum:Westartedbakingat10sotheywerewarmat2amatnight

andwecouldtakethemtothestudentsinKolarcevaStreet.ThewholeofBelgradebroughtfoodtostudentsthatwereonthestreets.

Paunovic,S.Z.andPaunovic,N.201061

61Zitnik-Paunovic,S.andPaunovic,N.interviewin2010

166

‘Habitus’isdelineatedasasociallyconstitutedsystemofdispositions,whichorient

thoughts,perceptions,expressions,andactions(Bourdieu,1990a).Rationalitywithin

thatsituatednessis‘sociallybound’(BourdieuandWacquant,1992;Bourdieu,1990a).

Iamtherefore,affectedbymycurrentcircumstancesandmyphysicaldisplacement

encouragesmymindtobecolonized-mymemoriesofBelgradeareinfluencedby

theirprojectionintheWest.Theyaremediated,butmyactofmemoryisaradical

departureoftheperceptionthatSerbiahasinWesternEurope.Theytelloftheeffects

ofsuchnarrativesonthepeopletheyareinscribedonandtheconsequencesofsuch

representations.Theymuststayalivesothatmemorydoesnotgetuniformedinthe

shapechosenbytheWest.

“…[T]he‘practicaltaxonomies’,whichagentsestablishviathesymboliceffectsoftheir

practicesarenotmerelyempty‘grids’superimposedonthesocialspace”(Weininger

2005:238).Becauseindividualsperceiveeachotherprincipallythrough‘thestatus’

performedviatheirlifestylesandpracticesthatcontainthesymbolicnotionofhonor,

theymistaketherootofthisstatus,theireconomicandculturalcapital,forthe

honorablepositionthattheyhaveinsociety.

Whendifferencesofthiscapitalaremisperceivedasdifferencesofhonor,theyworkas

symboliccapital(Bourdieu,1991:238),thatis“legitimizingtheatricalizationwhich

alwaysaccompaniestheexerciseofpower”.Thus,“[t]heverylifestyleoftheholdersof

powercontributestothepowerthatmakesitpossible,becauseitstrueconditionsof

possibilityremainunrecognized...”(1990a:139).Thedominantgroupinthisway

conducts‘symbolicviolence’.

“Thereisnodocumentofcivilizationwhichisnotatthesametimeadocument

ofbarbarism...barbarismtaintsalsothemannerinwhichitwastransmittedfromone

ownertoanother.”

Benjamin,W.1940:392

Ifeltadutyasaresearcherandanartisttomediatethetransmissionofdocuments,

storiesanddatabetweenprotestersandtheWest.Alsoinvestedininfluencingpolicy

inaBritishculturalmilieu,Matarassorendersthequestion“whattheartscandofor

167

society”,into“whatsocietycandoforthearts"(Matarasso,1997),whichechoesthe

culturalsettingthatIacquiredduringandaftertheprotest.AsSkartinpractice,

Matarassoprovidedmewithanentryintotheworldofparticipatoryartsthroughthe

theorybyarticulationoftheneedforartpractice.Formethatwasafamiliarmethod

ofoperationandIthenfounditintheUK’spoliticalrealm.Throughthecasestudiesin

hisseminalbookUseorornament?(1997),he,likemeinthisthesis,offersaviewof

theelementsthatconstitutetheartformofparticipatoryarts.

Reflexivity

Coffey(1999)assertsthatthefieldworkispersonal,emotionalandidentityworkin

whichethnographersoughttoreflectontheproductionoftheself.Thispractice,in

herviewdiffersaccordingtothedisciplineandIaminspiredbythatdeparturefrom

anthropology,theinauguralfieldoftheethnographicmethodandtraditionally

investigating“theother”,toturnthelensinwardsandquestiontheresearchersduring

theprocessofobservationandrecording–balkanisingthetaxonomy.

InTheBeach,afilmbyBoyle(2000),aboutasecludedcommunityexperienceofa

smallandvariedgroupofpeople,thecharacterwholeadsthestorycheckshisemailat

anInternetcafé.Hehidesawayfromthecrowdinthecaféashewantstopreservethe

experienceofthebeachforhimself.Thisrevealsasenseofpreciousnessandthe

understandingthatitisunlikelythatthishappeningwilloccuragainandmost

importantly,itdoesnothappentojustanyone.Thebeachthathefoundisnot

availabletothemanymore,sotheexperienceofitishardlypossible.Whathewantsto

keepispreciselythatideaofthepossibleintheseeminglyimpossible.Itisasifhe

alonediscoveredthispotentialandwantstosticktoitforaslongashecan.His

experienceofthebeachismyexperienceoftheprotest.

Hisunexpectedandunusualjourneyisrecognizedas‘aprimary’one.Eventhoughwe

cannotpredictourlifecourseweknowwhensomethingisspecial,butweareequally

abletomakeamistakeingettingourselvestothinkthatitisso.Mostofthetime,this

iswhatwewanttobelieve–thatsomethingisasunprecedentedas‘thebeach’.Even

thoughweknowbetter,wejustdonotwanttogothroughlifewithoutthat

168

experience,soweboostthelessextraordinaryones-oursecondaryexperiencesare

‘upscaled’toprimaryones.Still,wecansensethegloryoftheprincipalones.Their

presenceisaconvincingpremise,anevidenceofchangeforthepeopleinvolved.I

sharedthatfeelingwithmyfellowprotestersasIcouldseethesamejoyontheirfaces

(Levinas,1969);arecognitionofbeingtogetheratanexceptionalmomentthatwill

changeusforever.Cavarero(2000)arguesthatthequestiontoaskisnot‘what’we

are,andfillinthecontentofourpersonhood,butasFoucault(1988)does,toask

‘whatcanIbecome’afterhavingthatexperience?

MypassionateviewoftheprotestmayseemtoessentialisetheBalkans,

predominantlyduetomyloyaltytoBelgradersandthebeliefthattheeventin‘96/’97

wasa‘real’,‘original’‘pure’happening.Atthesametime,Iamconcernedthatits

democraticurgetoconquerthedictatorshipisunderstoodasacontributiontoliberal

discourse,whichIconsiderancientandpositivistinitsoralandvisualrepresentations

thatfailtobeupheldinpractice.

Myconcernisworryingtoo,asitsuggeststhatIampartoftheneoliberalmovementin

whichoneiseitheressentialistorliberal.Furthermore,weareencouragedtostrive

towardsinclusivity,relativityandfreedom–propertieswhichmanyfellowSerbsandI

donotseepracticedbythosewhopressedthemontous.Eventhecritiqueofthis

hesitantduetofleftandright–liberalandessentialistfitsintotherealmof

neoliberalismasyetanotheropinionlostinit.

“…arthaslongtendedtoaestheticisepolitics;theweaknessofmodernismis

thatit’stoonon-committal,alwaysworkingtoeffaceitsowntraces;whattheleft

needsisanengagedpoliticalartthatcanpracticewhatitpreaches–a‘powerful

aestheticofprotest.’”

Pyzik,A.2014

Therecannotbeapermanentdisplacementfromthesetwospherestothepointof

acceptance.Infact,objectivityandnothingofthatmatter–‘truthor,‘knowledge’do

notexistasstablecategories.NothingISanymore.Insuchaworld,Iwouldrather

169

essentialiseandasTodorova(2010)62answeredtoanaudiencememberandsowhat?

Essentialismispartoftheneoliberaldialecticanyway,aparadigmwhichswallowsall

likeitsfreemarkets,butthatsurelydoesnotmeanthatweoughttogiveupmaking

historiestocontesttheglobalnarrative.Inthepluralityofchoice,Ihopethe

universality,aseverythingelse,willbedoubted.

Thishopealignswiththeformatofneoliberalism,whichisvirtual,itsconnectionsfluid,

itsatmospheremobile,likeanairport–aconnectivenerve-centrewhereeverything

comesandgoesandtherearenofixedpoints.Theamountoffactsandthechallenges

tothemarebecomingsuchthatany‘veracity’isimpossible,unacceptableandnotone

storycanhold.Nevertheless,thesefactsandtheirdisruptionsareenteringthefieldof

knowledgeandaudiencesrespondtothemwhentheyappearasreferencepoints,

buttonsonthescreenofInternet.Wenowhave‘toomuchinformation’about

everything,includingtheBalkans.However,‘thetruth’stillneedstobenavigated

throughthosehistoriesorratherbroughtfrombehindthem,asthemajorityofthe

storiesfollowaninstructivenarrativerelentlesslyreproducing‘ruritania’(Goldsworthy,

1998).

NationalhistorywasutilizedbySerbia’sregimeandtheirtechniquesofsympathywere

disclosedevenbeforetheprotest,soBelgrade’scitizenryfounddifficulttobelievethis

past.ButafterinternationalinterferencedelineatingSerbia’shistoryasinherently

violent,Serbsfeltfooledandlostinthehear-sayofbothsides–nationaland

international.Peopleweremostlyawareoftheirfamilyhistory,butitwasthe

communityhistorythatbecameproblematicasdifferentnationalitiesoncepeacefully

livingnexttoeachotherwerenowguessingabouttheirneighbours’pasts,motifsand

desires.Theinternationalcommunity,bydefiningSerbsdifferentlytotheirown

understanding,keptnationalismalive.Betweenthetwoevils,Milosevicor

internationals,themajorityoftheSerbsoptedforthenationalone–theregime.Inthe

West’sfinalphysicalstrike,theNATOcampaign,eventhecoreinternalenemiesof

62TodorovaattheinaugurationoftheBalkanCentreatGoldsmithsUniversity,Londonin2009

170

Milosevicheldtheirfriendsandfellowresidentstogether,standingpatrioticallysideby

side,justlikeMilosevicironicallywasappealingtopeopletodo.

Politicalgeography

MycolleaguesareresearchingtheGermancontributiontothefallofYugoslavia,and

findingthatGermanswerepossiblytryingtoshiftthereputationofHolocaustvillains

ontoanothernationinEuropeandsowere‘upscaling’theatrocitiesinSerbiatothat

level.Eventhougheverylossoflifeisatragedy,ittookadecadefortheHague’sWar

CrimesTribunalprosecutorCarladelPontetobeheardwhensheannouncedthe

disappearancesandsufferingsoftheSerbsinKosovowhichhadbeendiminishedby

Kosovo’sAlbaniansequaltragedies.The‘yellowhouse’whereSerbsweretakenbefore

theirtransfertoAlbaniawasaconcentrationcampforharvestingorgantransplants,

butthelackofwitnessesandthedestroyedevidenceinthetribunalitselfcallsforare-

balancingoflateSerbianhistoryasknownintheWest.

Serbs,withoutdoubt,areresponsibleformanyactionstheytookthemselves,

unfortunatelyevenwithoutMilosevic’sorders,butwhenoneislabelledas

‘warmonger’andcorneredintoaninabilitytoaddressthat,onestartsdespisingthe

labeller,thecurator,thearchivist,andcarriestheaggressionfurtherorbecomes

withdrawn,inert,careless.ThislatterconditionwastheoneadoptedbyBelgrade’s

intelligentsiaandmiddleclasses,untiltheyfinallybrokeoutofitattheprotestin

‘96/’97andgotbackintotheirshellwiththedepartureofMilosevic.Thiswasnotonly

becausetherewasnoonetochallengeinthesamewayanymore,butthenew

echelonsofgovernmentledmoretheirpoliticalpartythanstatepolitics,whichisstill

thecaseinthecountry.

AnewgenerationofscholarshaveanapproachtoEuropeanculturalandsocialhistory

thatiscomparative,pluralisticandgoesbeyondthebinaryoppositionsthathave

structuredmuchofthethinkingabouttheworldtoday.Forexample,withinthe

geographyofpolitics,SerbiaisseenasonlymarginallypartofEurope,but“whatis

relocatedtothemarginsisoften,asweknowfromdeconstruction,rightatthecentre

ofthoughtitself.”(Ahmed,2004:4)

171

Duringtheprotest,Europeequalleddemocracy,asreflectedintheeditoriallineofthe

opposition’sDemocracypublication,whichaspiredtheEuropeancharacteristicof

cosmopolitanism.Forinstance,onenighttheriotpoliceinvadedthestudentoccupied

FacultyofPhilosophy,whichcausedharshreactions,asithadnothappenedformore

than60years.InlinewithEuropeancivilizationstandards,theSerbianpolicehadnot

hadaccesstouniversitycampuseswithoutpermissionfromtheacademicauthorities.

SerbiathenhadneededtotakeupitsplaceinEurope,aculturaluniversetowhichit

rightfullybelonged(Jansen,2001).

Thewholecityinprotestwasterritorialised.Inurbancentres,oppositionpartieswon

theelections,sotheestablishmentutilisedthealwayssignificantdivisionbetween

ruralandurbancommunities.Itplayedanimportantpartintensionsbetweenthe

policebroughtinfromtheruralareas(seljaci-peasants)andtheprotesterswhowere

residentsofthecity(gradjani-citizens).‘Urbanity’decreasedasonemovedawayfrom

thecentre,andyetthereinthecentrethepowerwas.

Thecitizensquicklyreclaimedthegoverninglanguageandthedisplayofpower

reservedthroughFoucault’sPanopticon(1975)forunrulyandchaosthatswitched

fromtheorganizedmassesintoaparliamentarydeluge.Thereversalofroleswasdue

toisolation,distancing,fragmentation,narrowingandprovincialisingoftheregime,

whichopeneditselfforcontrolasitlostitsunity,strengthandsameness.

Inpopulistarenaslikemainstreamtelevision,itisevidentthatallegedpolitical

correctness,oneofthesymbolsofneoliberalism,hidesacynicalindex,asubordinate

viewoftheBalkancountries.Forexample,theEurovisionsongcontest,amajorevent

inEasternEurope,whichfordecadesrarelyhadanothersharedplatformwithWestern

EuropeansbroadcastscommentariesbyparticularlyironicUKpresenterswhoassign

thepopularityofEastEuropeansongstoapoliticalallegianceofonceconflicted

countries.Atorrentofinformationthroughouttheninetiesabout‘thearchenemies’

ofBalkannationalitiessuddenlydisappeared.ClassifiedbytheWesternersashaving

‘irreconcilable’differencesinthepoliticalsphere,Balkanstateswerespokenaboutlike

172

theywereidenticalinculturalterms,especiallywhenbetterpositionedthanWest

Europeanstowinapopsongcontest.

Furthermore,whilsttheUKstruggledeventowinavote,theSerbsbelievethatthe

competitionofmultimillionEurosandanequivalentnumberofviewers,wasreduced

toaparochialcontestbytheUKbecauseofthewarsandbecausetheUKyearsago

usedtobeastrongcontestant.Thismainstreammediaevent,howeverweirdand

wonderfulisanoutletthatilluminatesthebiggerstory,whichIdescribe–themuddled

dichotomybetweentheEastandtheWest,constantlyshiftingandchangingtheways

ofitsexistence,butneverdisappearing.

Witnessing

ThousandsofpeopleinSerbiajoinedtheprotestagainsttheregimebecausethe

majoritywasaffectedbyitsinterventions.Everyonehadsomeoneinthefamily

disappear,disciplined,dismissedforexpressingadifferentpoliticalviewtotheonethe

governmentheld.Thisprivateexperienceexposeditselfonthestreetandbecame

public.

IamawitnesstothatprocessaswellastootherwitnesseswhomIhaveinterviewed.

Intheirstories,theprotestnarrativeistransparentdespitethewarstoriesthatpress

themfromabove.Igathereddozensoftalesandgotaninformationoverloadthat

sometimesconnected,butinanycasestemmedfromthepossibilityofhistory.These

arenotguarantees,proofsorevidenceof‘truth’,butvisceralresponsesandaffective

reactionstotheprotestaswellastheeffectofit,visibleonthefacesofthe

interviewees.Ratherthan‘real’reflections,Ihavebitesthatfollowthebarkingand

bitesthatItransformedintodigitalones–bitesofemotioninmydigitalarchivethat

arebothitsveinparticleanditsheartbeat.

Musicintheprotesthassubstantiallycontributedtotheaffectiveinvestmentand

emotionalallianceintheresistancetoMilosevic’sregime,providingan“immediate

experienceofcollectiveidentity”(Frith,1996:273)throughparticipatorypracticethatI

havebeenfascinatedbyeversince.Suchanimmersivedynamicofsocialorganisation

173

besideitspoliticalstanceofferedasharedaestheticasanenactmentofcollective

values,commitmentsandconditions(Steinberg,2004)thatIcontinuedusing,

appropriatinganddevelopinginmywork.

Likemusic,memoryisnotstatic.Configurationsofaudiencesandpublicsthat

witnessedtheprotestaredevelopingduetomigrationandmediatechnologiesand

suchchangesaffectthemeaningsandapproachestocitizenship.ManySerbexiles,

livingintheWest(thisresearcherincluding)questionedandarestillmodifyingtheir

identities.They/weadaptedtheideasofcitizenshipthatemergedduringtheprotest,

whichitselfwastheresultofafraudulentelection.Electoralvoicesthatwerethe

choicesofpeopleweretamperedwithandthenotionoflibertyandfreedomin

governingtheseburstthesenseofcitizenryinthefaceofthenation.

Lichtenberg-Ettinger(2001)developedamatrixialmethodthatIhavestruggledto

understandwithoutabackgroundinpsychoanalysis.However,Ihaveenteredher

matrixialrealmthroughtheartisticpraxisthatshealsotakesupandIhavefound

comfortinreachingfortheexperienceof“theother”thatshesuggestsasthegateto

creation.Theimpulseinvitesaestheticalandethicaldimensionsinrelationtothe

communityofothersandoffersaninsightintotheselffromtheoutside.Shedevises

transparencyoftimeandspacewithinwhichoneislocatedasamatrixialgazeandI

useittoreflectonmyownprotestexperience.

Asshewants,Ispeakfromtheexperience.Iinterprethermatrixialmethodinmy

researchas:‘everythinginoneproject’:thewidthandthebreathofencounterwith

theeventthatshapedme.Inthecaseoftheprotest,“theother”wassometimesmein

relationtomypeople,aunitinthewhole,anindividualaspartofthecommunityand

viceversa.Ihaverecognisedtheculture,politicsandtimethatbroughtustogetheras

theeventeruptedintheprocessofhistorythatwewerepartof.Itisbecauseofits

extraordinaryconditionsanddevelopmentthatIwasabletorecogniseothersandme

inthemandunderstandthatme,hereandnowiswe.Therewasnot“theother”,only

together.Ettinger’smatrixialgazeinvitestheprocessof'co-poiesis'–creation,a

174

possibilitytoseethroughtimeandspaceanddevise,imagine,createthefutureandI

lookattheprotestwithsuchagaze.

Ihavewitnessedtheeventasthemarkof‘otherness’becomingme.Theeventand

“theother”becamethesame–Iwaswiththepeople,Iwit(h)nessed(Ettinger,2001)

theprotest.Iwenttoitalsotobethepeopleaswellasthewitnessofthemandme,

mergingintothenewcategoryofcommunitythatbrokedownthepast.Iwasyoung,

thefuturewasmine,whatevercomes.Icouldnotthinkofitinanyothertermsthan

brighterthananythingI’dknownuptothen.

Otherness

Representationsof“theother”inthestate’shistoryeducationorinnationalmediaare

oftenbiasedandsupporttheinterestsofparticulargroupsattheexpenseofothers.

Dominantdiscourseholdersmakeusseeandexperienceourselvesas'other'(Hall,

1997).We,“theothers”aresubjectedtothatWesternknowledge,“asamatterof

imposedwillanddomination,bythepowerofinnercompulsionandsubjectivecon-

formationtothenorm”.Thistechniquesilencesus,deformsouridentitiesandleaves

uswithoutananchor(Fanon,1963).

Intheabovedescribedconditions,marginalisedgroupsarepunishedunderthe

umbrellaof“theother”-wheretheirrepresentationisstuck(Ahmed,2004)below

thosewhostandforthemas‘all’.WesternEuropeandcivilsocietyeverywhere,even

inSerbiarecognizesthat,butatthesametimenationalistSerbs-‘theothers’of

Europeintheabovesituation,cannotstopregardingtheirwarcriminalsasheroes.So,

therearemanyothernessesinthecategoryof‘theother’.Thepoliticsofmemoryin

thecaseofSerbia,hencefuelsanewwar–ofrepresentationandrepresentationis

neverabouttherealisticreproductionofanything,remindsRanciere(2007)becauseit

isgovernedbyasetofrules,aboutwhatisappropriatetorepresent.

Ashistoricalrepresentation,mydigitalarchivesexaminetheroleofcollectivememory

anditsperceptionsandtheystrivetodecodethelanguageofthatrepresentationand

findamoreacceptablewayofnarratingthepast.Iamnotinvitingamnesiaorthe

175

forgettingofviolence,butsuspendingitsspillageintoourconsciousness,justfora

moment,toinspireapossibilityforadvancementinSerbia.Whenmorepositive

elementsofSerbia’spast,liketherevoltin‘96/’97becomeincludedintheaccountof

itshistory,weshouldbeabletolookatthisnationwithanunderstandingofits

relationtothewarcrimesconductedparallelwiththeirabilitytoinvitetheviolenceor,

inthetimeofprotestelaboratedhere,tonotengagewithit.

IamnotholdingthatSerbia’swarcrimes,asquicklyaccessibleasitsrecenthistory,got

ahardsentence-Iamnotaddressingthewarcrimes,butstatingthatthereisnoother

platformtospeakfrombecauseandifIevenattempttoquestionthem,asaSerbby

origin,Iamondangerousground,vergingondisrespecttowardsthevictimsofthose

crimes,thelivingandthedead.Intheclutchesofsuchastrongandwidely

disseminatednarrativeofguilt,supportedbypenetratingandharrowingimagesof

desolation,IfindmyownaccountsandmemoriesofthewholeoftheSerbiannation

buriedunderthevictimsofthesecrimes.We,theSerbsdonotstandachanceto

emergefromthegravesonourownandwithanewimage.However,Iamtryingtodig

aholethroughthispressingloadofrepresentationplacedonthetopofthemass

gravesandhopethatthedesireforcreatingthebeamsoflightforevery‘stuck’

(Ahmed,2004)nationwillcatchon.

“Stickinesshelpsustoassociate‘blockages’with‘binding’”(Ahmed,2004:91);the

subjectbecomesoneofthemany,whoareneighboursto“theother”(Levinas,1969).

Itdoesnotexistonitsown,butaspartof“theother”.“Theother”isastrangealterity

(Levinas,1981),butourresponsibilityorresponsivenessto“theother”inface-to-face

encountersdemands(in)corporeality-directexperienceof'lived'timeandplace

togetherwith“theother”.Experiencecanbetransmittedonlyifembodied.

Ahmed(2004)claimsthatsomepeoplegetassociatedwithconstructsandso,their

representationbindssomewor(l)dstogether–theemploymentofthewordsagain

andagainisintrinsiclikeaformofsinging(Derrida,1974,Kristeva1986).Phrasesget

formed,attachedandrepeated,sinkingintoourmindsasjoinedwords-justified

hooksofhistoryanduse.Stickinessisanaffectofthosehistoriesofcontactbetween

176

signs,bodiesandobjects,buttheclosenessoftheseisahumanaction–someoneputs

theminsmallproximitytoeachothertoformalinkandtopresentitasareoccurring

concept.Balkanandviolencearethosewordsthatgot‘stuck’andnowthey‘stick’

together,providingthecontentforthetheorythattravels(Said,1982).

Theprotestersexposedthismechanismbyenduranceonthestreet.Theirnon-

working,non-operating,hinderedconditioninitiallyinrelationtoSerbiangovernance

revealedtheconstructsproducedbyitandimposedonthembyboththeregimeand

theWest.Acceptingtherolesgivenbythestate,internationalorganisations–

academia,media,NGOs,politicalthinktanks,theywent‘overboard’inactingthem

out,performinginactivity.Paradoxically,nowadaystheydothesame,humouring

Westerner’srequestsforprogressinSerbia,sabotagingtheachievementsoftargets,

overplayingdisobediencetonewlyestablishedpoliciesanddisrespectingculturaland

socialchanges.

FreedomisattachedtoresistanceinSerbia.Itisevenastrategy–donothing,au

contrairetolabourascommunistandcapitalistvalue.Serbsareagainsttheworld,

becauseinordertoseeandbeseenbytheworld,youmustactmodern(liberal,

democratic,cosmopolitan)butwithoutthepermissions,visasandmoney,Serbsare

stuckintheirowncountry,socannotbe‘wordly’.Thepoorestaretherefore,wedged

inthissegregationofvalues;everyoneelsecantravelandtheirmobilityisasignof

contemporaneity.TheEastispoor,thereforenotcool.

Theoriesof‘otherness’highlightthatstressalwaysexistedbetweendominantand

marginalentities.Levinas(1969)writesthattheintentionalrelationofrepresentation

istobedistinguishedfromeveryotherrelation.So,theonewhopractices‘otherness’

wantstobedistinct.However,Levinas’sunderstandingoffreedomisinrelationships

ofresponsibilityto“theother”.Hence,foronetobefree,onemustfeelfor“the

other”asforoneselfandnotinarelationalorrepresentationalway.

Theobjectofourgazeisalwaysaresultofourinterpretativeacts,thereforeitis

alwaysthesamethatdetermines“theother”.Ifsomeaspectsofthepastremainthe

177

sameinourmemory(Connerton,1989),itishardtochangeaviewof“theother”,if

therearesamenesses,stickyphrasesandtraditionsthatdefinehim/her.Thisurgesus

toriseaboveourconditions,knowledgeandhistory.

Dominantsocietieshavealwaysstrivedtodefinesubordinateonesandthatis

separatefromotherconnectionsthattherelationshipbetweenthemcarries.Being

strippedofexternalmarkersmakesithardertorelateto“theother”beyond

stereotypes.Youmakesomeoneyourown,byrelatingtowhatyouknow,you

appropriate“theother”by(drawingonHegel’s‘totalknowledge’,1977)suppressing

thealteritytomakehim/heraccessible.Levinas(1969)criticisesHegel’sconceptof

‘totalknowledge’whichpositionsitselfastheuniversalhistoryandnotesthatweare

ourselvesresponsibletowelcome,bearwitnessandrespondto“theother”regardless

ofourcontextualinheritance.

IamhopingthatthisapproachcanbeconsideredwhenthinkingabouttheSerbsand

theirhistory,eventhoughmyargumenthereembracesrepresentationsofself(West)

asopenedupby“theother”(East)andtheotherwayaround.However,dealingwith

onlyanexceptionalevent(ofprotest)showsabiasedstudyaswellasatypically

Westernmethodofresearch.Iseemtobeapplyingandavoiding,defendingand

attackingitatthesametime.IamalsograbbingaroleofamediatorbecauseIwant

bothsidesnotonlytotakeeachotherintoconsideration,buttobechangedbythis

experience.

We,humansareconstitutedbytherelationshipofbeingfor“theother”-face-to-face

relationscalluponthis(Levinas,1969).Forexample,theparticipantsoftheprotestin

Belgradewereconfrontedbythefacesoftheircompatriotspromptingtherevoltto

growdailytohundredsofthousandsofpeople.Thewordofmouthandimagesofthe

seaofpeopleblockingthetrafficforcedmanytowalkandso,jointheprotest.Those

thatcameoutofsuchdespairmeantthatitsoonlookedmorelikeaparadeofthe

devastated.Theviewersofthefootagefromthestreetswhenitemergedthrough

satellitechannelsfaced“theother”ontelevisionscreenwhilstsittingattheirhomes,

butactedasprotestorsindirectlywhen“theother”(streetgoers)wereinneed.The

178

uprisingwasinspiredbycarefor“theother”,whichturnedthesubordinatecitizens

intoliberals,offeringsheltertoprotesterswhenpoliceroamedthestreets.This

relationbetweenindoor(private-home)andoutdoor(public-street)rioterswent

evenfurtherinthemediasphere.Therelationshipbetweenthetwopolesof

Belgrade’sresidentsisbestdepictedingrannyOlgawhowas,likemany,takingpart

fromhomebywavingtotheprocessionofWalkerseverytimetheypassedby.Her

terracebecamealandmarktheprotestersmappedtheirroutesbyandshemobilised

thecommunitybyherpresence.Thesocialityandthecommunitywerecreated

throughtheengagementofpeopleonbothsidesofthisrelationshipbetweenthe

individualandthegroup.

Theportraitsinmyarchivehavethepowerofface-to-faceencountersontheprotest.

Thefaceslookingatprotestersinthearchivethinkofthemselves–beinginthatspace,

inthattime,breakingintothesameexpressionbycompassioninvisibility.Torespond

tothefacemeanstobeawake,torespondtoprecariousnessofthelifeitself(Butler,

2004).

Face-to-facedoesnotknow“theother”,butrespectsitinitstotality.Thefaceof“the

other”exceedstheideaof“theother”inme–“theother”shattersourownselves.

Onealwayslooksatoneselfthroughtheeyesof“theother”(DuBois,1903)andinthe

caseofSerbiathisisevident–Serbsviewthemselvesas‘others’inEuropeandEurope

looksatthemas“theothers”.‘Theself’isnegatedintheprocessofself-

representation;thepowerofrepresentationovertakes‘theself’eventhough‘theself’

isinscribedby“theother”.Myownsituationofhavingtwofacesandplacesofhabitat,

makesmeboth–‘theself’and“theother”,althoughIoftenfeelas“theother”inthe

UKaswellasinSerbianow,somy‘otherness’isbecomingmy‘self’.

The‘two-ness’ofbeingBritishandSerbianleadstopsycho-socialtensionsthatIam

forcedintobecauseoffindingmyselfintwosocialworldsandhavingtosplit

consciousness,aswellastoconstantlyshiftmysenseofmorality.DuBois(1903)views

thehistoryoftheAmericanNegrofemaleasthisstrife—thelongingforattainmentof

self-consciouswomanhoodinordertomergeadoubleselfintoabetterandtruerself.

179

However,ifImanagetoachievethis,Imightlosetheurgetowriteaboutthisstruggle.

Hall(1993)providesabetterexplanationofthisindividual’stension,withouta

problematicrelianceongenderintheorywhenheclaimsthatidentity,especially

diasporiconeisalwaysinproduction,justlikememory.Oneimaginesthepastcountry

andpicturesthereturntothecountrythatdoesnotexistanymoreasaconstantquest

fortheessenceofhome.

Narrativetechnology

Inrecordedhistory,thenarrativeisconstructedinchronologicalorder,digressingfrom

eventsandifatall,markingthemandactionsofthegroupsandpersonswhomight

haveexperiencedthesehappeningsdifferentlyaccordingtotheirstakeandlossin

them.Theirfocalpointmightdifferfromofficialversionsofhistoryandprovide

challenging,additionalorrevealinginformation,steeringtheuncontestedhistoryina

different,evenoppositedirection.ThisismydriveforpositioningSerbiainWest

Europeanmemorystrata,butalsothestrataofmemoryBelgrade’sprotestersholdin

relationtotheversionsofhistoryitsgovernmentkeptanddisseminatedatthetimeof

theuprising.

Whenpoliticalnarrativessupportidentityclaimsdirectedtothefuture,theyoften

invokethepast.ThecitizensofBelgradehavetoelicitthelatest,turbulentpastin

ordertoaddresstheirdesiretodiminishitforthepurposeofprogress.Inthatprocess,

manyturnedtoevenearlierhistory:pre-Milosevic,pre-communism,aroyal(the

Karadjordjevicdynasty)erathatwaspro-European,pro-civilsociety,pro-democratic.

Astheprotestfailed,amongotherreasons,becauseofthecomplicatedmessagesit

wassendingoutandthedifferenttargetsdevelopedonthego,Serbiagotreducedto

nationalistaspirationsanditisstillsubjecttothem.Theeagernessforthelonglost

pasthasdisappearedastheimmediacyofanarrowandsimpledifferencebetween‘us’

and‘them’iseasiertoinstate,evenifitdoesnotmovesocietyforward.

In1989,aftertheirownnationalcommunisms,theSovietreleaseofpoliticalsystems

anditspersonalities,EastEuropeanstatesbeganthetempestuousre−evaluationof

thepast.Thecontentionspreadinstrugglesovermonuments,streetnames,

180

schoolbooks,dates,holidaysandthesettingupofmemorialsandmuseumscentralto

thecollectiveconsciousnessstarted(Schlogel,2008).However,muchofitdismissed

notionsofhistoryandpoliticizationandwasputinthemuseumorwas,reducedto

entertainmentlikethatlifewasnevertrulylived.ThisisstillhappeninginSerbia(and

otherex-Yucountries),parallelwithotherpoliticaldevelopments,butdirected

towardsEUentrance,ratherthanrevision,introspectionandreflectiononrecent

history.Itisalsobeyondreason.Thestreetsaregivennewnames,andthenoldones

arereinstatedorthenchangedagainwitheverynewgovernment.

Nora(2002:1)whoexaminedtheFrenchrevolutionandrememberinginthenational

memorywritesaboutthevarietyofhistoricalexcavationsas:

“…criticismofofficialversionsofhistoryandrecoveryofareasofhistory

previouslyrepressed;demandsforsignsofapastthathadbeenconfiscatedor

suppressed;growinginterestin‘roots’andgenealogicalresearch;allkindsof

commemorativeeventsandnewmuseums;renewedsensitivitytotheholdingand

openingofarchivesforpublicconsultation;andgrowingattachmenttowhatinthe

English-speakingworldiscalled‘heritage’andinFrance‘patrimoine’”.

Europe’sinterpretativesuperiorityanditssettingofpoliticalagendashavealways

beendrivingtheargumentstowardsnationalistdiscourses,butarenowadjustedto

thenew-marketledones.Thevalidityanddenialofmasternarrativesare

problematised,butthatisonlythecodedandmaskedformatofcontemporary

politicaldebate(Schlogel,2008).Disputesabouthistoricalquestionsare

instrumentalisedforcurrentinterests,oftenpartypoliticalones,hencereducedto

newsworthytopics,carryingtemporalitywiththem,aninterestthatoccasionally

peaks,butthatdoesn’tprovidethematerialforsubstantialandseriousconsideration.

Thiswateringdownandoccasionalreachtothepastforaparticularusemakesit

irrelevant,unworthyandeasilyaccessibleinastagedformat,notabletotakeits

rightlydeservedcomplexandmorechallengingroleinthispoliticalplaybetweenthe

EastandtheWest.

181

Howthesecontroversiesareconductedisamatterofbothpoliticalandhistorical

cultureandmethodsofdealingwiththepast.Afterwarnarrativesgotembeddedin

thecollectivehistoryofSerbia,examiningnationalissueswithoutthemisimpossible.

AmemorythathasnotimeforvictimsofterrorunderMilosevic’sregimeanddoesnot

includetheinmatesoftheHaguetribunal,isselectiveandlackscredibility.Toavoid

thisapproachtothestudy,intellectualinfrastructureneedstobeinplace:accessto

archives,freepublicationofsources,independenthistoricalwritingandaboveall,an

independentpublicsphere.EvenifthosearebecomingavailableinSerbia,considering

whatandhowtheyarereleased,thereisadangerofcreatingnewmythsand

re−ideologisation(Schlogel,2008).

Theprotestin‘96/’97wasagrandmovementinSerbia’shistory.IamaccusingSerbs

forrunningaftertheEUtrainandneglectingwarcrimescommittedandIblamethem

forignoringtheprotestthatshouldhaveaprominentplaceinthenationalmemory.It

hasn’tbeennarratedandso,remainsunusedinshapingcollectiveidentity.However,

everygreatmovementhasleftitstracesbehindanderasedothers.Iconsumeits

narrativeinthesamewaythatIamusingmyarchive–totellthestory,toenchant,

fabuliseandcreatecommunity.Fabulation,aconceptfromDeleuze’sandGuattari‘s

philosophy(1990)isaconstitutivegestureofacommunity,whichdenotesthecreative

natureoftruth.Thetruthisproducedinthesamewaythatmemoryis.Ideliberately

employarttoworkwithit,asitisitsnaturalally.Fictionisembeddedinmywork,just

asitisunderneathhistoricalaccounts.

Myreflexiveacademicandartpraxiscentreson'textuality'ofthematerialsandofthe

techniquesofproduction.Thepoeticfunctionisdominantherebecauseitfurthersthe

actandformofexpression,butalsounderminesthesenseof'natural'or'transparent'

linktoasignifierandareferent(Chandler,2007).

“Thecrucialdistinctionformeisnotthedifferencebetweenfactand

fiction,butthedistinctionbetweenfactandtruth.Becausefactscanexistwithout

humanintelligence,buttruthcannot…theapproachthat'smostproductiveandmost

182

trustworthyformeistherecollectionthatmovesfromtheimagetothetext.Notfrom

thetexttotheimage.”

Morrison,T.1995:94

IworklikeMorrisonandhence,myarchivecamefirst.Thewritingaboutitfollowedin

betweencollectingthedata,shufflingthecategories,reflectingonthecollection

woveninthetheoriesaboutit.Bylookingatthepictures,Icouldgathermythoughts

aboutthewholeoftherepositoryandwriteaboutit.

Forme,asforBarthes(1981:7),thenarrationofpasteventshasbeensanctionedby

thehistorical'science',whichunbendsthestandardof‘thereal',justifiedby‘the

rational'exposition.Barthesasked:“…doesthisformofnarrationreallydiffer,from

imaginarynarration,aswefinditintheepic,thenovel,andthedrama?”HowcouldI

then,withmyartworkproduceanythingelsethanhistory?

183

CONCLUSION

Mani(2002)remindsthatovercomingthecleavagesofthepastcanbedoneifthepain

andsufferingofthevictimsisrecognizedbothonthecollective(public)andonthe

individual(private)levelandthatthoseresponsibleforthepastatrocitiesarebrought

tojustice.However,thesearchforjusticeinSerbiashakenbythepoliticalchanges

meansthatpersonaldevelopmentsintheareaofremorse,griefandresponsibilityare

shunned.Thehistoryoflocatingthevictim,sufferers,witnesses,perpetratorsor

accusedquicklyturnsintoafrenzyofawitch-huntwhereassessmentsonthe

individuallevelarenotconducted.Anyattemptofexcavationofthepastisoverrunby

thenewpropertiesofthenation,whicharrivedwithcapitalism-aninterestinmaterial

cultureanditsaccessorieslikefameandfortuneinterlacedwiththereligious

aspirations,whichwererapidlydevelopedinSerbiasincethefallofMilosevic’sstate.

Uneasypastmustbeadequatelyrepresentedandrememberedbeforethepeacecan

settlein.Theterm‘peace’herehasaliteralmeaninginconnectiontotheconflicts,but

italsohasthevalueasametaphor,asareferencetothebalanceofthepastinthe

representationsofBalkanterritories.

ThebiggestprotestinthedecadeofMilosevicrule(hisactualoverturnonthe5thof

October2000measuresonadifferentscale)hasbeenunderstatedandhardlynoticed

nowadaysbyEastandWestEuropeanpoliticians,scholarsandmediaprofessionals

thatareinterestedprimarilyintheflowofeconomicbenefitsofthecountry,butthis

distancingfromthesignificanceoftheprotestthatshowedapotentialforrethinking

ofthenationalidentitytodayhasevenlesschancetoinspiresuchadevelopmentdue

totheeagernessfor‘progress’(accessiontotheEU).Thequickside-liningofthisevent

leftmanyquestionsunanswered,includingtheshoutingofafewprotestersatthe

police,encouragingthemtogotoKosovo,nottobe‘useless’inBelgrade.Whatwas

meantbythisrequest,nowthatKosovogaineditsindependencefromSerbia?Were

thepolicemeanttointerveneinKosovoconflicttoprotectSerbsorattackAlbanians?

Ifitwasencouragingviolenceelsewhere,canweclaimthattheprotestwaspeaceful

anddisplayedthecharacterofcivilsociety?

184

“Thereisnoonehistory,but,sincetherearedifferentperspectivesandperceptions,

therearealsodifferentinterpretations...”(Schlogel,2008:9).Inordertomoveonfrom

itsviolenthistorywidelyacceptedintheWestandinmanyEastEuropeancultures,

Serbiaappearstobejumpingthequeue,bypassingthelaws,forgettingthe

responsibilities,holdingontoselectivememoriesandallfortheEUembraceandon

theencouragementofespeciallyWestEuropeanstates,whichplayedanimportant

roleinbothwarmongeringandbrokeringofthepeacedeals.WesternEuropecallsfor

justice,peaceandreconciliationderivedfromthememoryofwarandyetdemands

theneglectofthesameevents,soSerbiacatchesupwithEU.

Unabletoachievebothrequestsofthisunreasonabledemand,Serbiaisstuckand

furtherdemoted.HowtosupportrememberinginSerbia,whenmemoryismostly

interpretedasadragtothepastratherthanadiscourseofthefuture?“Aliberated

treatmentofthepastispossibleinliberatedsocietiesthatareliberatedineveryway”

(Schlogel,2008:9).Dosuchsocietiesexist?Thepastisnotsolved,thepresent

interruptsitandthefuturepushesthroughlikeatrain.Serbiahastogaineconomic

andpoliticalstability,tobeabletodealwithitspastanduntilthisisdone,itisunlikely

thatstabilitywilloccur-asituationthatappearsasaviciouscircle.

EastEuropeanshavealwaysbeeninterestedinwhatwashappeningintheWestand

opentoengagewithfashionsandfreedom,eventothecostoftheirlife.West

Europeansgeneratedfears,adrivingforceofneo-liberalcapitalismofjob−losses,

transferofindustries,corporatecrime,immigrantlabouretc.Theseoppositeforces

betweentheEastandtheWestplayofeachotherandonlyexistbecausetheother

oneisthere.

EastEuropeansareenragedbyportrayalsoftheeastasabackwaterandtheypleafor

areassessmentofthisblendoffear,desireandyearningthatpenetratesthe

imaginativeexchangebetweentheEastandtheWest.Czyzewski(2014)allegesthat

withoutequalityandfraternity,freedombringsenslavementandso,overcomingthe

185

ego-centrictendenciesoftheWestthatshapecontemporarycultureisthemain

challengeofourtimes.Thesearchforacultureofsolidaritytherefore,continues.

“Inthesocialiststate,apersonfeltadutytocareforafellowhuman,butnowitis

consideredmoreimportant,profitableandcivilizedtodosofordogs”,myfathersaid

referringtoSerbia’scommunistandsocialistpastandthestrongpresenceand

influenceofenvironmentalcharitiesinthecountrytoday.Theneoliberalversus

essentialistpolaritywithinwhichtheSerbsfindthemselvesisaregressivepairingasit

imitatesonceclearerleftorrightpositions.Insteadoffindingtheirowndirection

towardsconstitutinggovernance,theynowrootfortheEuropeanUnionthatthe

majoritydespisesbecauseofitsconstrainedofferings.Inthesameway,radicalswho

oncecouldnottoleratetheEUmembershipaspirationsofsomeparties,today

promotethem.

Myprojectistherefore,akindofapoliticalrevival,whichmandatesthatweperform

andpracticesocialityaswe(wantto)rememberit.Weareseducedbytheplaceofour

habitatfromtheimaginedpastanditcoloursourmemories.Then,aswellasnow,we

seetheconflictingdemandsoncivicprideandpublicutilityversusstateorprivate

gain.Thatlocalphenomenonisoperatingtodayonagloballeveltoo.Theworld’splay

isvisibleinplaceslikeSerbiawheretheneo-liberalsystemisstrippedtotheboneand

itsinfrastructureiscogent–democracyistransformedwithcapitalismtoyetanother

economicdictatorshipthatsupportstherichandyet‘speaks’forthepoor.

Nostalgia

Nostalgialurksaroundthisresearchasacritiqueofthenation–itspolitics,historyand

culture.Whenalltheresthasbeengivenupon,peopleholdontotheircommunities

andland,sotheparadigmofnationappearssharplyandstronglyincontrasttothose

whohavetheprivilegeoffreedom.Wecanseethislackofunderstandingof

nationalismintheIsraelandPalestineconflictanditsinterpretationsinthelibertarian

West.TheconnectiontothelandseemsludicroustothosecontemporaryWesterners

whoforalongtimehavenotencounteredasituationwheneverythingtheyhave,

includingtheiridentityistakenawayfromthem.Gordon(2008)hasexplainedthegap

186

betweenthepastandthenowasacrackinourknowledgeandunderstandingthatwe

arenotkeentoexplore.Itisnotvisible,seemstobeunderstatedandlacksattention

andyetitispreciselytherethatwecouldfindanswerstomisinterpretationsof“the

others”andthehistoriestheyareinfluencedby.

However,inresurfaced‘theageofreason’wherelogicandrationalityareatthe

forefrontofknowledge,mywritingabouttheghostsandimaginationasamethodof

understandingtakesmebacktotheinterpretationsoftheBalkansintheWestwhereI

canappearasabasket-case,abackdroptoallmightyEuropeanmindforwhichthe

Balkanswasalwaysalesserorevenacounter-part.

“…thetelevision[station]wasshotatwithraweggs,themaindoorwasbrokenIdonotknowhowmanytimes,fullofeggs,andthe3rd,4thand5thfloorhadthestainsofthebrokeneggs.Nobodycouldunderstandbecausethereisnotenoughofarun-up,evenifstandingontheopposite[sideofthestreet]whocould[throwto]reachthe5thfloor?…Atthetime,mycolleagueswouldproduceeggsastheirsalariesweresmall.Mycolleagueswouldbringmetwentyeggsinboxes,IhadtheminmybagwhenIenteredthetelevision[station]andtheporteraskedtolookintoit…ItookouttwoboxesofeggsandIsaidthattheyarenotforoutside,butformyhome,formychildren.Besides,Isaid,Idonotunderstandhowtheycanreachthefifthfloorwitheggsandthesecuritymansaid:‘Itispossible,I’vetried!’” Zitnik-Paunovic,S.201063

Throughmyarchive,IfollowBenjamin’s(1968:181)surrealistdictumtoreclaimthe

revolutionaryenergiesofthepastintheoutmodedwayas,“theobjectshavebegunto

beextinct”;butnostalgia,Boym(2007:9)claims,isparadoxical:“longingcanmakeus

moreempathetictowardsfellowhumans,yetthemomentwetrytorepairlonging

withbelonging,theapprehensionoflosswitharediscoveryofidentity,weoftenpart

waysandputanendtomutualunderstanding”.

Articulatingasenseoflosscanenactexclusionsofothersinthepresent(MacDonald,

2013).EasternEuropeanscanwallowintheirsorrowforthepastsothepresentis

discounted,butthisphenomenonof‘ostalgia’canbealsoseenasaWesternreachfor

63Zitnik-Paunovic,S.interviewin2010

187

Easternpastor"vulturism,adubioussympathyforcommunistcultureandthesymbols

ofthepastwithoutanypoliticalinvestment"(Pyzik,2014).

DigitalPractice

LikeArmetFrancis’s64photographicworkthatHall(1997)distinguishesasanemergent

practiceofrepresentation,minetooisaconceptionofidentity.Francis'sphotographs

ofthepeoplesoftheBlackTrianglevisuallyreconstructthemanditistheartistwho

performstheirimaginaryreunification.

Inmysearchforbelongingthroughoutthisthesis,IhaveimaginedtheEastasaplace

ofthefuture.Ihavebeenbuildingitssenseaswellasconductingresearch.Bothshort

andlongmemoryhavehelpedmetoconstructamaterialheritageasacommon

ecosystemofthatfuturespace.Ihavebeenestablishingapersonal,biographical

connectiontothislandscapeandindoingsoenactingasenseoflocalidentification

throughmemory.AsMacDonald(2013:10)maintains,Iamsatisfying“aneedfor

collectivememorialisationshapedbyasocialcontextofprofounddislocationand

discontinuity”.

DoinghistoricalandvisualethnographyonlinerequiredthatItraveltothepastfor

longperiodsandatvariousintervals.Itleftmedefeatedatnotbeinginthatworldwith

theclearvisionandattentivenessI’dthoughtI’dhadin‘therealtime’twentyyears

ago.Theweightofknowingthatnosimilarresearchhasbeendoneonthesameevent

andtheburdenofresponsibilitytowardstheparticipantscausedtheemergenceof

manyblindspotsthatareeasilydealtwithbyyoungergenerationswhoseapproachto

digitaltechnologycomeswithlessbaggage.Now‘borndigital’(PalfreyandGasser,

2008),theyskipfromtheirrepresentationsonFacebookandtheirAvatarstotheirreal

lifeselveswithmoreeaseandsomystrugglewiththisauto-representationappears

oldfashioned.

64ArmetFranciswasborninJamaicain1945andmovedtoLondonin1955whereheworked

188

However,myworkingstyledoesnotcorrespondtomanyonlineapplications;

FacebookisnotaplatformIcanutiliseformyresearch.IntheFacebookgroupproject

onSalfordinvestigatedbyMacDonald(2013:9-10),therearethephotographsofsocial

groupsthatemphasise“theroleofautomatedalgorithmstoenact‘sharing’and

connectivityinanunwilledandunconsciousmanner,whichisindangerofoverlooking

theimportantareasofhumanintentionalityandagencydeterminingcommunication,

expressionandinteraction,albeitcircumscribedbyparametersdefinedbythe

platform’sinterfaceandsoftware.”

Ithoughtaboutprogrammedfeatureswhichcontrolledpartition–economic,societal,

geographic,politicalandIpracticeditinmyblogandrevealedhowitfails.According

toBourdieu(1990b:82),“[t]ocodifymeanstobanishtheeffectofvaguenessand

indeterminacy,boundarieswhicharebadlydrawnanddivisionswhichareonly

approximate,byproducingclearclassesandmakingclearcuts,establishingfirm

frontiers...”

Limitations,whichundergocodificationonlyprojectprecision,permanenceand

power.Taxonomisationamountstoa‘crystallization’ofsplitsanditcarriesasymbolic

forceof‘objectified’borders.Differences,whichexistspontaneouslyinpractice,

becometransformedintoobjectsandquickly,subjectsofseparation.Byexaminingthe

modesofsymbolicpower,thepoliticsofclassificationemerges.

Event

“[events]…areexperiencedandconstructedinahighlysubjectiveway...our

onlytruthisnarrativetruth,thestorieswetelleachother,andourselves–thestories

wecontinuallyrecategoriseandrefine.Thissortofknowledgeandourcommunion

wouldnotbepossibleifallourmemoriesaretaggedandidentifiedandseenas

private,exclusivelyours.Memoryarisesnotonlyfromdirectexperiencebutfromthe

intercourseofmanyminds”.

Sacks,O.2013

189

Aneventisanexperienceofwitnessing,araptureinknowledgeandinhistory.Asthe

forceoftime,itisanarchic,affirmativeanditisitselfanexpressionoftime.InSerbia,

aftertheprotest,nothingwasgoingtobethesameagain,orsoitseemed.Duetothe

adrenalinofthedemonstrations,althoughsomeclaimedthatintheWesternmedia-

tedgaze,allatonce,theSerbshadchangedfrombloodthirstyBalkanwarlordsto

guardiansofdemocracyinthefaceofanevildictator,the‘96/‘97eventswere,atbest,

anotherabortedattemptatdemocratisation.

Theprotestwasasustaineduprisingagainstthenomenclatureresponsibleforthe

YugoslavwarsaccompaniedbythepresenceofSerbiannationalistcharactersand

language,Orthodoximageryandsymbolismandwhatsometimeslookedlike

aestheticsandtherepresentationofurbansnobbism.Iregretthelackofattentionto

thosewarsandxenophobiaattheprotest,butthedemonstratorseventually

succeededinrectifyingtheelectionfraud,eventhoughtheZajednocoalitioncollapsed

soonafter.Then,theKosovocrisisandtheNATOairstrikesbroughtaboutthe

continuationofpost-Yugoslavdecay.

Theprotestingmass,justlikeitsculturewasheterogeneous,anditsprotest

‘postmodernpoliticalpractice’(Routledge,1997a),whichexplainsadiscursivememory

ofit.Ironically,theestablishmentatthetimeofprotest–theSerbianstateowned

media-andWesternhistoricalnarrativesthenandtoday,bothrepresentthe

protestersasahomogenousgroup.“Fromapostmodernperspectivepopularculture

andmediabecomethekeybattlegrounds,sincerepresentationisattheheartof

politicalstruggle”(Steinberg,2004:6).

Still,theprotestasanevent,itsparticipantsasthepeopleofSerbiannation,itsplace

ofhappeningasageographicallydeterminedarea,couldnotbreaktheestablished

reputationtheyhadintheWesteventhoughtheprotestersexhibitedunprecedented

courageinthefaceoftheircircumstances.

Thescienceofhistorykeptappearingherewithitsmanystoriesaboutthepast,setin

chronologicalorderandcapturedbyhistorians.However,myhistoricallineholdsan

190

empoweringamountofrecordsfortheSerbianminoritywhosehistoriesrunparallel

withtheknownhomogenouscourse.

Inthisresearch,mypastisnotminebecauseIamrestoringit,conductingacultural

archaeology,connectingcut-ups–atechniqueusedbyBurroughs(1961-1967)65via

digitalmeanstoformastorythatcanchallengetheoneexistingintheWestandalso

intheEast.Thesecut-upsinmygeographyofselfcameintheformofnarrative

vignettes,poemsandimages,whichfixedsomeofmytremblingmemoryandthe

memoryofmyresearchcontributors.Weareallhauntedbythatpast,butweguardit

asitisprecious-aplacewe,Serbs,visitonourownbecauseourphysicalterritoryisso

devaluedthatwedonothaveasayinginwhopassesthroughitandwhattheymakeof

it,evenifthesevisitorsareghosts.

Thefullabsurdityandimpossibilityofmyresearchoutcome–thearchivemapcameto

lightonesummerinIstanbul,acityIdiscoveredbyembracinganobject–abookby

OrhanPamuk,MuseumofInnocence(2008).Athickpublicationweighedmedownlike

mypastdoesandforthefirsttimeIcouldseemysearchasapathetic,romantic,sad

attempt,justlikeKemal’s,oneofPamuk’scharacters.Hisextremetransmissionoflove

forFusunontotheobjectsshetouchedwasequaltomycarryingaroundthisheavy

booktoalltheplacesinIstanbulthatIvisited,somuchsothatmybicepsformed.Iwas

obsessedwithmakingsurethatthebookwaspresentinallspacesIwas,incaseI

bumpedintoaddressesthatPamukwroteabout.IwasfirstinterestedinKemal,

identifyingwithhiminapositiveway,sowhenPamuktakeshimtoIncipatisserie,I

wenttoo.I,asheandFusundid,orderedprofiteroles,simulatingKemal’sobsession

withobjectsstolenfromFusunbyputtingthemintohismouth.

However,themoreIread,themoredisappointinghislifebecametome.Hewas

practicallylivinginthepast,treatingeveryoneinhispresentbadly,cheatingthemand

himselfthroughthedesiretoevokewhathethoughtwasandinhismindcould

65TheNovaTrilogyorTheCut-upTrilogyisaseriesofthreeexperimentalnovelsbyWilliamS.Burroughs:

TheSoftMachine(1961,revised1966),TheTicketThatExploded(1962,revised1967)andNovaExpress(1964)

191

happenagain.Hecruellyneglectedpeopleinvolvedintheeventsthatmarkedhim,

stickingtothatunifyingideaoftimeasdirectional,nottakingintoaccountthe

movementofthesocialworldaroundhim.Hissufferingwastheworld.Isawhis

collectionofFusun’sthingsasthestoryofIstanbulandIrealisedthatitisthatstoryof

thecitythatmatters.Theobjectsthathetookwerejustsomestuffwithoutvalueto

anyonebuthimself,notevenFusun.So,whenthemuseum(building)openedwith

permissionfromthecityauthorities,itwasadisplayofartworks,notfactsthatguided

theviewerthroughIstanbul.ThisiswhereIfoundKemalasmysoulmate.Pamuk

wrotehimintoalargerstorytoserveasaguidethroughIstanbulthatwewouldnot

seethroughregulartouristtours.Hisnostalgicpersonadepositedinformationabout

thecitywhereremnantsarevisibletotheoutsider,buts/heisunabletointerpret

them,soonlystaresinwonder-unlikeKemal,whoisabletoconsumehispastandlive

itinthepresent.Hisjourneyisfamiliar,intimateanddeartomebecauseIrecognise

myselfinBelgradeasapassengerinthesamevein.

Theimpossiblearchive

Wearecomplacent,implicated,compromisedbythepoliticstodaywhereweare

invitedtoshowtheinterestfor“theother”,theknowledgeofambiguity,ambivalence,

uncertaintyineverything,alternativehistoriesincluded,thewilltounderstandthe

events–democraticthinking,broadmindedness,tolerance.Perhaps,wearelooking

forforgiveness,promotion,evenabsolutionviasafeandacceptablerouteof

performingempathyratherthanfeelingit?Wedonotreallycare,butwestageit

throughcreatingandvisitingthearchivesandwritingaboutmemory.Ifthatisthe

case,agoodresearchercanonlybeledbyintuitionandhonesty;honestytowards

oneselfandone’sresearchsubjects,whichraisesdifficultquestions.Thisoneisforme:

amIcolonisedorintegratedintheBritishculture?IhavewrittenaPhDinEnglish

abouttheBalkans’experienceandIparachutetoSerbiatodocommunityprojects

withNGOs.Whatdoesthatmakemeorwhatismore,whodoesthat?

Myconclusionstaketheformofadviceforsociallyengagedresearcherswhoare

interestedinfurtheringthefacetsofparticipatorypractice,especiallyarts.Ikeep

repeatingthemtomyself:

192

-Itisnottheirjourney,butyours

-Ifyoulearntnothing,theworkdidnotmatter

-Lietothemortoyourselfandyouortheywillnevercomeback

-Theworkcannotberepeated-relationshipsarealwaysinflux

Justlikegoingonamemoryjourney,ifIwastodothejusticetothepeopleIworked

with,Iwastorespectwhateverdirectiontheytookwhenprovidinginformationtome.

Itmademyresearchdiscursive,exciting,lifelongandifitseemstolackstructure,rigor

andstandard.Iask:isiteasytoliveinamess?Doesanyonelikeit?Howdoyoufeel

whenyoubookameetinganditdoesnothappenoryouaskaquestionandthe

intervieweetalksrelentlesslyaboutsomethingthatyoudonotwanttoknowabout?

Whenyouhavespentyearsdoingthis,can’tyousaythatthereissomethinginit,if

youhavebeenanobservant,reflexive,intuitiveresearcher?Wouldn’tyourecognise

thattheissuespresentedinfrontofyouarenotassimpleasacademicendeavors,but

encompassavoidances,misrepresentations,changesofpoliticalandprivatespheres

anddisruptionsthatarenotcontainable,speakable,solvable.Ifyoucutout,neglect

andnarrowdownthoseincomprehensiblenuancestoinfrastructuresofknowledge,

yourrigorhasletyoudown.

Justlikethecuratorwhoistryingtotame“theother”,ourprojectsaredisplaysof

excitementwithtopicsthatmustfeelundone.Mydigitalarchiveshowsthis,rather

thanprovideanotheropportunitytoturnoverdata–compressed,smallandtedious

piecesofinformationthathurtthepeopletheysupposetorepresent.

IbelieveinZizek’sclaim(2013)thatthetaskofacademicsfromtheregionistoruin

theWesternideaoftheBalkans.TheWesternerswhoconsiderthemselvesopento

“theother”uponhearingthatoneisfromtheBalkanstellyouhowtheirfavouritefilm

isUndergroundbyEmirKusturica.InthedocumentaryBalkanSpirit,Zizekclaimsthat

KusturicaisgivingtheWestwhattheywantfromtheBalkans,hencetheloveforhis

work,whichisthelovefortheWest’sowndreams.TheBalkans’imaginaryisbigger

thantheBalkansitself,becauseitisthepropertyoftheWest.

193

RalphMiliband,therefugeefatheroftheoncewould-beUKPrimeMinister-Ed

MilibandwaspronouncedinOctober2013byTheDailyMailassomeonewhohated

Britainbecausehequestioneditsvalues,pastandinstitutions.Afterreadingthisthesis

youwillsitinthesamechairthatwasfacingRalph.IcanonlyhopethatIhave

challengedtheSerbsaswellastheBritishenoughtobetakenasanagitatorrather

thanahaterofaparticularnation.Ifanyone,Iamthepersonwhocannotlive

anywherewithouttryingtoimprovethatenvironmentthroughconstantenquiryabout

thewayitworks.

“[T]hecapacityforbringingintoexistenceinanexplicitstate...ofmakingpublic

(i.e.objectified,visible,sayable,andevenofficial)thatwhich,notyethavingattained

objectiveandcollectiveexistence,remainedinastateofindividualorserial

existence...representsaformidablesocialpower...”

Bourdieu,P.1991:236

Essentialismisprovocative–itoozeswithexperienceandauthenticity.Neoliberalsare

threatenedbyit,astheypreferablandrhetoricofpoliticalcorrectness,whichtheyare

abletoswingtheirway.We–allofus,mustbedifferent,notessentialist,butshow

differenceinfrontofthemonolithicanddominantsystemdrivenbymarkets.

Inacademia,Iheldontodisciplinarysigns,butbypassedthemfreelyifthejourney

tookmeelsewhere.Insteadoffeelingindangerforcrossingoveranareaofstudy,I

thoughtofitasaphilosophicalconstituencytoworkwith.Iwasspillingovertheedges

ofexpectedscholarshipasIwasinvestigatingtheprotestinthewayitwashappening.

Similarly,theprotestersfirstsanktoculturaldiscomfortandthenexitedthrough

familiarandauthenticpracticespositioningthemselvesascatalystsofrebellionatthe

time.Eventhoughtheywereunabletoshiftthecategoriesbywhichtheygraspedthe

world,theymanagedtoaltertheirsurroundings.Theproblemisthatweastheydid

notchangewithit.TheSerbs,as‘theNewArabs’maynothavesucceededin

revolutionisingtheirsocieties,buttheyhavesensedthepossibilitiesofanewworld

andthesolidarityitwilltaketoachieveit.

194

Thisthesisisthesearchforbelonginginthatimaginaryworldandthecritiqueof

Westernreasonwithinwhichitisimpossibletobelongwithoutconformingtoits

frameworksthatcomewithahistoryofviolence.Thathistoryisprofoundlynegatedby

thesoleactingoutsideofitself,awayfromtheviolencethatistransferredonto“the

other”–his/herterritory,bodyandmind.Inthisway,humanitarianreasoningaligns

withyetanothercolonialadvance,thepositioningofitselfasacivilisingandnota

primitiveprojectwhilst‘primitives’areunderstoodasthosepeoplewhoaresubjected

tohumanitarians’primitivepracticethatstaysunquestionedbythem.

Theprotestemphasisedenduranceasacriticalvalueinthequestforadifferentorder.

HistoryinboththeEastandtheWestmustthereforeenduretore-positionits

narrativestoacknowledgeitspresence.Ihavecreatedanexampleofthisbyre-

purposingmywritingandthearchiveinordertodemonstratethepossibilityofthis

action.Myanaloguearchivebecamedigitalandmemoriesweremediatedbythis

process,butthestoryisstillanaccountfromthepast.So,wecanadjust,improveand

correctthewrongbyallowingforalternativeknowledgetoemergefromhistoryandto

includeit,inwaysthatarenowpossiblebytheuseoftechnology.Archivesnowadays

providepossibilities,butitisuptoustokeepthemaliveinordertodisplaymany

versionsofpasteventsandneverjusttheone.

Embodiednarrative

Iamcoveredinblotchesofeczema.MyskinexposedthemixtureofCyrillicandLatin

alphabetsmakingmySerbianandBritishidentityvisible.Thelettersarecomingout

likeinverted/innertattoo.Peopleinflictstoriesonthemselvesbyneedlingdrawings

ontotheirbodies.Mybodyseemstobeamediumforstoriestobetoldwithoutmy

will.Iammorepossessedthanblessedwiththissituation.Thisisn’tareasonformy

joyandshouldnotbeasourceofenvyfromothers.Notbeingabletosleeporhaving

toaccommodatenon-stopimaginationisalackofpeacethatIdonotwishonanyone,

especiallywhenmysoul’sturmoilshowsonmyskin.Itcarvesamapasifguidingthe

viewerthroughmyworldandspellingoutthedestinationsofplacesthatIhavebeen

in.Mynarrativeisembodied,evenasadreamcapturedinmybody.

195

Iwriteinpatches,justliketheeczemashowsonmyskin.Myimpressionscomeouton

myskinorinmydream,buttheydonotleaveme.Icarrythemaround,pillingthemup

astheeventsthatPaulKlee’sAngelusNovus,thatBenjamin(1940)interpretedas

AngelofHistorycaughtintheforceofprogress,whichheturnedhisbackto.He,like

me,wishestorewindthechainofeventsinordertoassessthem,tostopthem

evolvinguntiltheyareunderstoodandone’sownopinionsofthemcanbeheld,rather

thanhavingtosettleforthegiven,victor’sstorybroughtatone’sfeet.Asvictors

propelthemselvestoheroicplanes,Ifalltovictimhood,acceptingthatIwouldrather

bearthatburden,howeverdisagreeablewiththegivenroleIhaveobtained.Between

heroesandvictims,bothpostsallocatedbythebelieversinprogress,thereisnoother

spacethatonecanoccupywithoutbeingaccusedoftreasonofoneoranother

category.Essentialisingistheworkofthevictorious,justliketaxonomy.

IamtiredofbeingtakenasatokenfortheexilesorfortheBalkans’peoplebecause

thisrecyclingof‘thespeakingsubject’makesmefeellikeanobject.Intheglobal

historythatispredominantlyblackandwhite,Ihavestruggledtodeviseacounter-

narrative,soIhaveoptedfortheadditionofcolour.Ihavetakenanuniversalnarrative

andaddedcolourfuldetailstoit,whichIbelievewilltakeitover.Ihopethesedetails

willrisefromthegroundandapproachuniversalisminvastnumbersfromthesidesas

theydoinmydreams.Irelyonhelpfromotherwritersandartistswhohavealso

foundtheInternetasaplatformabletoprovideexactlythis–elevatetheparticulars

andfadeoutthelineargrandstory,offeringalternativeinterpretationsofhistory.I

thinkoftheignoranceofglobalnarratorsasactiveaggression,aprolonged

colonisation,whichhasnowtakenadifferentshape,yetitisthesameinitsintent.

TherearefundamentaldifferencesbetweenWesternliberaldiscoursesandEastern

traditionalholdings.TheArabrevolutionswhichfollowedtheEastEuropeanones

started,lastedandendedwiththestrongandcontentiousinfluenceoftheWestas

Younge(2011)claims:

“Thewestsupportsdemocracywhendemocracysupportsthewest.ButEgypt

furtherprovesthat,forthewest,freedomisaquestionofstrategynotprinciple.That's

why,whilemostoftheworldlookedonatthethrongsinCairowithaweand

196

admiration,westernleaderseyedthemwithfearandsuspicion.Theyknowthatifthe

Arabworldgetstochooseitsownleaders,thoseleaderswouldbelesssupportiveof

everythingfromrenditionandIrantoIraqandtheblockadeofGaza.Thewest'sforeign

policyintheregionhasnotsimplytoleratedalackofdemocracy,ithasbeenactively

dependentondictatorship.”

Serbiadoesnothavedictatorshipanymore,butneo-liberalcapitalismisequally

demanding,pretending,justlikeMilosevicdid,thatthecurrentstateofaffairsisthe

people’swill.Withmyproject,IamremindingSerbs,aswellastheWestofthesound

ofthepeople’svoice,thelookoftheirfreedomandthevalueofsolidaritytheymade

attheprotest.

IstheprotestlikethatpossibleinSerbiaagain?

“Ofcourseitis,thatisthebestlegacyoftheprotest–thosewhoarecomingnowknowthattheycouldbedrivenaway.”

Posta,M.200766

66Posta,M.interviewin2007

197

GLOSSARYArtefact–adigital,physicalobjectoracontained/condensed/enclosedconstructdepictingboundariesofscreen,spaceorthoughtArchive–anartworkthatcontainsarepositoryofartefactsachievedovertimeindigitalorphysicalformatBalkan–animaginaryofbothEasternersandWesternersaroundtheterritoryandpeoplesfromEasternEuropeCommunity–agroupofpeoplegatheredaroundacommonality–activity,nationality,gender…East–theeastofEurope-geographicallyandthecultureitcarriesEvent–happenings,whichonedistinguishesasagreatertimeIdentity–differentfacesweputon,emphasisingdifferentpartsofourpersonalityMemory–astateofthemindencompassingevents,representationsandexperiencesfromthepastCollectiveMemory–partofsocialmemory,reliantonplaceCulturalMemory-collectiveidentity,whichdirectsonetothesharedpastNarrative–theweavedthreadsofastoryNostalgia–aconditionofthepastfromwhichonespeaksandthinksinthepresentParticipation–engagementofpeopleinanactivity.Inart,itconsiderstheinclusionofpeopleintheproductionoftheartworkParticipants–researchcontributors,interlocutors,intervieweesPositionality–apoliticalpositionofthepersonwhoactsandspeaksaccordingtohis/herconditionlikesocial,economic,culturalstatusReflexivity–acriticalreviewofpreviousactionsandexperiencesWest–thewestofEurope–aterritoryanditsculture

198

APPENDICESAppendix1Copyrightagreement

199

Appendix2QuestionnaireMostofthematerialfromtheblogisnowonmydigitalarchivemap,apartfromthequestionnairethatwillbeaddedtoitonlineatthelaunchoftheprojectforthe20thanniversaryofprotestin2016,soBelgradecitizenswhowerenotcapturedbythisresearchcancontributetoitifinterestedindoingsointhisform.Forothercontributions,wehaveanemailaddressasweneedtoreceivematerialpriortoitsdisplayonthewebasithastobemodifiedforthebestqualityitcanhaveonourarchivemap.ShortquestionnaireinEnglishlanguage:1.Wherewereyouduringthestudentprotestin’96/’97?2.Whytheprotesthappened?3.Howyourememberthatprotest–assomethingexcitingordisappointing?4.Didyouparticipateintheprotestandwhy?5.Didyoufriends,familyandcolleaguesparticipated?6.Howtheylookedatyouandyouonthem,didyousupportorcriticiseeachother?7.Howyourparticipationintheprotestmanifested–whatwereyoudoingsoyoucalledyourselfaparticipant,supporterornonparticipant,nonsupporter?8.Didyoufeelthatyouareindanger,whenandwhybecause/duringthedemonstrations?9.Whatactionsandinitiativesweregoodforyou,bad,important(NewYear,goingthroughthecordon,bluediscotheque)10.Wasitimportanttobeontheparticularspotorattheparticulartimesomewhereontheprotest?11.Howwouldyoudescribedifferentgroups,classes,parties,generationsinprotest–makealist12.Bywhatwasthestudentprotestdifferentthatcivilianone?13.Whatwasparticularlyhardtoendure–thecold,thenews,theblockadesofpassage?14.Whichactionsofindividualcitizensyouremember–grannyOlga,givingcakes...15.Didyouparticipateinthewalksandhowwouldyoudescribethem?Statedifferentroutes,names,thereasonsforthewalks?16.DoyouconsiderthedemonstrationsimportantforthefutureofSerbia,whattheyinfluencedandwhy?17.Doyouhaveprotestsouvenirs?CanItakethem/photographthem/putthemonthesite?18.DoyouremembertheprotestasacollectivehistoryofBelgradeorapersonalhistory?19.Whatisthedifferencebetweentheprotestof’96/’97andtheoneon5thofOctober?20.IsaprotestlikethatagainpossibleinSerbia?LongQuestionnaireinEnglishlanguage:Q1.Gdestebilitokomstudentskogprotesta’96/’97?(dajtesamojedanodgovor)

1. aktivnoučestvovao/lauprotestu(našetnjamaidemonstracijama)2. aktivnopodržavao/laprotest(lupanjeušerpe,sveće,pištaljkeislicno)

200

3. radio/la,studirao/la,pratio/laprekomedija(radio,TV,novine)4. bio/lanakontramitingu,protivio/laseprotestu5. nisamučestvovao/la,nijevredelo6. nestodrugo

(upisati)_________________________________________________7. nesecamse,neznam(samoakoinsistirate)

Q2.Zbogčegajeizbioprotest?(mogućejedatidotriodgovora)

1. Zbogkrađeglasovanalokalnimizborima2. Zbognedemokratskogrežima3. Zbogželjazapromenama(demokratskavlast,približavanjeEvropi,“živeti

normalno“)4. Socijalniuslovi(tajkunizacija,siromaštvo,sankcije,korupcija...)5. Inostranezavere(stranetajneslužbe,Soros,Bilderbeskagrupa...)6. Neštodrugo(upisati)__________________________________________________________7. Neznam(samoakoinsistirate)

Q3.Kakosesećatetogprotesta–kaonestouzbudljivoilirazocaravajuce?

1. Ushićeno,osećao/lasamdaseborimprotivnepravdeikrađeglasova2. Uzbuđeno,osećao/lasamdamenjamdruštvoukomeživim3. Indiferentno,višemenedotiče4. Razočarano,uzaludsmosesmrzavalipoulicama5. Gnevno,izneverenisusvinašiideali,ništasebitnonijepromenilo6. Razočarano,tojebiojošjedanpokušajdestabilizacijeSRJipokoravanjazemlje

štoimjeiuspelo2000godine.7. Neštodrugo(upisati)_______________________________________________8. Neznam(samoakoinsistirate)

Q3a.Odreditenaskalivašaosećanjapremaprotestu1996/1997godinetakoštoćetezaokružitibrojnaskaliintenzitetavašihdoživljajaprotesta.(Akojeosećanjenpr.bližeuzbuđen/azaokružićeteintenzitetosećajanaskali3,2ili1,aakojevišeosećanjebližerazočaran/abrojeve-3,-2ili-1,aakojenestoizmeđuonda0)Uzbuđen/aRazočaran/a_____________________________________________________________________3210-1-2-3Zadovoljan/a Izneveren/a_____________________________________________________________________3210-1-2-3Ushićen/a Gnevan/a_____________________________________________________________________3210-1-2-3Ispunjen Prazan

201

_____________________________________________________________________3210-1-2-3Q4.Dalisteucestvovaliuprotestuizasto?(možedo3odgovora)

1. Da,borio/lasamseprotivnepravdeikrađeglasova2. Da,želeo/lasamdapromenimsistem(danormalnoživim)3. Da,želeo/lasamdemokratskuvlast4. Da,hteo/lasamdastudentidobijuboljeuslovestudiranja5. Ne,alisampodržavao/laprotest(šerpe,sveće,pištajke...)6. Ne,bio/lasamprotivprotestatojeznačiloslabljenjeSRJ7. Ne,tojebilastranazavera8. Nestodrugo

(upisati)_____________________________________________________Q5.Dalisuučestvovaliuprotestuvasiprijatelji,rodbina,kolege?(zaokružiti1akosusviizokruženjaučestvovaliuprotestui10akonikovamablizaknijeučestvovao.Ostalozaokružitipremasituaciji)Moževišeodgovora.

1. Da,svibliskimeni(samojedanovajodgovor)2. Da,porodica3. Da,prijatelji4. Da,poznanici5. Da,kolege6. Ne,porodica7. Ne,prijatelji8. Ne,poznanici9. Ne,kolege10. Ne,nikoblizakmeni(samojedan,ovajodgovor)

Q6.Kakosugledalinavasivinanjih–dalistesepodrzavaliilikritikovali?(jedanodgovorzasvakired)

Intenzivnopodržavali

Blagonaklono(sasimpatijom) Neutralno Kritikovali Mrzeli

Porodica 1 2 3 4 5Prijatelji 1 2 3 4 5Kolege 1 2 3 4 5

Poznanici 1 2 3 4 5Q7.Kakosevaseučesćeuprotestumanifestovalo–štasteradilidasenazoveteučesnikom,podrzavaocemilineučesnikom?(jedanodgovor)

1. Učestvovao/laaktivnonaprotestustalnoilivrločesto2. Učestvovao/laaktivnopovremenosvakadvatridana3. Učestvovao/laaktivnokadsammogao(vikendisl)4. Podražavao/laprotest(šerpe,zviždaljke,svećeisl.)5. Podržavao/laprotest,pričao/lasvimauokruženjuotomepozitivno6. Nisamučestvovao/la,nijebilosvrhe7. Nisamučestvovao/laaktivnosamseprotivio/laprotestu(slabljenjezemlje)8. Nisamučestvovao/lajerjetostranazavera

202

9. Ucestvovao/lanakontramitingusasuzbijemozaveruprotivzemlje10. Nestodrugo(upisati)______________________________________________11. Neznam(samoakoinsistirate)

Q8.Dalisteosecalidasteuopasnosti,kadaizastozbog/tokomdemonstracija?

1. Da,jerjepolicijanekadabilabezobzirnainasilna(prebijenojedostaučesnika)

2. Da,jersenikadanijeznalokadćepolicijadainterveniše3. Da,neštodrugo______________________________________________4. Ne,želeosamdasmenimotuvlastposvakucenu5. Ne,uveksambionabezbednomodstojanju6. Ne,nestodrugo______________________________________________7. Ne,znam(samoakoinsistirate)

Q9.Kojeakcijeiinicijativesuvambiledobre,lose,znacajne?

Akcija Značajna Dobra LošaŠerpe 1 2 3

Zviždaljke 1 2 3Novagodina 1 2 3

Probijanjekordona 1 2 3Plavadiskoteka 1 2 3

Setnje 1 2 3Drugo

Q10.Dalijebilovaznobitinaodredjenommestuiliuodredjenovremenegdenaprotestu?(Mozeviseodgovora)

1. Da,dasesuprotstavimopoliciji2. Da,danasbudeštovišeidobijeprotestnaznačaju3. Da,dabiimalomeđunarodniodjek4. Da,dabibilividjeni5. Da,dabisedružilisaistomišljenicima6. Da,bilojeiromantično7. Ne,vaznojebiloucestvovatiipokazatibrojnost8. Ne,tamosuišliljudisapolitičkimambicijamadabuduviđeniidaiskoriste

situacijuzaličnupromociju9. Netojebiosnobovski.Nanekimmestimajebilofensipojavitise.10. Nestodrugo__________________________________________________

Q11.Kakobiobjasnilirazlicitegrupacije,klase,partije,generacijenaprotestu?NapravitelistuIKLASE1.Radnička(bezposlaiplataupropalimfirmama)Motiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.Srednjisloj(službenici,šefovi,osiromašenograđanstvo)

203

Motiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.Inteligencija(advokati,lekari,profesori,studenti...)Motiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4.Predratnogradjanstvoinjihovipotomci(preIIsvetskogratavlasnicioduzetihnekretnina,fabrikaislicno)Motiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________IIPARTIJEDOS?

1. DemokratskastrankaMotiv_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. DSS(GradjanskiSavez)Motiv________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. SrpskiPokretObnoveMotiv_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________IIISTAROSNEGRUPE1.MladiMotiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2.SredovecniMotiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.StarijiMotiv_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________MozetekoristititabeluakovamodgovaraGodine Motiv18do29

30do44

45do64

65iviše

204

Q12.Pocemuserazlikovaostudentskiprotestodgradjanskog?Zaokružitibrojispred(moževišeodgovora)Br Studentski br građanski1 Spontanost 1 Ogorčenost2 Kreativnost 2 Organizacija3 Motivacija 3 Demografija4 Idealizacija 4 Partijskapripadnost5 Drugo 5 Drugo6 Drugo 6 DrugoQ13.Štajebilonaročitoteskoizdržati?(mozetedativišeodgovora)1.Hladnoću2.Loševesti3.Zabranuprolaskaodpolicije4.Sačuvatizdravlje5.Uskladitiobavezeiprotest(učenjeiprotest,radiprotest,porodicaiprotest)6.Drugo______________________________________________________________7.Drugo______________________________________________________________8.Drugo______________________________________________________________Q14.Kojihseindividualnihakcijagradjanasecate?(višeodgovora)1.ProlazakporedBakaOlge2.Deljenjekolača3.Gadjanjerezimskihmedijskihkucajajima4.Drugo____________________________________________________________5.Drugo_____________________________________________________________Q15.Dalisteučestvovaliušetnjamaikaobisteihopisali?Navediterazlicitetrase,nazive,razlogesetnji

1. Prvatrasa-krugprekoTerazijaiLondona,paTakovskeiSvetogorske(babaOlge)doTrgaRepublike

2. Drugatrasa-trasadoDedinjaiSlobinekuceidavanjapeticijesakordonom3. Trećatrasa-trasaprekomostazaNoviBeogradkadsunamostudokacili

panduri4. Nekadrugatrasa

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Nekadrugatrasa

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Daliprepoznajeteindividualneakcijegradjana(procitajpomenute)?

205

Q16.DalisudemonstracijebilevažnezabudućnostSrbije?(jedanodgovor)1.Da(iditenaQ16a)2.Donekle(iditenaQ16a)3.Možda4.Nisamsiguran5.Ne(iditenaQ16b)5.Neznam(iditenaQ16b)AkojenaQ16DAiDONEKLEQ16a.Naštasuuticaledemostracijeizašto?(mozevišeodgovora)1.Nademokratizacijuzemlje2.NabržipadMiloševića3.PoslenjihiuticajaEUiF.Gonzalesa,Miloševićvišenijebio“faktormiranaBalkanuizemlji“4.DemonstraciamajeogoljenadiktaturaMiloševića5.OpozicijajeušlaulokalnusamoupravuizavladalaBeogradom6.Drugo__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________AkojenaQ16odgovorNEQ16b.Zaštodemonstracijenisuuticalenapromene?(višeodgovora)1.Opozicijajeušlaulokalnuvlastipostalakorumpirana2.Vođedemonstracijasuušliupolitiku(ČedaJovanovic,ČedomirAntić)iizdaliidealezakojesmoseborili3.Sverezultatedemostracija(ulazakulokalnuvlast)prisvojilajenovabirokratijaDOS-aistranačkestrukture4.KorumpiranalokalnanovaDOS-ovavlastjedalaaduteMilosevićudapokažekakoćebitilošavlastDOSakododjenavlast5.Drugo__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Q17.Daliimatesuveniresaprotesta?(jedanodgovor)1.Da(iditenaQ17a)2.NeAKOIMATESUVENIREQ17a.Mogulidaihslikam,pozajmim,stavimnawebsite?1.Da(kontaktirajmenanela011@hotmail.com)2.NeQ18.DalisesećateprotestakaokolektivnogcinaBeogradjanailikaodogadjajaizlicneistorije?Q19.Zaokružiteinaveditebitnaobeležjaprotestaiz’96-’97.godineidemostracija5.Oktobra2000(moževišeodgovora)

206

Protest96'97 Demonstracije5,oktobra2000.1 Borbazaukredeneglasove 1 Borbazapromenuvlasti2 Studentisuvodjeprotesta 2 Gradjaniiradnici(Kolubara)vodje

protesta3 Verauideale(studenti) 3 “Otpor“(operacionalizacija

promena)4 ŽeljadaseoslabiMiloševićkroz

ulazakulokalnuvlast4 OdlučnostdasesmeniMiloševići

demokratizujezemlja5 Uključenostsamodelaurbanog

stanovništva5 Uključenostvelikogbrojaurbanogi

seoskogstanovništva6 Drugo 6 Drugo7 Drugo 7 Drugo8 Drugo 8 Drugo9 Drugo 9 DrugoQ20.DalijetakavprotestopetmogućuSrbiji?(jedanodgovor)

1. Da2. Ne3. Možda4. Neznam

Pojasnite

207

Appendix3:Protestparticipantsandresearchcontributors:

1.OrganisersDanijelaMilicevicKokica-vicepresident,MainProtestCouncilMiraOdicIlic–artchiefofstudentprotestTanjailicKatarinaKostic–musicchiefofprotestDusanPopovic

3.MigrantsZoranaPiggottDraganaRadosavljevicJelenaZegaracBranislavRadeljic

4.StudentsDraganaKarapandzaAcaStojkovicDarkoSladakovicBiljanaJokicMagdalenaRadicDjordjeVuleticNadaMiljkovic

6.ArtistsGorcinStojanovic–film&theatredirectorSonjaVukicevic-ballerinaNenadProkic-playwrightSkart–graphicdesignersBiljanaSrbljanovic-playwrightAleksandraZdravkovic–visualartistLjubinkaKlaric&GordanKicic–actorsonB92dzingles

5.FamilyDadMumTajaTetka7.Photographers:

EmilVas,PetarKujundzic&OlegPopov–ReutersDejanVasic&DraskoGogovic-VremeDjordjePopovic–photoreporter,DailyTelegraphZoranJovanovic–VecernjeNovosti(EveningNews)AleksandraStankovic,BrankoPantelic,PecaVujanovic–BlicMiroslavPetrovic–DailyTelegraph(DT)ZoranSinko-freelanceVesnaPavlovic–freelancephotoreporter

8.KeyworkshopparticipantsBranimirStanojevicSnezanaZitnikPaunovic

208

Appendix4:ConditionofresearchOntheentranceandinthereceptionareaofthelibrary,therenovationissuccessful–thelibrarylooksmodernandstylish.AfterourtalkonthepoliticaldrudgerythatdriveseconomicdownfallIlookatthesesee-throughpanelsandwallscoveredwithfunkygraphicdesignasembodiedcorruption.Intheofficeofoneofthedepartmentleads,IhearaboutherDemocraticPartyengagementasVesnaJovanovicrevealswhatmyresearchisabout.Thisisherwayofassuringmeofhercompetenceaswellasdisplayingcompatibilitywiththecurrentpartyinpower,justifyingherpositioninthelibrary.Vesnawarnedmeaboutthispractice.ThewomansayssheneedstosearchforthematerialIaskedfor.Sheisnotsureifthereisanyorifsheknowswhere,butIshouldcomeback.She,aseveryoneelseIencounterasksmeforhowlongamIinthecountry,asiftheyareterriblybusyandwilldealwithwhatIneedwhentheyfindtime.Whattheyareactuallydoingisavoidingdoinganythingnow.Anotherwaytodothesameistosay:“wewillspeak”(cucemose)or“wewillnegotiatethat”(dogovoricemose).Itislike“seeyoulater”whenyouknowyouwon’t.Itmeansnothingreally–apoliteexpressionforalmost“goawaynow”.Idogoaway,tocompleteotherpartsofthelibraryvisit–administration–tofirstlyjoin,asamember.IcannotusetheNationalLibraryinBelgradewithoutanID.IdonotwanttocarrymypassportaroundandthefactthatitisBritishmakesmeevenmoreuncomfortable,soIhaddecidedtogothroughthealwaysdreadfulprocessofobtaininganIDcard(licnakarta)thatusedtoberequiredforalladministrativetasksdoneinSerbia.EveryonehasanIDanditwasshockingtofindoutthatsomepeoplenowdon’tasitusedtobecarefullystoredineveryone’swallettogetherwithabusticketormoney.So,weallknewhowlongandtediousajourneyitwas;togetaconfirmationletterofyouraddressfromthecouncilwhereyouqueueforhours,gettingtheformsfromthepostofficewhereyouqueueforhours;inonepartforthebankpaymentform,intheothertopaythestate,thenyougotogetyourbirthcertificatemilesawayfromyourcouncil,possiblyeveninanothercity;inallcasesqueuingforhours.Thefinalstageofthishassleistheworstasyouhavetoqueueinthecouncil’sofficewhichcantakeinonlyacertainnumberofpeopleaday,soevenifyougetinthequeue,youmightnotbeserved–andyoucometomorrowwiththesamechances.IgotmyIDinthewinter.Thequeuewasoutsideofthecouncilofficeandpeoplehadarrivedat4amtotakeaspotinit.Iwaitedfor3days–everytimeIarrivedwiththesunrise,someonewouldcomeoutofthebuildingandhandoutapieceofpaper.ThefirstmaninthequeueIlearntwasataxidriver,hetookthepaperthensatinhiscar.Onewouldthenhavetogotohimtobeputonthatpaperwhichactedasaregister.Whenitreached25orsomeothernumber,whichwasenoughfortheday,thelistwasclosed.Afterthethirdday,Iwalkedbackhomeinthesnowdefeated.Myaunt,whoworksasthenewsagentcouldn’ttakemystruggletofollowavailableproceduresanymoreandobtainanIDinaregularway.Itwasimpossible.Mycousinsaidthatherfather-in-law

209

hadbroughtalittlechairoverthesummerandhadsatinthequeueallnighttokeepaspotwhenherfamilyneededdocumentsfortravel.Myauntyoftenservesapoliceofficerwhomsheaskedtohelpmeout.Adayafter,Iwasinthecouncilwithher.Shebroughtcoffeeandchocolatewhichwerestickingoutofherbagasshewalkedin.Everyoneknewthatweweretogivethe‘presents’totheemployeesbecausethatishowallcometoinstitutions–surgeries,schools,eventhepostoffice.IgetanIDinanhour.ThereisageneralbeliefinSerbiathatifyoubribepersonnel,youwillbetreateddifferently.Noonecomesoutofthoseplaceswiththeconfectionarythey’dbroughtin,Iassumethepublicservants,doctors,professors,bankersexpectthat–tobetreatedforthejobstheydoandareoftenwellpaidforandregularly–incontrasttohoweveryoneelselives.MyRomanianfriendGruiaBadescuthoughtthroughthiscustomof‘connection’-doingsomethingviasomeoneyouknow-andclaimsthatthisnolonerworksinEastEuropeanymore.Hesaysthathenowwaitsuntilhisfamilydoctorhasseenallthepatientsinthesurgerybecauseheisafriend;whileanyonewhopaysthefullpricehastheadvantage.Itwastheotherwayaroundonce,thepeoplewith‘aconnection’wouldalsohave‘protection’oftheirtimebybeingservedfirstandbythebest…Ipayinthelibraryashortusefeeof3daysandthenhavetodeclarewhereIwillsit,somyIDisputinthecorrectcompartment.IfIamtousephotodocumentation,Iamtositinthespecialsection,forjournalsIhavetobeinperiodicalsectionandforthebooks,inthecentralpartofthelibrary.IwentthroughacatalogueonlinewhilstathomeandIconcludedthatIshouldusealllibrarysections,butIhavetopickonefirst,somyseatmatchestheroomnumber.IfIamtochangetheseat,IhavetogobacktotheentranceandmovebothmyIDandseat.Theproceduralsagastartsthereanddoesnotendforthewholeday.Thestaffrejectsmyordersastheywouldratherreceivethemelectronically.IarrivetosomepointelectronicallyandIamunabletocompletetheorderbecausetheresourcesappeartoacertaindate,yetthelibraryonlinecatalogueshowsthattheyareintherepository.Foreverythingthathasanunclearreference,Igotothestaffwhotriestogetridofmeeitherbysaying“Idonotknow”or“doityourself”.Inonewayoranother,thenegotiationisover.AswithmyID,youareencouragedtogiveuporlookforthe“connection”–someonewhoisinthepositionofpowerandcandoforyouwhatyouneedonthepremises.IalreadyhaveAleksandra,butIcannotexhaust“myconnection”soIfightwiththesystem‘tilIgettired.IaminvitedbytheHeadofDepartmenttowhomVesnahasintroducedme.She“wenttothedustyupstairs”andgotsomematerialforme.Ipretendtotakephotosofit,becauseitisfromtheprotestthatIamnotresearching.Thereareotheremployeestherewhoseemtobeonacoffeebreak,smoking.Ichatwiththemaboutmyresearch–theythrownamesandphonenumbersatme,reminiscingabouttheprotestaswespeak–confusingly,interested,buthoweverfriendly,theyarechaoticandcasual.Icallapersonrecommendedbythegroup,whoworkedasalibrarianattheFacultyofPhilosophyandallegedlyatthetimeofprotest,collectedallthestudent’spamphlets.Wearrangeameeting.Hedoesn’tshowup.

210

OneofthedocumentsIaskedforarrivesformeinthelibrary.Anotherordercomeswiththenote“Notinplace”.Iaskalibrarianstinkingofalcoholandcigarettesmokewhatdoesthatmean–Iwasnotattherightplaceorthebookwasnotatitsplace?“Thebookisnowheretobefound”,hesays.IgotophotocopytheoneI’vegot.Thephotocopyingmachinebelongstotheprivatecompanyandtheirstaffleavesat4.Besides,youneedtoputthebooksforphotocopyingintoaqueueandtheymightnotgetdonebytheendoftheday.IreturneverythingIfoundandgotothetoilet.Thereisnotoiletpaperandmyhandkerchiefsareinmybaginthecloakroomattheentrance.Igohomecryingandstartagaintomorrowmorningwithascheduleoffriendsandintervieweeswhowillcometovisitmeinthelibrarycafé.IsendonerequestandgotoseemyfrienduntilIaminformedwhathashappenedwithit.Thedaypasseswithnothingtakenoutofthedepot.Thelibrarysystemisdown,thestaffisnowheretobefound.Ihaddrunksomuchcoffee,bothmyheadandstomachhurt.Onthethirddayofmyvisit,somebooksarewaitingformeastheyhadbeenonorderfordays.Alibrarianlooksatmereproachfullyfornotshowingupearliertopickthemup.Asweargue,amanfallsfromthetopfloorinthereadingroom.Hewasahandymanwhodidnotsupposetowalkinthatpartofthelibrary.Thewomansayssheisnotgoingtoserveanyoneanymoreasthemanfell.Istandinfrontofherdeskwithmyordermaterialinfrontofme.VesnarushesbyandItellherthatIamtemptedtostealit.Shesaysithappensallthetimeandofferstophotocopyallofitinheroffice.Idecidetoputthebooksinthequeueforphotocopyingmyselfandcometomorrow.Athome,mymuminformsmethatthefallenmanincidentwasonTV.

211

Appendix5:ExtractsfromtheselectionofInterviewsDejanJoksimovicTadsambionovinarnaradioIndeksu,jednaoddveradiostanicekojesubileanti-rezimeskiorijentisanezavremeprotesta‘96/’97iobesubilezatvaraneisignalimjeometantokomprotesta…Situacijajetrazila,nijebilodovoljnoljudiuinformativnoj,icelaekiparadijaseangazovalaiceoradiojepostaoinformativnaredakcija…Takvajebilaorganizacijaposladajeuvekislopodvareporterakojisupratiliteproteste.Jasambionapocetkukolonesastudentskimliderima,nekadjetubiloumetnika…bilonasjevise(reportera),uglavnomsutosadljudikojisudiglirukeodnovinarstvaosimJocePalavestre.IwasajournalistthenontheRadioIndex,oneofthetworadiostationsthatwereanti-regimeorientatedduringtheprotestin‘96/’97andtheywerebothclosedupandtheirsignalwasdisturbedduringtheprotest…Situationasked,therewasnotenoughpeopleinthenews,sothewholeradiocrewgotengagedandthewholeradiobecamethenewsdepartment.Itwassuchorganisationoftheworkthattherewerealwaystworeportersthatfollowedtheprotest.Iwasatthestartofthecolumnwiththestudentleaders,sometimestherewereartists…therewasmoreusreporters,nowtheyarethepeoplethatgaveupjournalismapartfromJocaPalavestra.Cakiposleovevremenskedistancekojajeskoro15godina,nemogunikaddakazemdaje(protest)bilonestorazocaravajuce-velikapozitivnaenergija,kaoilustracijatogajedaljudisubukvalnodaninocboravilisastudentima.Mismonovinarismatralisamisebedelomtogprotestajersmobili-anti-rezimskiorijentisani,itusmomaloizgublilinovinarskuobjektivnost,unekimslucajevimadavalilogistickupodrskuprotestima,pozivalismoljudedadonosehranu,toplenapitke,odecukadjebilocelenocikordonnakordon.Evenaftersomuchtimedistancethatisalmost15years,Icanneversaythattheprotestwassomethingdisappointing–alotofpositiveenergy,asanillustrationservesthefactthatpeopleliterallyallsayandnightspentwiththestudents.Wejournalistsconsideredourselvesapartofthatprotestbecausewewereanti-regimeorientatedandwelosttherealittlethatjournalisticobjectivity,insomecircumstanceweweregivinglogisticalsupporttotheprotests,wewereinvitingpeopletobringfood,hotdrinks,clotheswhenitwasallnightcordonversuscordon.Ljudikojisubiliutomstudentskomprotestukojisusadapresliupolitiku,unjihmogudabudemrazocararan,aliuprotestkaoideju,desavanjeisvojeucesceunjemu,uvekcusesecatisanekimpozitivnimemocijama.Peoplethatwereatthatstudentprotestthattransferredtopoliticsnow,Icanbedisappointedinthem,butintheprotestasanidea,ahappeningandmyparticipationinit,Iwillalwaysrememberitwithpositiveemotions.Studentskiprotestjenastaokaoproduzenarukapolitickihprotestajersuprvihnedeljudvedanaljudikojisuvodiliprotestbiliclanoviomladinskihogranakaizpolitickihstranaka…alisuserelativnobrzopovukli…mnogojevisebilotihnestranackihljudikojinisubiliukljuceniupolitikusuprostoizguraliljudeizpolitikeizprotestasatih

212

znacajnijihmesta,alijeidaljeceostudentskiprotestbiofinansiranodstranepolitickihstranaka.Studentprotestwasmadeasanextendedhandofthepoliticalprotestbecausethefirstweekortwopeoplethatledtheprotestwerethemembersoftheyouthbranchesfromthepoliticalparties…buttheywithdrewrelativelyquickly…therewasmuchmorethosenon-politicalpeoplewhowerenotinvolvedinthepoliticsthatsimplypushedoutfromthepoliticsinprotest’smainplaces,butstillthewholestudentprotestwasfinancedbythepoliticalparties.Uodnosunaovajpolitickideoprotestakojisustrankevodile,nijebilosamostudenataiIiprofesorasauniverziteta,negoiljudikojisuprepoznaliuslovnoreceno,politickucistotu,videlisunekuiskrenostutojborbi,nezbogpolitike,jersunjimaoduzetamestauskupstiniiraznimodborima,astudentisuprotestovalizbogkradjeglasova,istine,zatostojepoceladasepropagiralaznaistina.Jasamtajprotestdoziveokaoborbuzaistinu.Incomparisonwiththepoliticalpartoftheprotestthatwasledbytheparties,therewasnotonlystudentsofprofessorsfromtheuniversity,butthepeoplethatrecognisedconditionally,politicalpurity,theysawsomehonestyinthatstruggle,notbecauseofthepolitics,becausetheirseatsintheparliamentandinvariousboardswererevokedandstudentsprotestedbecauseofthetheftofthevotes,thetruth,becausethefaketruthstartedbeingpropagated.Iexperiencedthatprotestasastrugglefortruth.Namanaradijubilojeipretnjiodstranetajnihsluzbi,odnosnodrzavnebezbednostiitihsluzbi,ljudimasuupadaliutelefonskerazgovore,pasusvastagovorili,dotogadasuljudikojisuradilizapolicijuitajnesluzbesudolazili,prilazilitinauliciigovorili“Cuvajse,pazisetamo,nemojteovo,imaosamnekadutisakdasutonajdobronamernijeradilibezznanjanjihovihnadredjenih,takodajebilajednacudna,konfuznasituacijaodtogadavidisdatinekougrozavazivot,datijezivotuopasnostiidateprogone,dotogadaljudikojiradeistozatusluzbutigovorestadaradis,caki“Svakacastkakosmetetostoradite,samonapred,nastavite.”Wewerethreatenedontheradiobythesecretservices,statesecurityandthosekinds,theywereintrudingintotelephoneconversationsandtalkingallsortsofthings,tothepeoplewhoworkedforpoliceandsecretserviceapproachingyouonthestreetandsaid,“Watchoutthere,donotdothis…Ihadanimpressionthattheydiditwithgoodintension,withouttheknowledgeoftheirsuperiors,sotherewasastrange,confusingsituationfromthefactthatyouseethatsomeoneisendangeringyourlife,thatyourlifeisindangerandthattheyarepersecutingyou,topeoplethatworkforthatsameservicearetellingyouwhattodo,even,“Goodforyou,howyoudaretodothat,justgoahead,continue.”Studentskeakcijesuuvekimalezatemuodgovornekompostupkurezima,kakojevlastodreagovalapremastudentima,onisusledecidandavaliodgovornaraznenacine,performansima,marsutamasetnje,obilaskominstitucija.…bilesumnogosvrsishodnijeismisljenijeakcijeodstudentskogprotestanegopolitickog.Studentactionsalwayshadforathemetheresponsetosomeactionoftheregime,howthegovernmentreactedtowardsthestudents,theywerethedayafterpresentingtheanswerinallsortsofway–

213

performances,itinerariesofthewalks,visitingtheinstitutions…itwasmuchmorepurposefulandthought-throughactionsbythestudents’thanpoliticalprotest.Secamsecovekakojijenasetnjenosioprepariranusovu.Irememberamanthatonthewalkscarriedstuffedowl.KaokulturniiistorijskifenomenBeograda,odtogabiBeogradmogaodaimavecekoristinegostoimasad.SmatramtozavredandeoistorijeBeograda.Tojebionekiperiodkadjeporedsvihmukaiproblema,ljudibijinasmejaniivrloradosesmejaliidruzilijednisadrugimaisapotpunimneznancima…kojisumoglidasapotpunimstrancimauautobusuInaulicimoglidastanuIidapricajuosvemuisvacemuidaseposletogamozdanikadnevideiliakosevidedasepozdravljajukaostariprijatelji,tojejedanlepperiodutomsmisludajebilonekesolidarnosti,socijalneosvescenostiljudi,upucivanjajednihnadruge…Asaculturalandhistoricalphenomenon[theprotest]itcouldbetoBelgrademorebeneficialthanitisnow.IconsideritasavaluablepartofthehistoryofBelgrade.Itisaperiodwhenbesidesallthetroublesandproblems,peopleweresmiling,enjoyingthelaughterandbecamefriendswitheachother,eveniftheydidnotknoweachotheratall…theycouldapproachacompletestrangerinthebusoronthestreettheycouldstopandtalkaboutallsortsofthingsandmaybedonotseeeachotherafterthatatalloriftheydo,theycouldgreeteachotherasoldfriends.Thatwasaniceperiodinthesensethattherewassolidarity,socialawarenessanddirectingpeopletoeachother.SlavisaSavic–graphicdesignerCeotajperiodgledamromanticarski,suvisesamtoemotivnoprezivljavao,bilojetusvacega,sadmozdanekiljudiizsvogugladrugacijevide,paimsesvetopobrkalo,ajanemogu,tacnoznamoddatumakadjebiloodtaddotad…Caknikadsaljudimasakojimadelimteuspomenenepricamotomenitiseikadtogasetimo,etobilopaproslo.Jakomijebilokrivokadjeproslegodinebilo20godina9-ogmarta.Itakodesesetijubilejikao15godinaprotesta,tonebudenivestnatv-u…budenekoiznekeorganizacije“pokazalismoMilosevicu”nebudeemisijica,razniuglovi,tojebastuzno,pogotovostosutonekiljudikojisusadanavrhunestotad…Iviewallofthatperiodromantically,Iwassurvivingittooemotionally,therewassomanythings,nowsomepeoplemaybefromtheirangleseeitdifferently,soallofitforthemismixedup,butIcannot,Iknowexactlybythedatewhenitwastowhen…IneverevenspokeaboutittopeoplewithwhoIamsharingthosememories,norweeverrememberit,likeithashappenedanditisgonenow.Iamreallydisappointedthatlastyearwas20yearsof9thofMarchorthosejubileeshappenlike15yearsofprotestandthereisnotevenonelineonTV–thereissomeonefromsomeorganisationwhosays,“WeshowedMilosevic”.Thereisnotalittleprogramme,differentangles…Thatisreallysad,especiallybecausesomeofthepeoplewhoareonthetopnowweremadethen…Trebalasunamsredstva,markeri,bojice,kamerei‘ajdekaodauzmemonekukutiju-donacijaiidemokrozmasu.Minismootislinastudentski,utuekipu,negosmootislinaparalelnigradjanskiprotestnatrguuveceijednomsmouslinastroje,jedanodnasjenosiokutijunakojojjepisalostudentiisamosmoproslikroztumasu,nijeni20

214

minuta,sporosmoisliitoje,lupamnestokaosad3000Evra.Doksmomitoprebrojali,ljudisuubacivalipohiljadudinara.Weneededmaterialmarkers,colourpens,camerasandlet’strytogetaboxasadonationandgothroughthecrowd.Wedidnotgotothestudents’inthatcrowd,buttotheparallelcitizensprotestontheSquareintheevening.Oncethreeofuscamein,oneofthemcarriedtheboxthathad“students’writtenonitandwejustwalkedthroughthatmass,noteven20minutes,wewerewalkingslowlyandthatwas,Iamguessing,somethinglike300Eurostoday.Whilewewerecounting,peopleweredroppingthousandDinars.Delisletke,paljuditouzmu,pajosjanacrtaoletak,pareakcija…YouaredistributingleafletsandpeopletakeitandtheyreacttowhatIhavedrawn!Kadsusetnje…idemomi,ideonajtransparent,isprednas100-200metarasuislionimomciiimalisuobelezenoono‘obezbedjenje’kojisuimalizadatakdazaustavetajsaobracajkadminaidjemoitujebilanajludjasituacijakodnjih.Tivozaci,“stamezaustavljate–zurim”,vadjenjepistolja,svecudavaspobijem,nikotunijebio‘bravostudenti’.Whenthewalkswere…wegowiththatbannerand100-200metersinfrontofuswalkedthoseguysthathasamark‘security’thathadatasktostopthetrafficwhenwearriveandtherewasthecraziestsituation–aroundthem.Thosedrivers,“whyareyoustoppingme,Iaminthehurry”,takingpistolsout,Iamgoingtokillyouall,noonetherewas,“bravo,students”.Bilisuonikordoni,nemozedaseprodje,pajebilonestokaomesecdanaodkordona.Biojelepdan,prolece,tujebilagomilaljudiuKolarcevoj,decacrtajukredomcvetice,pasvenestotakokulturni,asamoovdenaTerazijamakodrobnekucesedesavasatimcovekomikolimaiovajbesni,noz,zbunjeni,ovidrugisujossutiralinjegovavrata,”’ajdebresklonisemajmune”ionokrenuousmerukaKolarcevojionjetupoludeo,iznerviraosekakomuseljuljajukola,kakomozenjemunekonesto,nijeimaokudionjedoneoodlukudaubaciautouprvubrzinuionjetakotomprvombrzinomkrenuoinikadnecuzaboravititajsmradlameleionjerazviobrzinukolikojemogao,vozio40.Toistonijenaivnabrzinaionjeisaokatojmasiijaidemdagaprestignemdajavimtojmasikojajeokrenutaledjima,tadecadolecrtajudaihobavestimdananjihnailaziautokojicedaihgazi,neznamkakocedasezaustavi,stacetudabude?Ionjenekakousaoutumasuiakojejakogustaijasamocujem…obezbedjenjekojejetubilojeshvatilosituaciju,onisubilijakopametnimomci,onisushvatiligdetoideavlastjejedvacekaladasedesinestonegativno,daobjavenesto,acelatamasajehteladalincujetoglika.Onisuokrenulitajauto,sutiraju,lome,tajautojeza30sekundiizgubiosvastakla,ulubljenamujelimelakaroserijaizduvanesumugumeodnoguirukuljudi,nikonijeimaomacoluilikamentojeneverovatnostajeljudskasnaga.Tonikadnebiznao,mogaobidagledamnaDiscoverydokumentarackako30ljudimozedaizlomiautonogama.Oviizobezbedjenjasushvatilistasedesavainapravilisuzivistitsvojimtelimadaodgurajumasunekihmladihljudijerzeledagasutiraju.ijosnekivisokisazastavomkaoDelacroix.Neznamkakosuoniuspelidazgurajutumasuisvevreme’ljudismiritese’ionisunekakoodguralitajruzniruskiladatavrijaauto,guralidohotelaBalkanibilisutujosnekilikovidagakaojosmalosutnuisamosugatamospustilinizPrizrensku

215

gdejeisaoslobodnimpadomkaZelenjaku.SecamsebastamonacoskugdeautobusstajenaZelenjakusugaspustili.Tajbesniliksemaloprimirioisecamsejednogstudentakojijeuzeolicnokartuirekaojevidis,jasezovemneznamZoranPetrovicijacudateubijem,znas…Ibilojejednotroje,cetvoroizobezbenjenjakojejegurnulonizbrdotajautoimismotuostaligledamotutavrijukojaslobodnimpadomideuonuulicustodolazeautobusiionasamoide‘eeeueeuueee’,silazidolesama.Therewerecordons,youcannotgothroughandtherewassomethinglikeamonthsincethecordon.Therewasaniceday,spring,therewasamassofpeopleinKolarcevaStreet,thechildrendrawflowerswiththechalkandalllikethat,cultureandhere,onTerazijebythedepartmentstorethereisahappeningwiththismaninthecarwhorages,knife,confused,theseotherswereevenkickinghisdoor,“commonmove,youmonkey”andheturnedintheKolarcevaStreetdirectionandgotcrazythere,gotannoyedthattheyarerockinghiscar,howcansomeonesaysomethingtohim,hecouldnotgoanywhereandhemadeadecisiontogetthecarinthe1stspeedandwent,Iwillneverforgetthatsmellofthelamellaandhedevelopedaspeedashecould,driving40.ThatisalsonotnaïvespeedandhewenttowardsthatmassandIgotoovertakehim,toinformthatmasswhosebackswereturned,thosechildrendraw,whatwouldhappenthere?AndhewentsomehowintothatmassevenifitwasthickandIonlyhear…securitythatwasthereunderstoodthesituation,theywereverycleverguys,theyunderstoodwhereitwasallgoing…andtheestablishmentcouldnotwaitforsomethingnegativetohappensotheycanreportitandwholeofthatmasswantedtolynchthatman.Theyturnedthatcararound,kickedit,brokeit,thatcarin30secondslostallofitswindows,lamella,body,itstireswereflattenedbythearmsandlegsofthepeople,nobodyhadmaculaorastone,thatisunbelievablewhatisahumanstrength.Iwouldneverknowit,IcouldwatchadocumentaryonDiscoveryhow30peoplecanbreakthecarwiththeirfeet.Thosefromthesecurityunderstoodwhatisgoingonandmadeahumanshieldwiththeirbodiestopushthemassofsomeyoungpeoplebecausetheywanttokickitandevensometallguywiththeflag…likeDelacroix.Idonotknowhowtheymanagedtopushthatmassandallthetime“people,calmdown”andtheysomehowpushedthatuglyRussianladaTavrijacar,pushedittohotelBalkanandthereweresomecharacterstokickitalittlemoreandtheyjustdroppedittofreefalldownPrizrenskaStreetwhereitwenttoZelenjak.Irememberjustthereonthecornerwherethebusstops,theyletit.ThatenragedguycalmdownalittleandIrememberonestudentwhotookhisIDoutandhesaid“Look,mynameis,Idonotknow,ZoranPetrovic(JohnSmith)andIamgoingtokillyou,youknow.Anditwasabout3–4fromthesecuritythatmovedthatcardownthehillandwestayedthere,lookatthatTavrijathatfreefallsdownthestreetwherethebusesarecomingfromanditgoes“uuuueeeeuuuuueeee”onitsown.Eto,tupricunisamnikomispricao,atojejednaodmilijardu.Tojesvebilodramaticno,zeznuto,zajebano,nisutouopstebilenaivnesituacije,mozedasepogine,abilojesmesno.Svevremeutojsetnji,razmenjujesekipeipricas,tosubileaktuelneteme,ideje,ideje.Ididnottellthatstorytoanyoneandthatisoneofthemillionstories.Thatwasalldramatic,uneasy,fuckedup,thesewerenotatallnaïvesituations,onecandieanditwasfunnytoo.Allthetimeinthatwalkyouareexchangingcrowdsandtalk,thesewereactualthemes,ideas,ideas….

216

Tosetnjajepomeninajboljaturistickatura,gradnikadnemozedasevidiiztoguglakaoutimsetnjama,kadidesposrediniuliceDzordzaVasingtona,tektadmozedasesagledaarhitekturatojepotpunodrugigrad.Thatwalkisinmyview,thebesttouristtour,thecitycanneverbeseenfromthatangleasinthosewalkswhenyouwalkinthemiddleoftheStreetGeorgeWashington,onlythenyoucanrealisethatarchitecture,thatiscompletelydifferentcity…Predkrajprotestajebiloonebukezadnevnik.Tomislimdanikadnijebilonaplanetiinikadnecebiti,dasemasovnoljudiorganizujubeztelefona,Fejsbukadaradenaistojstvari,tojenestoneverovatno,ideskrozgradisvisunestokaoreklamazamobilneoperatere,prodjesporedzgrade,tipizneobubnjevelupa,serpe…tosubilekreativneideje.TowardstheendofprotesttherewasanoisefortheNews.ThatIdonotthinkwaseverontheplanetandthatitneverwillbethatthepeopleinmassorganisewithoutthephones,Facebooktoworkthesamething,thatissomethingextraordinary,youwalkthroughthecityandalllookastheadvertisementforthemobilecompanies,youpassbythebuildingandtheguygotouthisdrumsandhitsit,pans…therewerecreativeideas.InMaliMokriLug,drzicoveksvinjeipazitikakavjeoncarikakodanapravibuku,usaoutoristipasvinje,stosamogovorikakosutodivniljudi,takreativnostpokazujekakosuglupepricedamiSrbinismoslozni.Takosamnestotadbioponosannaovusredinu,kaodajeovocentarsveta,jesteodvratnoalisvimislimoisto,sviimaoisteciljeve.InMaliMokriLug,amankeeppigsandcheckoutwhattsarheisandhowtomakeanoise,hewalksintothepigstythatonlytellshowwonderfulpeopletheyare,thatcreativityshowshowstupidarethestoriesthatweSerbsarenotunited.Iwassoproudthenonthisenvironment,asthisisthecentreoftheworld,itisdisgusting,butweallthinkthesame,weallhavethesamegoals…SnezanaZitnik-Paunovic(Pika)Kravljezvononijekupljenozavremeprotesta,negosmoimaliukuci…kaoipistaljkeizvecke.Thecowbellwasnotboughtduringtheprotest,butwehaditinthehouse…asthewhistlesandrattles.Namaseovdetolikostvari,zanasstrasnihdesavalo,kakosejednozavrsi,krenedrugoiondatodrugopotisneutiskeodonogprethodnog...tosesvedesavalopoulicamainekakosesveisprepletalo...adanamjesvetoupamcenju,mibismopoludeli,srecastozaboravljamo...Wehadsomuchhappened,forusharrowingthings,whenonefinishes,theotherstartsandthenthatotherpressestheimpressionsoftheprevious…thatwasallhappeningonthestreetsandsomehowitallgotinterwovenandifitisinourmemory,wewouldhavegonecrazy,itisluckythatweforget…Danimasmomisetali,akruguvekporedtelevizijesevikalo“bandocrvena”,gadjalisutelevizijujajima...islasamijanaprotestesetnjejersambilaprotivprogramskepolitikearadilasamuskolskomprogramu.Nanasjetojakouticalojerintelektualci,

217

ljudikojiusbiliprotivrezima,sjajnisaradnici,sjajnistrucnjaciiztogvremenaimaidandanaskojiljudinecedadodjunadrzavnuteleviziukaogosti,doktori,pesnici,pevaciiunasemskolskomprogramusetoveomavidelo.Kadsamsesetalaporedtelevizijenikadnisamvikala“bandocrvena”zatostosamsmatraladajetolicemerje,jaradimuteleviziji,zivimodtoga,mojadecaziveodtelevizije,stodavicemkadsamnapolju“bandocrvena”akonevicemunutra,bunilismosemiiznutra,alinismoimalipodrsku.Wewerewalkingfordaysandtherewasalwaysthecirclearoundthetelevision[station]wherepeoplewouldshout“redgang“,theywerehittingthetelevision[stationwitheggs]…IwasgoingtotheprotestwalksbecauseIwasagainsttheprogrammepoliticseventhoughIworkedineducationprogramme.Itaffectedusverymuchbecausetheintellectuals,peopleagainsttheregime,greatcollaboratorsandexperts…sincethen,stilltodaytheydonotwanttocometostatetelevisionasguests,doctors,poets,singersandinourschoolprogrammethatwasvisible.WhenIwalkedbythetelevisionInevershouted“redgang”becauseIconsideredithypocritical-Iworkattelevision,Iliveofit,mychildrenliveofit,whywouldIshoutoutside“redgang”ifIdonotshoutinside,butwedidnothavethesupport[inside].Utovremetelevizijusugadjalizivimjajima,ulaznavratarazbijenaneznamkolikoputapunajaja,alitreci,cetvrti,petispratsuimaliflekeodrazbijenihjajainikomenijebilojasnokako,caknemanidovoljnozaletadabisebacilopaakostaneprekoputa,kojetajcovekkojicedadobacinapetisprat?Utovrememojekolegesusebavileproizvodnjomjaja,dabiprezivelimaleplateitojeuvekbilodaukutijamadonesukolegamajaja.Menidonesudvadesetjajaukutijama,jatoutorbi,ulazimuteleviziju,portirtrazidapogledaiutovremejetraziosvimzaposlenimakaoobezbedjenjedavidistajeunutra,jaizvadimdvekutijejajaikazemnijetozanapolju,negomenizakuci,zadecu.Uostalomnijemijasnokakodobacejajanapetisprat,acovekizobezbedjenjakaze:“Mozemoze,probaoja”…thetelevision[station]wasshotbytheraweggs,themaindoorwasbrokenIdonotknowhowmanytimes,fullofeggs,but3rd,4thand5thfloorhadthestainsofthebrokeneggs.Nobodycouldunderstandbecausethereisnotenoughrun-up,whocouldbethatmantoevenifhestandsopposite,reachesthe5thfloor?…Atthetime,mycolleagueswouldbeintheproductionofeggsasthesalariesweresmall.Mycolleagueswouldbringmetwentyeggsinboxes,IhadthatinthebagwhenIenteredthetelevision[station]andtheporteraskedtolookintoit…ItookouttwoboxesofeggsandIsaidthattheyarenotforoutside,butformyhome,formychildren.Besides,Isaid,Idonotunderstandhowtheycanreachthefifthfloorwitheggsandthesecuritymansays:“Itisimpossible,Itried!”Utelevizijismobiliuvece,acujesefizickinapoljuprotest,tosupalilisvecezaumiranjedrzavnetelevizije,ajakazemkolegi,molimteprebaciminanasdnevnik,kakocedakrenednevnikkadjeispredtelevizijehaos,nistanasilno.“Dobrovecedragigledaoci,danasjeSlobodanMilosevic,paonda15minuta,maloinostranstva,anistaogradjanskimprotestima.”Umojojredakcijikazem“Gdestevinaprotestima?”,aoni:“Cuti,cuti,kakviprotesti,”ajakazemakonistadrugo“posvadjassesamuzem,izadjesnaulicu,izvicesse,budetisuper”–kakodaihnavucesdabudumasanaulici?Masa,nepoznatiljudiokolo,ajasamtolikosigurnobilaisvismosetakoosecali,jasamNevenuvodila,onajebila8-irazredosnovneskoleisvismoimaliisticilj,trebanesto

218

dapostignemoiakotrebadasetamo,setacemo.Tolikodobreenergijeodsvih,ljudisudecudovodiliukolicimainaramenima,vrlomnogopozitivneenergije...Wewereattelevision[station]intheeveningandyoucanhearthenoiseoutside,theywereburningcandlesforthedeathofthestatetelevisionandItellmycolleaguetransfertoourNews,howareNewsgoingtostartwherethereischaosinfrontofthetelevision[station]-nothingviolent.“Goodeveningdearviewers,todaySlobodanMilosevic…”andthen15minutes,alittlebitofnewsfromabroadandnothingaboutcitizens’protest.InmydepartmentIaskwhereareyouontheprotests?”andtheysay.“Shush,whatprotests...”andIsay,ifnothingelse,“youarguewithyourhusband,yougetoutonthestreet,shoutitoutandyouaresuper”-howtoattractthemtobethecrowdonthestreet?Mass,unknownpeoplearound,butIwassosecureandweallfeltthatway,ItookNevena(daughter),shewasinsecondaryschoolandweallhadthesamegoal,wehavetoachievesomethingandifwehavetowalk,wewillwalk.Therewassomuchgoodenergyfromeveryone,peoplebroughtchildreninpromsandonshoulders,abundanceofpositiveenergy…Nevena(Pika’sdaughter):Secamsedasmomamaijanosilenafilozofskikifliceipogacice.Pika:Poceledapecemou10dabiudvanocubiletopledaihnosimostudentimauKolarcevoj...CeoBeogradjedonosiohranustudentimakojisubilitunaulici.Kafuicajsmonosiliutermosimaidelili“evotidete”,avecakolicinanaFilozofskijersumolilidasedonesetamo,paceonidadele...Nevena:IrememberthatmumandItookrollsandmuffins.Mum:Westartedbakingat10sotheyarewarmat2amatnightandwecantakethemtothestudentsinKolarcevaStreet.ThewholeofBelgradewasbringingfoodtostudentsthatwereonthestreets.Webroughtcoffeeandteainthermosesandspreaditaround“hereyougochild”andthebiggerquantitiesweretakentotheFacultyofPhilosophy,becausetheywereaskingtodistributeitthemselves.NajlepsidocekNoveGodinenaulicijebiotadsatompozitivnomenergijom,nepoznatiljudinazdravljajujednudrugima,paseljubimosvi,kristalnecaseisampanjacnauliciitosedeli...ThebestNewYearsEvewasinthestreetwiththatpositiveenergy,strangerssaluteeachother,wewereallkissing,crystalglassesandChampaignonthestreetanditgetspassedaround…Utimsetnjamajezaustavljensaobracaj,alisemaforirade,pasmomistajali...Inthosewalksthetrafficwasstopped,butthetrafficlightwereworking,sowestopped!TajickaMismoimalinasesiredrustvo,imajednabanderaispredNarodnogpozoristanaTrguRepublikeitukokakoodakledodje...iposlesmosaznalidaimakamerazasaobracajionisutadasnimalikojetuitosmosaznalitakostomemojtadasnjisefpozvaojednogdanairekao,ajasamradilaudrzavnojinstitucijiinijebilopozeljnodaseidenaproteste,“Tajicka,kadidesnaproteste,gledajdastanesnegdedateneslikaju”,ajakazem“Akakosamispala?”

219

Wehadourwidercompany,thereisonestreetpollfrontoftheNationalTheatreonTheRepublicaSquareandwheneversomeonecomes.comesthere…lateronwefoundoutthatthereisacamerafortrafficandtheywerethenrecordingwhowasthereandwefoundthatoutbecausemyex-bosscalledonedayandsaid(andIworkedatthestateinstitutionanditwasnotdesirabletogoonprotest)’“MrsTajic,whenyougototheprotests,staysomewheresoyoudonotgetrecorded.”AndIsay,“HowdidIlook?”MilanPostaDalijetakavprotestopetmogucuSrbiji?Naravnodajeste–tojestezapravodobrastvarinajboljatekovinaprotesta–stoovistosadadolazeznajudamogudabuduskinuti,znajukakosudosliIznajukakomogudabuduIoterani.IstheprotestlikethatpossibleinSerbiaagain?Ofcourseitis,thatisthebestlegacyoftheprotest–thosewhoarecomingnowknowthattheycouldbedrivenaway,theyknowhowtheycameandhowtheycamebedrivenaway.Bilajejednarekamladihljudi,jednaenergija-dobra,gotovofestivalskaiakocetonekomozdadasmatraskaradnom,alinestojestajalouvazduhu.Therewasariverofyoungpeople,oneenergy,goodone,almostlikeafestivaleventhoughsomeonemightthinkofthisnowashideous,butsomethingwasintheair…Gradjanskiprotestjeonostosuonikojisuzelelipromenezelelidaproizvedu.StudentskiprotestjebiosvecicakojajepalilamotorgradjanskogprotestaIzbogtogajebilovaznodastudentiuvekbuduunekojradnojtemperaturidabimalopomalonekenasecaleIkeve,nekenasetecekojesedekuciIbasimseneustajeIakonevoleSlobu(Milosevica)nateralidaprvokazudaimsenesvidja,dalupajuulonce,padaseskupeumesnojzajedniciIdatonegdekrene.Citizensprotestiswhatthosepeoplewhowantedthechangewantedtohappen.StudentprotestwasalightcapsulethatlitthemotorofthecitizensprotestandthatiswhyitwasimportantthatthestudentsarealwaysinsomeworkingtemperaturesolittlebylittleourmumsanddadsandsomeunclesthatsitathomeanddonotwanttogetupeventhoughtheydonotlikeSloba(Milosevic)aremadetosaythattheydonotlikehimfirst,thenbeatpotsandpantsandgatherinthecommunalspacesoitallgoessomewhere…Prilikadasebudedeonecegaveceoftebesamog.Achancetobesomethingbiggerthanyourself.MadauzmihiljadumladihljudiInagurajihnamaliprotestIimacestuenergijuIdandanas…tonijenestostojespecificnozaonegodine…bilojeartikulisanounekipolu-politickistavIakosegovorilodastudentnisudeopolitikeustvarisubilisvevremeIizmanipulisani,dirigovarnikaoIdosadaviseputaiskorisceni,alitojenestostosedesavausvimrevolucijama,paetoInasim.Although,takeathousandofyoungpeopleandpilethemupinthesmallspaceandyouwillhavethatenergyeventoday…itisnotthatspecificforthoseyears…Itwasarticulatedinsomehalf-politicalstanceeventhoughpeopleclaimedthatstudentsare

220

notpartofthepolitics,theywereactuallythewholeofthetimemanipulated,conductedandmanytimesused,butthatishappeninginallrevolutions,soourstoo…Beogradkaograd,kaokulturnasredinajedoodredjenekolicinedodjosaprimao,anijesemenjao.OndasuljudipreplaviliBeogradIBeogradsepromenio,visenijemogaodaprilagodjavaljudesebi,negosuljudipocelidagaprilagodjavajuBeogradsebi.DobrastranademonstracijajeosimstosmooteraliSlobu,jedasuseBeogradjaniponovopovezaliokozajednickestvari.uskomesali,uskovitlaliIiztogajeizasaojedan‘gradjanskiji’Beograd.Belgrade,asthecityandculturalenvironmenttookonitselfalotofnewpeopleanditdidnotchange.Thenthenewcomersoverflewitanditchangedasitcouldnotdothatanymore,sothepeoplestartedadjustedBelgradetothemselves.TheprotestmadethoseBelgradersconnectagainaroundthesamething.Theyfloundered,stirredupandcameoutofitevenmoreconsciousoftheircitizenry.Nemogudakazemdasamserazocarao,alisamvideoljudekojiserazvijaiuiliudobreljudeiliuhijene,IjedniIdrugisuIdandanastostojesu–nekisudobri,nekisuhijene.IcannotsaythatIamdisappointed,butIsawpeopledevelopingintogoodpeopleandhyenas.Bothpartiesareeventodaygoodpeopleorhyenas.MiraOdicIlicMenijenajjaceiskustvotostojeceograducestvovaoistojepotpunobioprilagodjen,jakosubrzoreagovalinasve.Tijakoteskokaoumetnikuvucespublikuunestostojevrlokonceptualnoipromisljenoprodukcijskiidodjetipublikakojajevecpolupripremljena,ovdesusestvaridesavalidanzadanom,mismovecinuakcijasmisljaliuvecezasutradan.Bukvalnosvakidancitasnovineuvece,gledasstasuonilupali–savinformativnisistemjebiokodnjih.Youreadthepaperseveryevening,lookwhatrubbishtheysaid–allinformationsystemwastheirs.Tome,thestrongestexperiencewasthatthewholecityparticipatedandwascompletelyadjusted,reactedquicklytoeverything.Asanartist,onehastodohardworktoinvolvetheaudienceinsomethingconceptualandthoughtthroughproductionandtheaudiencethatarrivesisalreadyprepared,herethethingswerehappeningdaybydayandwewerepreparingalotofactionsintheeveningforthedayafter.Poentajebilautomestosuseumetniciaktivnoukljuciliimismobilivesnicitoga,namajetobilozabavnokaoogromnakreativnaplatforma,nikadtisenecedatiprilikadatisadsmisljasdanzadanomnekeumetnickeperformanceiakcije.Thepointwasthattheartistswereactivelyinvolvedandweweretheinitiatorsofthat,wefoundthatentertainingasahugecreativeplatform,onewouldnevergetachancetoinventdaybydaysomeperformancesandactions.MismotuInternetkoristilikojijenjimabioSpanskoseloiovdejebiorealnoupovoju.NamajeInternetbiofenomenalnoorudjepostojesvetveckomuniciraonatajnacin,tojebilarupa,nasavidljivostjevecbilapovecanainijemogladasekontrolisezbogtogmomenta,jersuinformacijevecbilenelakokontrolisanezahvaljujuciInternetuitostosmokaoumetnicibilipotpunorasterecenitogadajetotrebalodaimabilokakav

221

drugikoncept,drugacijiodperformerskogjermismoznalistamozessamasom,jertomozes,uistorijisustvarivecpostojaleuistorijiumetnostikaoistorijaperformansa.WeusedInternetthatwas“Spanishvillage”(unknown)anditwasreallyjustinitiated.Internetwasforusaphenomenaltoolbecausetheworldalreadycommunicatedandthatwasourgap.Ourvisibilitywasalreadyincreasedanditcouldnotbecontrolledatthatmomentbecausetheartistsweretotallyrelivedofthefactthattheeventshouldhavesomeotherconcept,differentthanperformative.Weknewwhatonecandowiththemass,therewereexamplesofitinthehistoryofarts…Umetnicisepoprirodijamislim,teskoukljucujuutakvevrstedesavanja,oninekakovolevizionarskidagledaju,pakadsestvaridesavaju,njimasusevecuglavnomdesileuumetnosti,aovdesepoklopionekitrenutakdasmomoglidabudemoispredteinspiracijenaroda,toseskockalodobro,biojenekiracionalnielementtihsadamladihpoliticara.70%togGlavnogodborasudanasnjiaktivnimladipoliticari.Zasrpskupolitickuelitu,tojebiloobdaniste.Theartistsarebynature,Ithinkhardtoincludeinthatsortofhappenings,theysomehowlovetobevisionary,sowhenthethingswerehappening,theyalreadyhadthathappenedtotheminartsandhereitwasthemomentsowecouldbeinfrontofthatinspirationofthepeople.Thatgotstarchedinwell,therewasarationalelementofthoseyoungpoliticians.70%ofthatMaincouncilaretoday’sactiveyoungpoliticians.ForSerbianelite,thatwasanursery.Ovidrugarisauniverzitetaumetnostisusvibilisjajni,kaonekamasina,svakojepronasaosvojnekisrafcicstacedaradi,svismobilituuoperaciji,kadbijedanizgubioenergiju,ovajdrugibidodavao,preuzimaoitojebiloodlicno.Imiseidandanascujemo.Svismopronaslinekisvojeizvore…Imoralismodasecuvamo,jersmobilizgodnaplatformadasvastapreturisprekonas,aobjektivnosmobiliklincizatusvuistorijukojumiimamoutomtrenutku–raznebackgroundove,ljudenaivicisvacega.Savecinomtihljudisamidandanasukontaktuiodazivamosekadgodsepozovemojednidruge.ICedomirbiseverovatnoodazvao,alineznaskakodagazoves.ThesefriendsfromtheUniversityofArtsweregreat,likesomemachine,everyonefoundtheirownscrewinit,whattheyaregoingtodo,wewerealloperative,whenonelostenergy,theotherwouldaddit,takingitoveranditwasgreat.Wewereincontacteventoday,weallfoundourownsources…andwehadtotakecareofeachotherbecausewewereausefulplatformtogetthingsoverusandwewereobjectivelyyoungforallofthathistorythatwehaveatthatmoment,differentbackgrounds,peopleontheedgeofeverything…Totrajedanima,tisiutome24sataijakojeiscrpljujuceitones.Thatlastedfordays,youareinitfor24hoursanditisveryexhaustingandyouaredrowning…DanposletogasamjapredloziladaidemodadamokrvitojebilaakcijadobrovoljnogdavanjakrviioviizDemokratskestrankesusepridruzili.MismosaSvetogSavenapraviliogromnukolonu,postosuvlastihteledaprolijunasukrv,nemorajudapravekontramitingmicemojeprostodatikaovrstuperformansa–tireagujes,jeronitohoce,panemaproblemaituseukljucioogromanbrojljudi.

222

ThedayafterIsuggestedthatwedonatebloodandthatwastheactionofthevoluntarybloodgivingandthosefromDemocraticpartyjoinedussowemadeahugeprocessionfromtheSaintSavatemple.Becausethegovernmentwantedtospillourblood,theydonothavetomakeacountermeeting,wearegoingtosimplydonateoursasatypeofperformance–onereacts…becausetheywantit,noproblemandthehugenumberofpeoplejoined….Postosuhtelidaseizolujuodnasmismonapravilizidokoskupstine,svakojespustaopociglupostoseoniogradjujuodnasihakcija.Becausetheywantedtoisolatethemselvesfromus,wemadethewallaroundtheParliament,everyoneputabrickbybrickbecausetheyweredistancingthemselvesfromouractions.Istarisupostalimladi,zivahni,nisuvisenamrsteni.Oldpeoplebecameyoung,livelyandnotgloomy.Svakiputkadbividelatukolicinuljudi,puntrg,nepreglednokadsepopnesgore,tinevidisgdejekrajtoga,onistojestrpljivouveselomraspolozenjuiprihvatajusvakuvrstuinterakcije,krozrazgovor,stacemoraditi,onislusajuiradeto,menijetofascinantno,arazlicitihbackgrounda.EverytimeIwouldseethatquantityofpeople,thefullsquare,notfinishingwhenyouclimbup,youcannotseetheendofit,theystaypatientlyinthecheerymoodandaccepteverykindofinteraction,throughconversation,whatwillwedo,theylistenanddothat.Tomethatwasfascinatingandallwereofadifferentbackground.Myfather,MomirMilicJel’sesecaskadjePajalupaoukontejner?DoyourememberwhenPajawasbeatingthecontainer?Najboljajebilanekagrupakojajeimalaonusirenuzaspecijaneprilike,znasonuuhuuuuuThebestwasthegroupofpeoplegotthissirenforthespecialcircumstance,soitwentUUUUUUUUUUUBOOOOOOOOOOOKupiosamjednuplasticnusirenunatezgiuKnezMihajlovojikupiosamjednuzaMiodraga.KoristimjeponekaddanasdazovemMickakadnecujetelefon.IboughtoneplasticsirenonthestallatKnezMihajlovaStreetandIboughtonetoMiodrag(mycousin)too.IuseitnowsometimestocallMicko(neighbour)whenhecan’thearthephone.JaroslavaCelovicArhivasvojzivotziviitoopiranjejefantasticno,zadivljujuce,akadasejednomsretnessaarhivom,kadozbiljnoseupusts,ilisimladiliradisnekirad,tishvatiskojajetozivavrednost.Archivelivesitsownlifeandthatresistanceisfantastic,fascinatingandwhenyoufaceitonceandseriouslyinvolveyourselfinitoryouareyounganddoingsomeworkwithit,youunderstanditisalivevalue.Stajeuopstedokument,kakavjeodnospremadokumentukaotraganjezaistinom–pronalazenjeistinitosti.Istinajeabsolutnonemogucauopsteuformulacijisabilo

223

kojomkonkretnom,prakticnomstvari.Istinitostjeblizaagnocistizmunegoverovanju,aistinauvekmoradabudeusferiverovanjaneverakaoreligijskanegoverovanje,poverenjeunekumogucnostpronalazenjapostojanja,aagnosticimorajudaseuvereutotakodadokumentbinajvisebioagnostickoshvatanje,onsluzikaosvedokiprovera.Whatisinessenceadocument,whatisarelationshiptowardsadocumentasasearchfortruth–theseekingoftruthfulness.Thetruthisabsolutelyimpossibleinformulationwithanyconcrete,practicalthing.Thetruthisclosetoagnosticismratherthanabelief.Thetruthalwayshastobeinasphereofbelief,notasareligion,butabelief,thetrustinsomepossibilityoffindingtheexistenceandagnosticsmustgetconvincedinitsothatdocumentismostlyanagnosticunderstandingandservesasawitnessandacheck.Stasubiledemonstracijetada‘96/97?Tojesadsamodokumentoduhujednomvremena,tujeinterpretacijapirlicnovazna.Postojinekisirovdokumentkojismotamospakovali,jasamsejakopotrudiladodetalja,beznacajnostinekihuopisustajenatommaterijaluitususezavrsiliprotesti,nestalisu,ugasilise.Posleizvesnogvremena,KarickojijebiolukavseljakjeshvatiodaimanekimaterialicakjenasaocakcovekakojimozedaobraditajmaterialnekogrediteljaVladaPerovicakojijenapraviodokumentarnifilmkojijeustvarilazodogadjaju.Onjenapravionekuromansuodogadjajukojiprevazilazisvakogkomemozelicnidozivljajdabuderomansautome,anemozeopstizakljucakdasenapravi.Tajmaterialjejedinokoristan,kaopojedinacnisnimci.Taupotrebajebilazlopotreba.Whatwerethosedemonstrationsin‘96’97?Thatisnowonlyadocumentaboutthespiritofonetime–theinterpretationthereisveryimportant.Thereissomerawmaterialthatwewerepacking.Iwastryingveryhardaboutthedetails,banalthingsinthedescriptionofwhatisonthatmaterialandthentheprotestsended,disappeared,shutdown.Aftersometime,Karic(Ljubomir–ownerofBKtelevision)whowasacunningpeasantunderstoodthatthereissomematerialandheevenfoundapersontoprocessthatmaterial,thedirectorVladaPerovicwhomadeadocumentaryfilmthatisalieabouttheevent.Hemadearomanceabouttheeventthatexceedsaromanceofeveryoneasapersonalexperience,butyoucannotmakeageneralconclusion.Thatmaterialisonlyusefulassingleshots.Thatusewasmisuse.Samaarhivajedokument,jeronamozedaizvlaciteme.Thesolearchiveisadocumentbecauseitcandrawoutthemes.Tojesvebilotajno,ajasambelezila,teralaonedecake(Silja)damicuvajuto,spasavalatrakedaihimam,danebrisemnista.Meninikonijenovetrakedavao,alijatocuvam,panocupakujem.Thatwasallasecret,butIwasrecording,makingthoseboystokeepitforme,savingtapessoIhavethemanddonoteraseanything.Nobodywasgivingmenewtapes,butIsaved(therecords)andsortedthembynight.Jasamstaricakojajezeljnadaispraznitereci,nenoseserecinigde.Iamanoldwomenwhoiseagertoemptythosewords,theyarenotcarriedanywhere.Vecasilajebila’91,cakjeimalaibuducnost,ova‘96/’97jevecodumirala.

224

Therewasabiggerforcein’91anditevenhadafuture,thisonein‘96/’97wasalreadydying.Strasnosuzlocudnipokusajiumetnickikojisulosinatutemu.Mozdasunajbolji,najlepsisuonikojisunajlicniji,najdalji,slikarskirecimo,kojisusamopitanjeboje,tehnike,inspiracije,unutrasnjenekepotrebe,mozdasuonikojiimajurecinajudaljenijiodistine,istinitosti.Thoseartists’attemptsonthatsubject,iftheyarebad,theyareuterine.Maybethebestonesarethosethatarethemostpersonal,themostdistanced,painters’forexamplethatareaquestionofcolour,technique,inspiration,someinnerneed,maybethosethathavethewordsarethemostfurtherfromthetruthandthetruthfulness.AleksandraSekulicCacaMismopocelidarazmisljamoskojimpravomsestudentskiprotesti90-ihmogupodrazumevatikaojedankaobilostastoimaistevrednosti…NekinikadnisuistorizovanikaostojeprotestnaFiloloskomfakultetu’99…Westartedthinkingwithwhatrightthestudentprotestsinthe90scouldbetakenasoneoranythingthathasthesamevalues…SomeofthemnevergothistoricisedasaprotestattheFacultyofPhilology.‘96/’97semedjurezigniranimstudentimagubitnicima90-ih-tosuonikoji2000nemogudadozivekaodirektnusvojupobedujernisupoznavalimnogeizOtporainisuseprepoznavaliutomeitupobedu,oni’96/‘97videkaovrhunskiporazvelikesnageientuzijazmaodtrimeseca,jedankompromiskojijenapravljenkojijeupropastiodaljumobilizacijugradjanazatostojeuspostavljennegativniprimat,zatogaljudiipotiskuju,zatostosuinvestiralisvusvojuenergiju.SveonopozitivnostojeostalouSrbijitadaseispoljavaloiporazenoje.Tojejedangubitakkojiovdenikadanatajnacinnijeostvarenipriznatosimkaomitskovremeazapravounutrasnjeosecanjejebiopotpuniporaz.’97godinesubilipredsednickiizborigdejeSeseljpobedionezvanicno.Nistaodtekovina‘96/’97nijeostalourokuod6meseci.Tojeporazno.’98imamonajmracnijugodinuuSrbijisadvazakonaoinformisanju.96/’97isamongotherresignedstudentslosersofthe90s,thosewhocouldnottake2000(theremovalofMiloseviconthe5thofOctober)astheirowndirectvictorybecausetheywerenotknowingmanyfromOtporanddidnotrecognisethemselvesinit,theyexperienceitasatopdefeatofthebigstrengthandenthusiasmofthreemonths,acompromisethatwasmadewhichruinedfurthermobilisationofthecitizensduetotheestablishmentofthenegativeprimatebecausepeoplesupressit,becausetheyinvestedtheirenergy.AllpositivesthatwereleftinSerbiamanifestedthenandgotdefeated.Thatisalossthatwashereneverrealisedandacknowledged,butonlyasamythicaltimeandtheinnerfeelingwasatotaldefeat…In1997therewerepresidentialelectionswhereSeselj(radicalpartyleader)unofficiallywon…Nothingfromtheachievementsofthe‘96/’97hasnotstayedintheperiodof6months.Thatisdefeating.In’98wehavethedarkestyearinSerbiawithtwoInformationlaws.

225

BIBLIOGRAPHYActivearchives.Wiki.2009.ManifestoforanActiveArchive.Accessibleat:

http://activearchives.org/wiki[29.1.2015]Ahmed,S.2004.TheCulturalPoliticsofEmotion.NewYork:RoutledgeAHRC.2008.BeyondTextprojectwebsite.Accessibleat:

http://www.beyondtext.ac.uk/index.shtml[30.1.2015]Alexander,J.C.2004.Towardatheoryofculturaltrauma.Alexander,J.C.,Eyerman,

R.,Giesen,B.,Smelser,J.N.&Sztomka,P.(Eds.)Culturaltraumaandcollectiveidentity.Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress

Amin,S.2010.Eurocentrism-Modernity,ReligionandDemocracy:ACritiqueofEurocentrismandCulturalism2nded.Oxford:PambazukaPress

Anderson,B.1983.(2006)ImaginedCommunities.London,NewYork:VersoAnthias,F.2002.WheredoIbelong?:Narratingcollectiveidentityandtranslocational

positionality.Ethnicities.2(4):491-514.OxfordBrookesUniversityAppadurai,A.2010.BeyondEssentialism.Keynote,LjubljanaconferenceAppadurai,A.2003.ArchiveandAspiration.InformationisAlive.Brouwer,J.and

Mulder,A.(Eds.):14-25.Rotterdam:V2_Publishing/NAIPublishersAristotle.350B.C.E.Metaphysics.Transl.RossW.D.Accessibleat:

http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/metaphysics.html[29.1.2015]Aristotle.350B.C.E.OnMemoryandReminiscence.Transl.J.I.Barnes.Originally

publishedinRoss,W.D.(Ed.)1930.TheworksofAristotle.(3)Oxford:ClarendonPress.Accessibleat:http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/memory.html[29.1.2015]

Arendt,H.1958.(1951)OriginsofTotalitarianism.2nded.NewYork:MeridianArendt,H.1966.TruthandPolitics.Politicaltheory&socialchange.AmericanPolitical

ScienceAssociationandSpitz,D.(ed.)NewYork:AthertonPressArendt,H.1972.(1995)LaCrisedelaCultureTransl.Levy,P.(Ed.)Paris:Gallimard:7-

51Artaud,A.1998.(1925)Manifestoinaclearlanguage.Accessibleat:

http://www.391.org/manifestos/1925-manifesto-in-a-clear-language-antonin-artaud.html#.VMonWsZ5gVZ[29/1/2015]

Assmann,J.1992.DaskulturelleGedächtnis.Schrift,ErinnerungundpolitischeIdentitätinfrühenHochkulturen.München:Beck

Auer,S.2006.Thelosttreasureoftherevolution:HannahArendt,totalitarianism,andtherevolutionsincentralEurope:1956,1968,1989.Eurozine.Accessibleat:http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2006-10-25-auer-en.html[25.1.2015]

Avery,G.2008.GhostlyMatters:HauntingandtheSociologicalImagination.Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPress

Babovic,M.,Blagojevic,M.etal.1997.Ajmo,'Ajde,SviuSetnju:GradjanskiiStudentski

Protest96-97.Beograd:MedijaCentar/ISIFFBadovinac,Z.2007Ra/i/sedMemory.RadicalEducation.Accessibleat:

http://radical.temp.si/node/87[18.2.2008]Bakhtin,M.M.1968.RabelaisandHisWorld.Transl.Iswolsky,H.Cambridge:MITPressBakhtin,M.M.1986.SpeechGenresandOtherLateEssays.Transl.McGee.V.W.

Austin:UniversityofTexasPressBakic-Hayden,M.andHayden,R.1992.OrientalistVariationsontheTheme"Balkans:

SymbolicGeographyinRecentYugoslavCulturalPolitics".SlavicReview.Spring51(1):4

226

Bakic-Hayden,M.1995.Nestingorientalisms:thecaseofFormerYugoslavia.SlavicReview.54(4):917-931

Bal,M.1999.Actsofmemory:culturalrecallinthepresent.Bal,M.,Crewe,J.andSpitzer,L.(Eds.)Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEngland

Bal,M.2003.ResponsestoMiekeBal’s“Visualessentialismandtheobjectofvisualculture”.JournalofVisualCulture.2(2):260-268

Baldwin,J.1965.WhiteMan’sGuilt.Ebonymagazine.20(10):47-48AugustBalkanSpirit.2013.Zizek,S.interview.Director/Producer/Writer:HermannVaske,

Production:HermannVaske'sEmotionalNetwork&ZDF/Arte,Distributor:ParklandPictures

Bamberg,M.&Andrews,M.2004.Consideringcounternarratives:Narrating,resisting,makingsense.(Eds.):351-371Amsterdam:JohnBenjamins.Accessibleat:http://www.clarku.edu/~mbamberg/Papers/Considering_counter_narratives.pdf[29.1.2015]

BarnardR.F.1921.Printers'Ink.December8:96Barthes,R.1957.(1987)Mythologies.NewYork:Hill&WangBarthes,R.1968.(1964)ElementsofSemiology.NewYork:HillandWangBarthes,R.1981.Thediscourseofhistory.Transl.Bann.S.ComparativeCriticism3:7-

20Barthes,R.1981.(1990)CameraLucida.UniversityofCaliforniaPress:BerkeleyBaudrillard,J.circa1950.(2005)Pataphysics.London:InstituteofPataphysicsand

AtlasPress.Accessibleat:http://post.thing.net/node/1349[29/1/2015]BG:LOG.2012.BlogKulturklammerproject.Accessibleat:

http://www.kulturklammer.org/view/178[29/1/2015]TheBeach.2000.FeatureFilmDirectedbyBoyle,D.FigmentFilmsBell,J.2005.Doingyourresearchproject:Aguideforfirst-timeresearchersin

education,healthandsocialscience.(4thed.)Maidenhead:OpenUniversityPressBell,V.2009.BiopoliticsInauguralprofessoriallectureatGoldsmithsUniversityBenjamin,W.1892-1940.(1999)TheArcadesProject.Cambridge:HarvardUniversity

PressBenjamin,W.1927-1934.(1999)ExcavationandMemory.BerlinChronicle.Selected

WorksII:576,611.JenningsM.W.,EilandH.andSmith,G.(Eds.)Transl.LivingstoneR.etal.Cambridge,MA:TheBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress

Benjamin,W.1931.(2005)UnpackingMyLibrary.WalterBenjamin:SelectedWritings1931–1934:486–93.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress

Benjamin,W.1931.(1969)UnpackingmyLibrary:ATalkaboutBookCollecting.Illuminations.Transl.ZohnH.,Arendt,H.(Ed.&Intro.)NewYork:SchockenBooks:59-67

Benjamin,W.1940.(2006)OntheConceptofHistory.SelectedWritings,Volume4:1938-1940.Eiland,H.andJennings,W.M.(Eds.)Cambridge:TheBelknapPressofHarvardUniversityPress

Benjamin,W.1968.Reflections.NewYorker:181.Accessibleat:http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1968/10/19/walter-benjamin[29.1.2015]

Bennahum,D.S.1994-2003.TheInternetRevolution.WiredDigitalInc.Accessibleat:http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/5.04/ff_belgrad_pr.html[29.1.2015]

Berdenstein,C.1999.Actsofmemory:culturalrecallinthepresent.Bal,M.,Crewe,J.andSpitzer,L.(Eds.)Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEngland

227

Bismarck,O.1878.(2001)OutcastEurope:TheBalkans,1789-1989:FromtheOttomanstoMilosevic.Gallagher,T.(Author)London:Routledge

Bismarck,O.1867.Interviewon11thofAugust.FriedrichMeyervonWaldeckoftheSt.PetersburgischeZeitung;reprintinFürstBismarck:neueTischgesprächeundInterviews(1):248

Bjelic,D.2009.(2010)Psychoanalysis,Culture&Society.15:20–36Boom!1996.Studentfanzine.FacultyofPhilosophy,Belgrade:Issue5,December5thBourdieu,P.1979.Distinction:ASocialCritiqueoftheJudgmentofTaste.Cambridge:

HarvardUniversityPressBourdieu,P.1986.TheFormsofCapital.HandbookofTheoryandResearchforthe

SociologyofEducation.J.E.Richardson(Ed.)NewYork:GreenwordBourdieu,P.1990a.Inotherwords:Essaystowardsareflexivesociology.Transl.

Adamson,M.Stanford:StanfordUniversityPressBourdieu,P.1990b.(1980)Thelogicofpractice.Transl.Nice,R.Stanford:Stanford

UniversityPressBourdieu,P.1990b.InOtherWords:EssaysTowardsaReflexiveSociology.Transl.

Adamson,M.Stanford:StanfordUniversityPressBourdieu,P.1991.LanguageandSymbolicPower.Transl.Raymond,G.andAdamson,

M.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPressBourdieu,P.andWacquant,L.J.D.1992.AnInvitationtoReflexiveSociology.Chicago:

UniversityofChicagoPressBourdieu,P.1993.(1995)TheWeightoftheWorld:SocialSufferinginContemporary

Society.Cambridge:PolityPressBoym,S.2007.Nostalgiaanditsdiscontents.TheHedgehogReviewAccessibleat:

http://www.iasc-culture.org/eNews/2007_10/9.2CBoym.pdf[18.2.2014]Brecht,B.1998.(1955)WarPrimer.Willet,J.(Transl.andEd.)London:LibrisBrooks,F.P.Jr.1995.TheMythicalMan-Month:EssaysonSoftwareEngineering.

Boston:AddisonWesleyBrown,W.2006.RegulatingAversion:ToleranceintheageofIdentityandempire.

Princeton,NJandOxford:PrincetonUniversityPressBuden,B.2007.TheImpossibleCollection–CuratorasTranslator:Wherehaveallthe

workersgone...Whenwillweeverlearn?NetworkingMeetingandWorkshop22-23November.WyspaArtInstitutePoland.Accessibleat:http://translate.eipcp.net/transversal/0606/buden/en[29.1.2015]

Buci–Glucksman,C.2004.FromtheCartographicViewtotheVirtua.lMediaArtNet.Accessibleat:http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/themes/mapping_and_text/carthographic-view/scroll/[25.1.2015]

Burroughs,S.W.TheNovaTrilogyorTheCut-upTrilogy:TheSoftMachine(1961,revised1966),TheTicketThatExploded(1962,revised1967)&NovaExpress(1964).NewYork:GrovePress

Buruma,I.andMargalit,A.2004.Occidentalism:AShortHistoryofAnti-Westernism.London:AtlanticBooks

Butler,J.2001.GivinganAccountofOneself.Diacritics(31)4:31WinterButler,J.2004.Precariouslife:ThePowersofMourningandViolence.London:VersoCaines,R.2004.ChristianBoltanski:Representationandtheperformanceofmemory.

Afterimage.July-August:10,11

228

Carrier,J.G.1995.Occidentalism:ImagesoftheWest.Oxford:ClarendonPressCassin,B.2002.IntroductoryEssay:ThePoliticsofMemory-HowtoTreatHate.Quest:

AnAfricanJournalofPhilosophyXVI(1-2):18.Accessibleat:http://quest-journal.net/[29.1.2015]

Cavarero,A.2000.RelatingNarratives:StorytellingandSelfhood.Transl.Kottman.P.A.NewYork:Routledge

Chandler,D.2007.Semiotics:TheBasics.NewYork:RoutledgeChater,R.1977.WinterofDiscontent.IncomesDataReport.Accessibleat:

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Winter_of_Discontent[25.1.2015}Cixous,H.1976.TheLaughoftheMedusa.Cixous,H.Cohen,K.,Cohen,P.(Authors)

Signs(1),4:875-893SummerCole,J.2014.TheNewArabs.TheGuardian.14August.Accessibleat:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/14/new-arabs-millenial-generation-changing-middle-east-juan-cole-review[29.1.2015]

Coetzee,J.andRau,A.2009.NarratingTraumaandSuffering:TowardsUnderstandingIntersubjectivelyConstitutedMemory.ForumQSR:QualitativeSocialResearchSozialforschung.FQS(10)2:14.Accessibleat:http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1282/2756[25.1.2015]

Coffey,A.1999.Theethnographicself.London:ThousandOaks,SagePublicationsConfino,A.1997.CollectiveMemoryandCulturalHistory:ProblemsofMethod.

AmericanHistoricalReview105(2):1386-1403Connerton,P.1989.HowSocietiesRemember.Cambridge:UniversityPressCook,I.2005.CulturalGeography:Acriticaldictionaryofkeyconcepts.London,NY:I.

B.TaurusCoward,M.2008.Urbicide:thepoliticsofurbandestruction.AdvancesinInternational

RelationsandGlobalPolitics(66):30Sep.LondonandNY:RoutledgeCraps,S.2013.PostcolonialWitnessing:traumaoutofbounds.London:Palgrave

MacmillanCresswell,T.1996.InPlace/OutofPlace:Geography,Ideology,andTransgression.

Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPressCurgus,K.V.andBabovic,M.1997.Ajmo,'ajde,sviusetnju-Gradjanskiistudentski

protest96/97.Beograd:Medijacentar&ISIFFCentreforCulturalDecontamination(CZKD).1996.Accessibleat:http://www.czkd.org/

[29.1.2015]Czyzewski,K.2014.Cultureandsolidarity.Eurozine.Accessibleat:

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2014-07-04-czyzewski-en.htm[7.4.2014]Das,V.2007.LifeandWords.ViolenceandtheDescentIntoTheOrdinary.LosAngeles:

UniversityofCaliforniaPressDas,V.2010.TurcotDiFruscia,K.ListeningtoVoices.AnInterviewwithVeenaDas.

Altérités(7)1:136-145DaysofRemembrance.2012.Accessibleat:http://www.kulturklammer.org/days-of-

remembrance[29.1.2015]deCarteau,M.1984.ThePracticeofEverydayLife.LosAngeles:UniversityofCalifornia

Press:BerkeleyDeleuze,N.1962.(1983)NietzscheandPhilosophy.London:AlthonePress

229

Deleuze,G.andGuattari,F.1972.(2004)Anti-Oedipus.Transl.Hurley,R.,SeemM.andLane,R.H.LondonandNewYork:ContinuumCapitalismandSchizophrenia(2)Paris:LesEditionsdeMinuit

Deleuze,G.andGuattari,F.1980.(2004)AThousandPlateaus.Transl.Massumi.B.LondonandNewYork:Continuum

Deleuze,G.1990.LesIntercessors(TheIntercessors).Pourparlers(Talks).Paris:LesEditionsdeMinuit

Deleuze,G.1994.(1997)DifferenceandRepetition.Transl.Patton,P.NewYork:ColombiaUniversityPress

Derrida,J.1974.OfGrammatology.Baltimore:JohnHopkinsUniversityPressDerrida,J.1978.WritingandDifference.Transl.Bass,A.Chicago:UniversityofChicago

PressDerrida,J.1981.Dissemination.Transl.Johnson,B.Chicago:UniversityofChicago

PressDerrida,J.1994.SpectersofMarx,thestateofthedebt,theWorkofMourning,&the

NewInternational.Transl.Kamuf,P.NewYork:RoutledgeDerrida,J.1995.ArchiveFever.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPressDescartesR.1648.Ladescriptionducorpshumaine.(TheDescriptionofthehuman

body).PublishedposthumouslybyClerselierin1667Douglas,M.1966.(1984)Purityanddanger:ananalysisoftheconceptsofpollution

andtaboo.London:TaylorandFrancisDragicevic-Sesic,M.2001.TheStreetasPoliticalSpace:WalkingasProtest,Graffiti,

andtheStudentCarnivalizationofBelgrade.NewTheatreQuarterly(17)Issue01February:74-86

Early,J.2008.(2009)Heritage,legacyandleadership:ideasandinterventions

symposium.CulturalLeadershipProgrammeAccessibleat:https://www.academia.edu/200517/Heritage_Legacy_and_Leadership_Ideas_and_Interventions_2009[29.1.2015]

Erll,A.andNunning,A.incollaborationwithSaraB.Young.2008.Culturalmemorystudies:aninternationalandinterdisciplinaryhandbook.Berlin,NewYork:deGruyter

Ernst,W.2004.BeyondtheArchive:BitMapping.MediaArtNet.Accessibleat:http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/themes/mapping_and_text/beyond-the-archive/scroll/[25.1.2015]

Ernst,W.2004.TheArchiveasMetaphor:FromArchivalSpacetoArchivalTime.Open.CashieronArtandthePublicDomain.SpecialIssue07“(No)Memory.StoringandRecallinginContemporaryArtandCulture”Melis,L.,Seijdel.J.&Lovink,G.(eds)

Esposito,E.2003.TheRhetoricofForgetting:ElenaEspositoonSocialMemory.ImageandNarrative.OnlineMagazineoftheVisualNarrativeAccessibleat:http://www.imageandnarrative.be/inarchive/mediumtheory/michaelboyden.htm[29.1.2015]

Eurozine.1999.NetworkofEuropeanculturaljournalswebsite.Accessibleat:http://www.eurozine.com[25.1.2015]

Fanon,F.1961.(1963)Onnationalculture.TheWretchedoftheEarth(LesDamnésde

laTerre).NewYork:GrovePress

230

Falkenstein,L.1999.CriticalRemembering:ReadingNostalgiainContemporaryIrishDramaandFilm.CanadianJournalofIrishStudies.25Jul.-Dec.(1–2):264–76

Feldman,A.1991.NarrativeoftheBodyandPoliticalTerrorinNorthernIreland.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress

Figes,O.2009.ContemporaryAttitudestotheHolocaust.InsideOutfestival.London23rdOctober.Accessibleat:http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2009/10/contemporary-attitudes-to-the-holocaust/[25.1.2015]

Foucault,M.1969.(1972)TheArchaeologyofKnowledgeandtheDiscourseonLanguage.London:Routledge

Foucault,M.1969.(1977)WhatisanAuthor?Language,Counter-Memory,Practice.(Ed.)Bouchard.F.D.Ithaca,NewYork:CornellUniversityPress:124-127

Foucault,M.1966.Theorderofthings:AnArcheologyoftheHumanSciences.LondonandNewYork:Routledge

Foucault,M.1975.(1995)Discipline&Punish.NewYork:VintageBooksFoucault,M.1986.OfOtherSpaces.Diacritics2:22-27Foucault,M.1988.TechnologiesoftheSelf.Martin,L.H.,Gutman,H.andHutton,P.H.

(Eds.)Amherst:UniversityofMassachusettsPressFriedman,J.andRanderia,S.(Ed.)2004.WorldsontheMove:Globalisation,Migration

andCulturalSecurity.LondonandNewYork:I.B.Tauris&CoLtdFrieling,R.2004.TheArchive,theMedia,theMapandtheText.MediaArtNet.

Accessibleat:http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/themes/mapping_and_text/archive_map/scroll/[25.1.2015]

Frisch,M.1990.Asharedauthority.Albany:StateUniversityofNewYorkPressFrith,S.1996.Musicandidentity.Hall,S.&DuGay,P.(Eds.)QuestionsofCultural

Identity.London:Sage:108-127,273Geertz,C.1973.ThickDescription:TowardanInterpretiveTheoryofCulture.The

InterpretationofCultures:SelectedEssays.NewYork:BasicBooksGere,C.2012.CommunitywithoutCommunityinDigitalCulture.LondonandNew

York:PalgraveMcMillanGerolymatos,A.2002.TheBalkanWar:Myth,Realityandtheeternalconflicts.New

York:BasicBooksGoldsworthy,V.1998.InventingRuritania:TheImperialismoftheImagination.New

Haven:YaleUniversityPressGordon,A.2008.GhostlyMattersHauntingandtheSociologicalImagination.

Minneapolis:UniversityofMinnesotaPressGordy,D.E.1999.TheCultureofPowerinSerbia:NationalismandtheDestructionof

Alternatives.UniversityPark:PennsylvaniaStateUniversityPressGordy,E.2008.PresentationatBalkanisingTaxonomysymposiumGrubacic,A.2010.Don’tmourn,Balkanise.Oakland:PMPressHabermas,J.1993.Modernity-AnIncompleteProject.Docherty,T.(Ed.)

Postmodernism:AReader.NewYork:HarvesterWheatsheatHalbwacks,M.1950.(1980)Thecollectivememory.NewYork:Harper&RowColophon

Books

231

Hall,S.1997.Representation:CulturalRepresentationsandSignifyingPractices.London:Sagepublications

Hall,S.1993.(1994)CulturalIdentityandDiaspora.ColonialDiscourseandPost-colonialTheory:aReader.Williams,P.andChrisman,L.(Eds.)London:HarvesterWheatsheaf

Haraway,D.1991.Situatedknowledges:Thesciencequestioninfeminismandtheprivilegeofpartialperspectives.D.Haraway(Ed.)Simians,cyborgs,andwomenNewYork:Routledge

Hardt,M.andNegri,A.2004.Multitude.NewYork:PenguinPressHavel,V.1990.Historyofapublicenemy.NewYorkReviewofBooks.31MayHegel,G.W.F.1977.PhenomenologyofSpirit.Transl.Miller,A.V.NewYork:Oxford

UniversityPressHeller-Roazen,D.2007.TheInnerTouch:ArchaeologyofaSensation.NewYork:Zone

BooksHerecomeseverybody.2012.Fourthlandproject.Accessibleat:

http://fourthland.co.uk/nela-milicmotion2[30.1.2015]Hirsh,M.1997.(1999)FamilyFrames:Photography,NarrativeandPostmemory.

Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPressHirsch,M.1999.Actsofmemory:culturalrecallinthepresent.Bal,M.,Crewe,Jand

Spitzer,L.(Eds.)Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEnglandHirsch,M.2008.TheGenerationofpostmemory.PoeticsToday.PorterInstitutefor

PoeticsandSemiotics29:1(Spring)Accessibleat:http://www.fsf.ane.ru/attachments/article/157/mar.pdf[18.02.20014]

Hobsbawn,E.&Ranger,T.(Eds.)1983.(1984)TheInventionofTraditions.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress

Hoskins,A.2009a.DigitalNetworkMemory.Erll,A.&Rigney,A.(Eds.)Mediation,Remediation,andtheDynamicsofCulturalMemory.Berlin:WalterdeGruyter:91–106

Hoskins,A.2009b.TheMediatisationofmemory.Garde-Hansen,J.,Hoskins,A.andReading,A.(Eds.)Saveas…DigitalMemories.Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan:27-43

Hoskins,A.2009.TheDiffusionofMedia/Memory:thenewcomplexity.Warwickwriting.Complexity.Accessibleat:http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/warwickbooks/complexity/andrew_hoskins/[21.1.2015]

Huyssen,A.1995.TwilightMemories:MarkingTimeinaCultureofAmnesia.NewYork:Routledge

Huyssen,A.andLevy.D.2002.Globalisationandemergenceofcosmopolitanmemoriesdebate.Accessibleat:http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/articles_papers_reports/916.html[29.1.2015]

Imisscommunism.2007.PerformancebyWurth,I.andSoper,M.Accessibleat:

http://www.imisscommunism.com[25.1.2015]Irwin(Eds.)2006.OnlineMotto.EastArtMap:ContemporaryArtandEasternEurope.

London:AfterallBooks.Accessibleat:http://www.eastartmap.org[29.1.2015]

232

Jansen,S.2001.TheStreetsofBeograd.UrbanspaceandprotestidentitiesinSerbia.PoliticalGeography20:35-55Accessibleat:http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/stef.jansen/documents/sj-streetsofbeograd.pdf[29/1/2015]

Jarry,A.1960.ElementsofPataphysics:Whatispataphysics.Evergreenreview.May-June4:13

JovanovicWeiss,S.2006.Blog.Accessibleat:http://roundtable.kein.org/blog/17AtlasofTransformation.Accessibleat:http://monumenttotransformation.org/atlas-of-transformation/html/b/balkanization/balkanization-srdjan-jovanovic-weiss.html[29/1/2015]

Kacandes,I.1999.Actsofmemory:culturalrecallinthepresent.Bal,M.,Crewe,J.and

Spitzer,L.(Eds.)Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEnglandKhapaeva,D.2009.HistoryWithoutMemory.Accessibleat:

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2009-02-02-khapaeva-en.html[29.1.2015]Kristeva,J.1986.TheKristevaReader.Moi,T.(Ed.)Oxford:BasilBlackwellKorner,S.2006.ReviewofBrecht’sWarprimer.CharlottelleTumblr.Accessibleat:

http://21stcenturysocialism.com/article/brechts_war_primer_01137.html[18.02.2014]

Kuhn,A.1995.FamilySecrets:ActsofMemoryandImagination.LondonandNewYork:Verso

Lazic,M.(Ed.)1999.Ajmo,ajde,sviusetnju(ProtestinBelgrade:winterofdiscontent).

Transl.Nikolić,Lj.Budapest:CentralEuropeanUniversityPress;Plymouth:distributedbyPlymbridge

Latour,B.1991.Wehaveneverbeenmodern.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPressLatour,B.2005.FromRealpolitiktoDingpolitikorHowtoMakeThingsPublic.Latour,

B.andWeibel,P.Cambridge:MIT:14-41Landsberg,A.1995.ProstheticMemory:TotalRecallandBladeRunner.Theory,Culture

&Society:Cyberspace/Cyberbodies/Cyberpunk:CulturesofTechnologicalEmbodiment.Featherstone,M.&Burrows,R.(Eds.)London:Sage:175

Levinas,E.1969.TotalityandInfinity:AnEssayonExteriority.Pittsburgh:DuquesneUniversityPress

Levinas,E.1972.(2003)Humanismandtheother.Urbana/Chicago:UniversityofIllinoisPress

Levinas,E.1978.Otherwisethanbeingorbeyondessence.Transl.A.Lingis.TheHague:MartinusNijhoff:158-161

Levy,D.andSznaider,N.2002MemoryUnbound:TheHolocaustandtheFormationofCosmopolitanMemory.EuropeanJournalofSocialTheoryFebruary(5):87-106

Levy,G.2013.ThemanwhohatedBritain:RedEd'spledgetobringbacksocialismisahomagetohisMarxistfather.SowhatdidMilibandSnrreallybelievein?Theanswershoulddisturbeveryonewholovesthiscountry.DailyMailnewspaper,Sep27.Accessibleat:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2435751/Red-Eds-pledge-bring-socialism-homage-Marxist-father-Ralph-Miliband-says-GEOFFREY-LEVY.html[25.1.2015]

Lippmann,W.1927.(2007)ThePhantomPublic.NewBrunswick:Transaction

233

Lichtenberg-Ettinger,B.2001.Wit(h)nessingTraumaandtheMatrixialGaze:FromPhantasmtoTrauma,fromPhallicStructuretoMatrixialSphere.Parallax7(4)95

Longinovic,T.Z.2011.VampireNation:ViolenceasCulturalImaginary.Durham:DukeUniversityPress

Lowenthal,D.1985.ThePastisaForeignCountry.NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress

Lury,C.1997.ProstheticCulture:Photography,MemoryandIdentity.London:Routledge

Lynch,L.201.4Wired.Twitter30.Jan.Accessibleat:https://twitter.com/lilyslynch/status/428852540503883776[29.1.2015]

Lyotard,J.F.1979.(1984)ThePostmodernCondition.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress

MacDonald,Richard.2015.GoingBackinaHeartbeat:Collectivememoryandthe

onlinecirculationoffamilyphotographs.Photographies,8(1),pp.23-42Malevic,K.1992.TheGreatUtopia,TheRussianandSovietAvant-Garde1915–1932.

ExhibitioncatalogueGuggenheimMuseumAccessibleat:http://archive.org/stream/grerussi00schi/grerussi00schi_djvu.txt[29.1.2015]

Mani,R.2002.BeyondRetribution:SeekingJusticeintheShadowsofWar.Cambridge:PolityPress

Manovic,L.1999.Databaseasasymbolicform.TheDatabaseLogic.MilleniumFilmJournal.TheDigitalissue34(Fall)

Matarasso,F.1997.UseorOrnament?TheSocialImpactofParticipationintheArts.BournesGreen,Stroud:Comedia

Matarasso,F.1999.TowardsaLocalCultureIndexMeasuringtheculturalvitalityofCommunities.Gloucestershire:ComediaMcCarthy,J.1927.(2011)Neverphotographpeopleeating.Amsterdam:BISPublishers.

Accessibleat:http://www.exhibitionsinternational.org/extra/9789063692773_01.pdf[29.1.2015]

McLuhan,M.1964.UnderstandingMedia:TheExtensionsofMan.NewYork:McGraw-Hill

Milevska,S.2006.GenderdifferenceintheBalkans.Thesis.GoldsmithsUniversityMilic,A.,Cickaric,L.andJojic,M.1997Generationinprotest:studentrevoltandfamily

socialization.Sociologija39(1):31-49Milic,N.2008BalkanisingTaxonomy.Accessibleat:

http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/balkanising-taxonomy[29/12/2014]Milic,N.2011.AudiovisualMediaandIdentityIssuesinSoutheasternEurope.Eds.

Pistrick,E.,Scaldaferri,N.andSchwörer,G.Newcastle:CambridgeScholarsPublishing

Milic,N.2011.Performingnostalgiaorabullinachinashop.TheAnnalsofTheOvidius.UniversityofConstanta.Accessibleat:https://www.academia.edu/1467967/The_Annals_Of_The_Ovidius_University_of_Constanta[29.1.2015].VideoAccessibleat:http://vimeo.com/19207332[29.1.2015]

Milic,N.2015.AnArtisticJourneyThroughtheExperiencesofRefugeeandMigrantWomeninLondon.IdentityandMigrationinEurope:MultidisciplinaryPerspectivesSeries:InternationalPerspectivesonMigration.LaBarbera,M.(Ed.)13

234

http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/population+studies/book/978-3-319-10126-2[29.1.2015]

Millon,T.1991.Classificationinpsychopathology:Rationale,alternatives,andstandards.JournalofAbnormalPsychology100:245–261

Misztal,B.A.2003.Theoriesofsocialremembering.Maidenhead:OpenUniversityPress

Morrison,T.WorldsofHurt:ReadingtheLiteraturesofTrauma.Tal,K.(Author)Accessibleat:http://kalital.com/Texts/Worlds/Chap3.html[25.1.2015]

Morrison,T.1995.TheSiteofMemory.InventingtheTruthZinsserW.(Ed.)NewYork:HoughtonMifflincompany

Nora,P.1984–1992.BetweenMemoryandHistory.LesLieuxdemémoire.

Representations26:7-25Nora,P.2002.LesLieuxdemémoire1984–1992.Reasonsforthecurrentupsurgein

memory.Transit9AprilOswell,D.1998.Concretepublics?Noise,PhantomsandArchitecturesofRadioand

TelevisionReceptionfromthe1920sto1960sintheUK.PhysiqueofthePublic.GoldsmithsUniversity.June6th

Palfrey,J.andGasser,U.2008.BornDigital:UnderstandingtheFirstGenerationof

DigitalNatives.NewYork:BasicBooksPamuk,O.2008.MuseumofInnocence.NewYork:VintageInternationalParikka,J.2012.WhatIsMediaArchaeology?Cambridge:PolityPressPasserini,L.1987.FascisminPopularMemory:TheCulturalExperienceoftheTurin

WorkingClass.StudiesinModernCapitalism.London:CambridgeUniversityPress.October2000.Accessibleat:http://www.women.it/4thfemconf/lunapark/passerini.htm[29.1.2015]

Pink,S.2001.DoingEthnography:Images,MediaandRepresentationinResearch.London:SagePublications

Plato1911.Phaedo.Burnet,J.(Ed.)Oxford:ClarendonPressPhenicie,K.andLaplante,L.2009.Peru:thestruggleformemory.OpenDemocracy.

Accessibleat:https://www.opendemocracy.net/article/peru-the-struggle-for-memory[25.1.2015]

Portelli,A.2009.TheOralHistoryInterviewanditsLiteraryRepresentations.AnnualMethodsLab.GoldsmithsUniversity

Previsic,B.2009.Culturalimpactsfromandonmarginalisedregions:TheBalkans.E-JournalforUnescoObservatory.UniversityofMelbourne.Accessibleat:http://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1105723/cultural-impacts.pdf[25.1.2015]

Prince,M.2008.TheNewBlack:MarkPrinceSeesRothko'sLatePaintingsasPrecursorsofPostmodernistArt.ArtMonthly.November.Accessibleat:https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-192053544/the-new-black-mark-prince-sees-rothko-s-late-paintings[30.12.2015]

Prodanovic,M.1997.Oslobadjanjegradova.Republika152:16–30FebruaryPetresinBachelez,N.2010.InnovativeFormsofArchives,PartOne:Exhibitions,

Events,Books,Museums,andLiaPerjovschi’sContemporaryArtArchive.E-flux13:02.Accessibleat:http://www.e-flux.com/journal/innovative-forms-of-archives-

235

part-one-exhibitions-events-books-museums-and-lia-perjovschi’s-contemporary-art-archive[30.1.2015]

Pusic,Lj.1995.Theimpossibilityofurbansociety.Sociologija37(4):567-574Radstone,S.(Ed.)2000.Introduction.MemoryandMethodology.Oxford,NewYork:

BergRadstone,S.andSchwarz,B.2010.Memory:Histories,Theories,Debates.NewYork:

FordhamUniversityPressRanciere,J.2007.TheFutureoftheImage.London:VersoReading,A2012.GlobitalTime:TimeintheDigitalGlobalisedAgeTime,Mediaand

Modernity.Knightley,E.(Ed.)Basingstoke:PalgraveRefugeesandtheArtsInitiative(R&AI).2007.Accessibleat:http://refugee-

arts.info/about.htm[29.1.2015]Rigney,A.2008.TheDynamicsofRemembrance:Textsbetweenmonumentalityand

morphingErll,A.andNunning,A.incollaborationwithSaraB.Young(Eds.)Culturalmemorystudies:aninternationalandinterdisciplinaryhandbook.Berlin,NewYork:deGruyter

Rogoff,I.2000.TerraInfirma:Geography'sVisualCulture.LondonandNewYork:Routledge

Rose,G.2009.1stinternationalconferenceonvisualmethods.LeedsUniversityRothberg,M.2009.MultidirectionalMemory:RememberingtheHolocaustintheAge

ofDecolonization.Series:CulturalMemoryinthePresent.Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress

Routledge,P.2004.AnIntroductiontoPoliticalGeography:Space,PlaceandPolitics.Jones,M.,Jones,R.,Wood,M.(Eds.)London:Routledge

Rubinstein,D.andSluis,K.2008.Alifemorephotographic.Photographies.1March.Accessibleat:http://philpapers.org/archive/RUBLMP.pdf[29/1/2015]

Sacks,O.2013.Speak,Memory.TheNewYorkReviewofBooks.Feb21.Accessibleat:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2013/feb/21/speak-memory/?pagination=fals[29.1.2015]

Said,E.W.1978.Orientalism.London:Routledge&KeganPaulSaid,E.W.1982.TravellingTheory.Raritan:AQuarterlyReview1(3):41-67WinterSandhu,S.2014.PoorButSexybyAgataPyzik:Review.TheGuardian.Thursday7

August.Accessibleat:http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/07/poor-but-sexy-culture-clashes-europe-east-west-agata-pyzik-review[29.1.2015]

Sarkisova,O.2007.Phantommemories.RussianTeenagers,FamilyPhotographyandtheSovietPast.Performingbiographies,memoriesandtheartofinterpretation.Presentation.12-14December2008Cracow,Poland

Santorineos,M.2009.21stCentury:EndofIllusion,BirthoftheFakeImage,andtheReplacementofLightwithMemory.ThursdayClub.Accessibleat:http://www.netbehaviour.org/pipermail/netbehaviour/20090219/009930.html[29.1.2015]

Schlogel,K.2008.Placesandstrataofmemory–ApproachestoEasternEurope.Eurozine:1-11

Scott,R.1982.BladeRunner.Laddcompany,ShawandWarnerBrothersSegal,N.2013.FromLiteraturetoCulturalLiteracy.Segal,N.&Koleva,D.(Eds.),

Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan.Accessibleat:

236

https://www.unilu.ch/fileadmin/shared/Publikationen/cultural-literacy_esf-policy-briefing.pdf[29.1.2015]

Shakespeare,W.(between1599and1602)c1603.HamletShakespeare,W.c1592.(2008)RichardIII.Jowett,J.(Ed.)Oxford:OxfordUniversity

PressShevchenko,O.2007.(2008)FamilyPhotographyasMemoryTechnology:SomeNotes

ontheRecollectionsoftheSovietPast.Performingbiographies,memoriesandtheartofinterpretation.Presentation.12-14DecemberCracow,Poland

Skart1990.Artcollectivewebsite.Accessibleat:http://www.skart.rs[25.1.2015]Simpson,J.2001.AMadWorld,MyMasters:TalesfromaTraveller'sLife.London:Pan

BooksSnyder,T.2005.BalancingtheBooks.IndexonCensorship2.Accessibleat:

http://www.eurozine.com/articles/2005-05-03-snyder-en.html[29.1.2015]Spasic,I.andPavicevic,Dj.1997a.Protestipokret.Republika155-156:21-28JanuarySpivak,G.C.1988.CantheSubalternSpeak?MarxismandtheInterpretationofCulture

Nelson.C.andGrossberg.L.(Eds.)Urbana:UniversityofIllinoisPress:271-313Steedman,C.2001.Dust.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPressSteinberg,M.W.2004.Whenpoliticsgoespop:ontheintersectionsofpopularand

politicalcultureandthecaseofSerbianstudentprotests.SocialMovementStudies:JournalofSocial,CulturalandPoliticalProtest(3)Issue1:3-29

Spitzer,L.,BalM.,CreweJ.V.(eds)1999.ActsofMemory:CulturalRecallinthePresent.Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEngland

StreetTheatre.1997.DirectedbyMilic,Nela.BKTelevisionProductionStudentskiprotesti90-ih2011.FacebookpagebyMilosMiljatovic.Accessibleat:

https://www.facebook.com/Студентски-протести-90-их-125939594139887/timeline[25.1.2015]

Sturken,M.1997.TangledMemoriesTheVietnamWar,theAIDSEpidemic,andthePoliticsofRemembering.Berkley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress

Sturken,M.1999.NarrativesofRecovery:RepressedMemoryasCulturalMemory.Actsofmemory:culturalrecallinthepresentinBal,M.,Crewe,J.V.andSpitzer,L.(eds.)Hanover:UniversityPressofNewEngland

Tal,K.1996.WorldsofHurt:ReadingtheLiteraturesofTrauma.Cambridge:Cambridge

UniversityPress.Accessibleat:http://kalital.com/Texts/Worlds/Chap3.html[29/1/2015]

Taylor,D.2001.KeynoteSaveas…KnowledgeandTransmissionintheAgeofDigitalTechnologies.ImaginingAmerica’s2010nationalconferenceinSeattle

TimeCase.MemoryinAction.2012.GoetheInstituteParisproject.Accessibleathttp://www.timecase.org[29/1/2015]

Truskolaski,S.2014.AlternativeHeroesAgataPyzik,PoorButSexy.London:ZeroBooksReview31.Accessibleat:http://review31.co.uk/article/view/252/alternative-heroes[29.1.2015]

Todorov,T.2009.InDefenseofEnlightment.London:AtlanticBooksTodorova,M.1997.ImaginingtheBalkans.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPressTodorova,M.2004.BalkanIdentities:NationandMemory.London:Hurstand

CompanyTodorova,M.2009.CentreforBalkanStudieslaunch.GoldsmithsUniversityLondon

237

Todorova,M.andGille,Z.(Eds.)2012.Post-CommunistNostalgia.NewYorkandOxford:BerghahnBooks

Underground1995.DirectedbyKusturica,E.CiBy2000.BarrandovStudios,Komuna

etc.VanDijck,J.2005.Fromshoeboxtoperformativeagent:thecomputeraspersonal

memorymachine.NewMediaSociety7:311VanDijck,J.2007.MediatedMemoriesintheDigitalAge–MediatedMemories.

Stanford:StanfordUniversityPressVanDijck,J.2011.Flickrandthecultureofconnectivity:Sharingviews,experiences,

memories.MemoryStudies4(4):401–15Vaneigem,R.1963.TheRevolutionofEverydayLife:105.Accessibleat:

http://library.nothingness.org/articles/all/all/pub_contents/5[29.1.2015]VecernjeNovosti(EveningNews).2013.NewspaperMay22.TheVoice.1996.AltogetherBand,MTVmusicvideo.Accessibleat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l-ALPdUIus[25.1.25]Vulin,D.1996.Vote/Voice.Youtube.Alltogetherband.Accessibleat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l-ALPdUIus[29.1.2015]Warburg,A.1924-1929.MnemosyneAtlas.CornellUniversityLibrary,TheWarburg

Institute.CornellUniversityPressandSingale.Accessibleat:http://warburg.library.cornell.edu[29.1.2015]

Warnock,M.1987.Memory.London:FaberWegnerDM.1986.Transactivememory:Acontemporaryanalysisofthegroupmind.

MullenB,GoethalsGRTheoriesofgroupbehavior.NewYork:Springer-Verlag:185-208

Weibel,P.2005.MakingThingsPublic:AtmospheresofDemocracy.Karlsruhe/Cambridge,MA/London:ZKMCenterforArtandMediaKarlsruheandtheMITPress

Weininger,E.2005.FoundationsofPierreBourdieu’sAnalysis.ApproachestoClassAnalysis.WrightE.O.(Ed.)Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress

Wolff.L.1994.InventingEasternEurope:TheMapofCivilizationontheMindoftheEnlightenment.Stanford:StanfordUniversityPress

WR:MysteriesofOrganism.1971.DirectedbyMakavejev,D.NeoplantaFilm,TelepoolYoung,G.2011.Thewestcannolongerclaimtobeanhonestbrokerinthesearchfor

peace.TheGuardian.February13:http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/feb/13/west-no-longer-honest-broker-peace[25/1/2015]

Zelizer,B.(Ed.)2001.VisualCultureandtheHolocaust.London:AthloneZelizer,B.1998.RememberingtoForget:HolocaustMemorythroughtheCamera'sEye.

Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPressZerubavel,E.1996.SocialMemories:StepstoaSociologyofthePast.Qualitative

Sociology19:283-299Zerubavel,E.1997.Socialmindscape.Aninvitationtocognitivesociology.Cambridge:

HarvardUniversityPress:81

238

Zizek,S.2008.EuronewstalksfilmsandBalkanswithSlavojZizek.Euronews.December9th.Accessibleat:http://www.euronews.net/2008/09/12/euronews-talks-films-and-balkans-with-slavoj-zizek/[29.1.2015]Video.Accessibleat:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzM8tqjmCU819December2010[25.1.2015]