The specific journey through the recent past, marred by war and suffering, began in Sarajevo where the exhibition “War of Memories” was first put on; continued in Mostar and then in Banja Luka where the exhibition of photographs from the project “War Monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 1991)” was opened last night at the Staklenac Music Pavilion.
This project is the result of years-long and extensive research by the Centre for Nonviolent Action (Sarajevo-Belgrade) designed to examine the dominant patterns of memory in the interest of having a correct attitude to the past serve as a platform for a safer future. One marked by understanding and nonviolence.
The exhibition in Banja Luka, just like in the previous cities, consists of 51 large photographs documenting marked and unmarked sites of suffering and has been viewed by a a considerable number of war veterans, citizens of Banja Luka and peacebuilding activists.
The atmosphere at the opening of the exhibition in Staklenac confirmed the need for advocating public constructive dialogue about current memorialisation policies in order to correct the existing approach.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition were members of the Centre for Nonviolent Action (Sarajevo-Belgrade), Nataša Okilj, Katarina Milićević and Nedžad Horozović, who together with Nenad Vukosavljević photographed the monuments created during and after the recent war.
Visitors in Banja Luka were informed about the mission of CNA to build lasting peace by promoting a culture of nonviolence and the speakers also outlined the specific process of gathering deficient data about the memorials, describing the stages of the research and how the photographs were taken, as well as the messages they unequivocally convey.
For all those who missed the opening, the exhibition will be on display in Banja Luka until 4 December, after which it will move to Bihać to complete its tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It will subsequently travel outside BiH and be on display in Belgrade.
The photographs can be viewed at kulturasjecanja.org
A summary of the monograph is available at http://nenasilje.org/publikacije/pdf/Rat_sjecanja.pdf
