Monthly Archives: April 2018

Jelena Ivanović Vojvodić: Modernist Architectural Heritage of Yugoslavia

The thirteenth Belgrade International Architecture Week – BINA, under the slogan From Communis to Communication, is dedicated to communications in architecture, communication via architecture and the spread of ideas about relations in the city. A special part of BINA’s program deals with establishing a dialogue with the past through the majestic architecture of academian and professor Ivan Anti
(1923-2005), as well as with the present through projects Creative Europe Cities Sharing: Creative Momentum and Future Architecture.

In your opinion, what is European cultural heritage?

European cultural heritage represents a shared space of the European continent that has its own history, culture and future. Architecture, nature and cultural heritage of cities of Europe, but also modern strategies and aspirations are the most important part of future development of the European continent. I believe that initiatives of international cooperation pursued by the EU for some time now are very important because they represent a collection of joint efforts towards sustainable cities of the future which will reconcile, on the one hand, tendencies of great expansion of cities and possibilities of stopping the commercialisation of building construction and, on the other hand, aspirations of practitioners and theoreticians of architecture which have a proclivity towards establishing a dialogue with the past and the development of new, modern directions in the future.

Which historical periods and events of Serbian history and elements of cultural heritage are most important and interesting to you from the point of view of the common European cultural space, shared history?

In the field of architectural heritage we are witnessing great collapse of Modern Movement buildings which vanished in a short period of time, while being the bearers of time after WWII which united the European space. This period was neglected for many years, and now it is the focus of the global public.

A working group was formed in Belgrade within the Association of Belgrade Architects, Docomomo Serbia (2010), as a part of the Docomomo International (an international working group for documenting and conserving buildings, locations and entities of the Modern Movement, 1988), working on collecting documents about the most important buildings created during this period on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, and on the other hand, striving to promote, educate, initiate and urge the public in order to establish a dialogue and protection from the decay of buildings from this period. Based on conferences (BINA 2009), exhibitions (BINA 2012, 2017), staged debates, discussions, and workshops that took place, as well as activities of our presidents (Ljiljana Blagojević PhD, Dobrivoje Erić MA), persistence of the Secretary Jelica Jovanović, coordinators, members and associates, we reached very important conclusions and documents that need to be used with the aim of preserving our cultural heritage of the Modern Movement in cooperation with institutions (the Ministry of Culture and Information, Secretariat for Culture of the City of Belgrade, Belgrade City Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia and others). Currently there is a discussion on the most important building of Milica Šterić (1914-1988), the former building of Energoprojekt, which received the 7th July Award in the past and which is in the process of reconstruction.

An especially important topic is the one concerning the preservation and reconstruction of the urbanist entity of the city — New Belgrade, one of the extremely important new cities from this period. Many researches speak about the importance and recognisability of the city of Belgrade through the prism of development of urbanism, architecture and typology of residential architecture of New Belgrade of the Modern Movement. An especially important fact is that at that time all important public buildings, as well as many residential complexes were realised through victories on architectonic and urbanist competitions which even today represent the most democratic way of choosing high quality architectonic concepts.

Another testament to the great importance of this architectonic period is the great exhibition in New York at the MoMA Museum entitled Towards a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1948-1980, which will be opened in mid-July this year, as the first presentation of exquisite works of leading architects of socialist Yugoslavia to the American and international public, and also an event where our experts will participate (prof. Vladimir Kulić PhD, prof. Tanja Damljanović Konli PhD, Jelica Jovanović and others).

In your opinion, in what ways should awareness be developed and the feeling of belonging to this shared history and values be empowered?

Education on space, in a multidisciplinary manner (architecture, geography, sociology, history, philosophy, economics, technology, art and others) should be started from the earliest days of a human being in order to build a relationship and understanding. It is necessary to promote architecture and the phenomenon of space during primary school, but also during the continued education. There are projects dealing with preparing materials and books that can be important companions in the realisation and creative development of different programmes and projects of education.

EU projects of European cooperation Creative Europe, where our country is a participant are the right place to empower belonging to a shared space. The Future Architecture Platform (FAP) and Shared Cities: Creative Momentum (SCCM) precisely connect 21 countries of the European continent (2016-2020, organised by BINA-DAB and KCB). My colleagues Danica Jovović Prodanović, Ružica Sarić, Aleksandar Kotevski, Tatijana Vukosavljević, Ivan Kucina, Natalija Jovanović and many young architects, and also initiatives Park Keepers and Škograd are currently working on developing a programme for the ensuing period characterised by the use and improvement of public spaces of the city, interventions, urban design, action schools and an interesting programme with citizens.

Would you highlight any projects of contemporary creativity dealing with cultural heritage that you particularly like?

The new museum in Berlin of the architect David Chipperfield and his team (David Chipperfield Architects, 2009) which was created by reconstructing and additional constructing of the existing and demolished museum is the right answer and a successful example speaking about the dialogue between the old and the new creativity.

Our bureau (BiroVIA) is currently working on developing a reconstruction project and additional constructing of the Museum of the city of Belgrade, the building of once the new Military Academy (1899), whose author was the architect Dimitrije Leka (1863-1914) and the main topic of the project, the architectonic concept which won at the competition is establishing a dialogue between the inherited architecture and the modern concept.

The New Museum in Berlin (David Chipperfield Architects, 2009)

Would you highlight any projects from the field of cultural heritage successfully collaborating with other sectors?

BINA (Belgrade International Architecture Week) is a project organised by the Association of Belgrade Architects and the Cultural Centre of Belgrade successfully cooperating with partners from the fields of economy, industry, education, tourism, cultural centres in Serbia, Europe and on the international scene for thirteen years. BINA was designed as a call to the architectural and the wider public to contemplate on the quality of constructed space, while at the same time it represents an encouragement to establish criteria and a value system which would contribute to improvement of the future architectonic production.

BINA is the first manifestation to design and organise architectonic walks promoting the heritage of cities of Serbia to the public by engaging experts who interactively interpret, analyse and establish better understanding of our architecture and culture. Our surprise throughout all these years is to that extent greater because we have to repeat certain walks due to a great number of participants and exquisite interest of the audience.

BINA authors and the founding team successfully collaborate with a vast number of governmental and non-governmental organisations due to the desire to empower architecture in Serbia and make it our export product in the future (the example of the Chilean architecture in the world).

In what way will your institution participate in marking the European year of cultural heritage?

In the context of promoting 2018 as the European year of cultural heritage: BINA has set celebrating the diversity and wealth of our cultural heritage as the central topic of the festival through the innovative and interactive programme. The study exhibition The Architectonic, Ivan Antić (1923-2005) presents the most important works of creativity of Serbian Architecture from XX century. The authors of the exhibition prof. Dijana Milašinović Marić PhD and Igor Marić PhD stated that Ivan Antić is an exquisite architect, professor and academic whose unambiguous architectonics is unique and striking. Within the accompanying programme there will be organised staged debates, discussions, exhibition guides, workshops, short trips and walks through the works of this creator of the Modern Movement (10-31.05.2018, gallery of RTS).

* Archive of Dijana Milašinović Marić and Igor Marić, authors of the exhibition

Jelena Ivanović-Vojvodić (1962) graduated and received her PhD from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Belgrade. She worked as a professor and a dean of the Faculty of Applied Arts and Design. She realised a great number of buildings and interiors and won a series of professional recognitions and awards. She is a member of the Union of Architects of Serbia, Association of Belgrade Architects, Docomomo Serbia, Serbian Chamber of Engineers, and Women’s Architectural Society. She is the Director and Co-Founder of the Belgrade International Architecture Week – BINA. She is also a Co-Founder and Owner of the architectonic company BiroVIA (together with prof. Goran Vojvodić).

Ana Pejović: Cultural Heritage – a Momentum for the Future of Europe

The European Year of Cultural Heritage is an opportunity to re-examine what we know in the context of contemporary social discussions. On potentials of cultural heritage from our part of the world, and also its importance in the European context we spoke with Ana Pejović, Coordinator of Association Krokodil.

In your opinion what is European cultural heritage?

European cultural heritage represents a diverse, rich, inspirational community of historical artefacts, events, a mosaic representing Europe in all its breadth as a continent containing so many distinctive cultures. As such, it represents an important momentum for future generations and a basis for rethinking and establishing different, dynamic relationships both within a single community and between different communities Europe is comprised of. Cultural heritage offers an opportunity for new narratives and for more modern reading and understanding of cultural history, and its connecting with the modern times.

Which historical periods and events from Serbian history are important and interesting for you from the perspective of the common European cultural space, shared history?

That would primarily be the heritage of anti-fascism. Even though it is not strictly related to culture, in the age of the second Yugoslavia it was the basis for finding new relations and new narratives in contemplating culture. Its principles of freedom, justice and ethics are an important segment of cultural heritage of this country.

Moreover, there was also the period of modernisation of the Serbian state after the final liberation in 1863, when Serbia was attempting to catch up with the Western states, and when opening towards those cultures also occurred.

Even though it was certainly not the brightest period of Serbian history, the period of Ottoman rule is very interesting and inspirational in the light of Balkan countries which were a part of the Ottoman Empire, but also the wider area of the Caucasus and Asia Minor, where there are many less known but equally interesting cultural similarities and intertwining.

To me personally, the dearest moment is exactly the period of creation of socialist Yugoslavia as a modernisation process that held culture very highly in its priorities. Bordered by language, we belong to the same cultural space about which we unfortunately know less by the day.

In your opinion, in what way should we develop and empower consciousness about and the feeling of belonging to that shared history and values?

Primarily by finding a neutral, contemporary narrative which would be far from nationalist tendencies, but also from ideological pressures. An important role in this should be played by the educational system, which has always been, unfortunately, burdened by political currents of the moment.

Would you highlight any projects of contemporary creativity dealing with cultural heritage that you particularly like?

I believe amazing initial steps were made in the project of Senjski Rudnik as one of excellent examples of industrial heritage in Serbia. Industrial heritage is on a particularly low level, so I am highlighting this project in hope that the initial plans of creating a city-museum will come to fruition.

Would you highlight any projects from the field of cultural heritage successfully collaborating with other sectors?

The potential some projects of cultural heritage have in trans-cultural cooperation often boils down to mere touristic presenting. A positive example of cooperation through creative industries is e.g. the brand Folkk, using immaterial heritage of Pirot rugs and in general handmade works.

In what way will your organisation participate in marking the European year of cultural heritage?

This year we are initiating the project Historians against Revisionism which will be dedicated to a large extent to Yugoslavian heritage.

 

Ana Pejović (born in 1980 in Prijepolje, Serbia, then SFR Yugoslavia), graduated from the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade. From 2002 to 2008 she worked in the publishing house Rende as a proof reader, assistant editor and editor. From 2009 to 2011 she worked in the Belgrade branch of the Croatian publishing house VBZ, as an assistant editor and editor. During the nine years of work in publishing, she edited more than two hundred books, mostly contemporary titles from the region and Europe. She translated several books from English, including “The British Museum is Falling Down” written by David Lodge. In 2009 she co-founded Association Krokodil with Vladimir Arsenijević, where she works as a project manager and chief coordinator. She is actively participating in all undertakings and fields of activity of Association Krokodil – festivals, guest appearances, with a special emphasis on Association Krokodil’s House for writers.