The content and organization
The Archive-en-Valise inventory consists of photographic and video material, texts, interviews and media reports around a number of protests in public spaces in the towns of Prijedor, Banja Luka, Brcko and Sarajevo. All the protests are divided into 4 categories, depending on which political and social issue it was trying to tackle, and physically organised into material folders (3). For each folder there is a cover with a summary of the most important information that I called archival plates(2). When presented to the public the folder are placed into hanging containers (7) all displayed in a foldable archival rack (9). Additional photo material is found in the marked envelopes (5) and video material is projected (8&10) on the suitcase cover or a nearby wall if there is one. There are additional tools and gadgets in the suitcase that come handy when setting up a public presentation of the archival inventory.
Excerpt from the Instructional Video on the Archive
1. Box storage for Archive folders in off-view mode;
2. Archival covers;
3. Archival folders containing Cover pages(2), and archival material ( see next graphic);
4. Box storage for additional photo material in off-view mode;
5. Envelopes containing photo material per category;
7. Folders holder for each category in exhibition mode;
8. Mini-projector;
9. Foldable rack for folder holders;
10. Projector holder;
11-13. and 6. Exhibition set up tools and gadgets;
14. Headphones.
The categories
The archive collects the protests into categories. Each category with its single showcases is contained in a physical folder. The main criteria for defining the separate categories was the intention of the protest organizers i.e. the goal of their action or protest, the problem it tried to solve or address. For example, all the protests in public spaces that were addressing the refusal to deal with the events of the past were defined as protests against oblivion. For each action or protest within one category I created a summary cover called "archival plate" that serve as introductory info-sheet containing the name and type or format of the action, the picture, the names of the organizers, a short description, the location the protest or action took place, the media coverage and so on.
Archive categories ( BHS)
I Introductory folder
Purely technical folder containing all the materials just collected and without any organization or incomplete. Once the material starts to "pile up" around a certain topic but is incomplete and needs special attention it gets its own Transitory folder. ( see below)
II Against oblivion
Contains all the protests and actions addressing the problem of inexistent or actively opposed public remembrance in Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to the war of the 90s. It contains installations and performances of the Izvor Association in Prijedor and of the organizers of the Commemoration day in Omarska.
III Against unemploymentThis folder comprises of the two performances executed by the artists Jelena Topic and Nemanja Cadjo in the central town area in Prijedor. They are both addressing the issue of youth unemployment and general social and economical corruption in the country. I was personally involved in documenting Nemanja´s performance and he also was the member of our local Tac.ka association.
IV In the center of power
Installations and performances taking place in the City of Banja Luka, the administrative center of the Republika Srpska – a Serb-ruled entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This folder is an exception to the rule because it doesn't focus on the final scope of the actions but puts focus on the specific political and social context of the public space instead.
V Private and public
The folder contains actions and performances dealing with the issues of gay rights and lgbt (in)visibility in the Bosnian contemporary society. The most of the material are installations and performances organized by the Queer-Feminist Platform Okvir from Sarajevo.
VI Against corruption
Incomplete category of protests dealing with the overall problem of state corruption.
XX Transitory folders
Technical folders. Each artistic-political action in public space that is a candidate for the archive gets its own transitory folder where it has to be completed and assigned to a category next.
Exhibitions
The special flexible format of the archive makes it possible for the material to be carried personally to the place of the presentation or even sent by post. So far the archive was presented in galleries, public parks, flats and gardens. Get in touch if you'd like to show it in your gallery, garden, school, church, attic, park...
UDK Berlin, Rundgang Exhibition 2015
Garden of the BASOC Centre in Banja Luka, 2016
Presentation and workshop in Banja Luka for the "16 days of Activism" in 2016
