Background, implementation and conclusions of the project “Stockholm- Sarajevo: A case study”

The thought of a collaborative project between artists from Stockholm and Sarajevo, (which is gathered together and portrayed in this conglomerate of writings, emails, etc.) was awakened in the artists Anna Wignell and Tina Finnäs in the autumn 2004 during the seminar “Speak-up” in Zagreb, Croatia. At the seminar there were participants from both Scandinavia and the Balkans. Anna and Tina (based in Stockholm) who were, very shortly after this seminar, to conceive of this project began a tentative yet fruitful discussion with Zlatan Filipoviç (Sarajevo) in regards to how to form a collaborative project between themselves and maybe even their fellow artists from each country.

In September 2005 a group of Stockholm based artists, who included Anna Wignell, Steven Dixon, Tina Finnäs and Tore Nilsson, went to Sarajevo to initiate the project together with a selected group of local artists based in Sarajevo. Additionally, (along with the initial formation of the intercountry group, and the ground work discussion about the prerequisites and conditions for the project with all of the artists during this trip) the idea was to give the Stockholm based artists an impression and (if all went well) a general overview of the specifics of the Sarajevo art scene and how the local conditions operate for the artists and their art practice.

The Stockholm based artists were being guided through the Sarajevo scene by Alma Fazliç. The Art institutions visited included amongst others:

Ars Aevi
Akademija likovnih umjetnosti (Academy of Arts)
National Museum
SCCA (Sarajevo Center for Contemporary Art)
Town museum
Umjetnička galerija Bosne i Hercegovine (Art gallery
of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Besides these institutional visits, meetings were also arranged with the following artists/ artist groups:

The artist group Baracas
The artist group Maxumim
Elma Aliç
Ervin Babiç
Andrej Djerkoviç
Sandro Drinovac
Alma Fazliç
Zlatan Filipoviç
Ibro Hasanoviç
Ida Uljeviç

During the stay in Sarajevo (1st visit) by the Stockholm artists the project group was formulated. The Project group consisted of the artists:

Alma Fazliç, Sarajevo
Anna Wignell, Stockholm
Ervin Babiç, Sarajevo
Ibro Hasanoviç, Sarajevo
Sandro Drinovac, Sarajevo
Steven Dixon, Stockholm
Tina Finnäs, Stockholm
Tore Nilsson, Stockholm
Zlatan Filipoviç, Sarajevo

The group agreed on the concept of a starting point to give a focus to the initial interactions and be a springboard to generate discussion between the artists. The initial focus was to view and discuss either art made by individual artists of the group or artistic work from another artist or artwork which held an interest for any one member of the group, The only general prerequisites for art or an artist chosen from outside of the group would be that it attempt to give sense or directly engage within a cultural, social, historical or economic context which had some influence on, or detail cultural issues. Works which were created by the artists within the group could be work of any type or form of which they were engaged with or which they had an interest in discussing.

These discussions were meant to bring to the fore cultural, social and economic divergences and convergences and help to explicate the hidden and overt assumptions each group manifests in artistic life and political being. Also, differences in social activities and cultural positions of the art field were to be explored in this dialogue.

To help facilitate discussions (primarily because the members were located far from one another) it was decided that the group should create a virtual platform on the internet where it would be possible to communicate. A number of early attempts at real-time communication over the web included live audio and video, blogs etc. However these attempts were found to be lacking due to a number of technical problems, but which was mainly caused by the unstable internet connection of the city of Sarajevo. A mac.com group, then, was established on the internet which would work as a “whiteboard” for writing and email discussion, and on which Videos, Images, etc. could be downloaded onto for viewing by members of the group. For a while this was the place where the majority of the communication occurred. After the collapse of the mac. Server, due to erratic communications between members of the group, most of the communications was carried out through email exchanges.

During the period which the mac. Group site was operating it was the intention that each artist, who was a member of the group, was to put up one art work onto the accounts site. For this to be carried out each month was assigned to one member for the posting of an art piece on the mac.com account. This work, after it was uploaded to the site, was meant to be viewed and discussed by the rest of the group during that month. After one year all members would have shown one work each and had it discussed.

Initially it was the intention that the artists from Sarajevo would also make a trip to Sweden just as the Swedish group had done to Sarajevo. This trip was meant also to focus on, and study the local art scene of Stockholm, and to detail the cultural and artistic experiences and milieu (and the specific contexts) of the Stockholm based artists working in the group. Because of practical considerations and certain changes in our thinking of the project this trip, however, wasn´t realized.

In January 2007 Anna, Steven and Tina went for a second visit to Sarajevo. The original intention was to film Alma (our initial “Guide” in Sarajevo, see above) because of the initial as well as later interactions which the Stockholm based group had with her in the intervening months. This did not take place as this section of the group (Stockholm) found that all of the original members of the group were gathered in Sarajevo at the same time as this “2nd trip” and who now actively wanted to take place in the ending process of the project.

The Stockholm based group along with Alma of the Sarajevo contingent decided, then, to carry out this final part of the project through two dinners. One dinner focused on Bosnian food which Alma planned (though cooked by her and the Stockholm visitors), and the second dinner which was planned by Anna and Tina (cooked also with the help of Alma, Steve). Both dinners were served to all members of the original group.

During the dinner the project as it had unfolded up to that point was discussed in full and well as the “ramifications” of such inter-cultural exchanges. Additionally, all documentation of the entire groups (both Stockholm and Sarajevo, see below) web communication was circulated during the dinners amongst the members of the group. This lead to discussions about expectations, meetings, failures and conclusions concerning the project.

Both the cooking and the dinners were being filmed by four cameras from four different angles.

The ideas which began and motivated the original proposal and project were, over its two year elaboration, quite unexpectedly diverted into new and surprising directions. These diversions and new directions though enlightening and educational could at times feel and create tensions of frustration and anxiety among the members. What had began as one idea, and how this was to be accomplished, became in the interactions, and perplexing silences, another idea and project altogether in the end.

This is why there is no conclusion, nor can there be, of the project. Communication and the personal interpretations which each member took away with themselves in either silence or logical argument is all that could remain and one which can never be closed by the mere act of ending. Therefore this text of interactions and questions is complete, but never closed.

Anna Wignell, Tina Finnäs, Steven Dixon
Stockholm December 2007

To read the whole publication about the project visit the following link: Artinbetween