Interview for etrafika.net
29/09/2021

Visual artist Mak Hubjer has been cultivating the practice of cleaning monuments for seven years. The idea came when he developed an interest in cultural monuments, but also in general monuments in public spaces. He graduated in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo and is currently attending a master’s degree in Split. Unlike many passive young people in our society, Mak decided to create opportunities for advancement himself. He founded the Contemporary Art Gallery “Brodac”, which today is visited by eminent artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Written by: Mirnes Bakija; Photo: Ajdin Kamber

It all started when he decided to clean a monument of Vladimir Valter Perić in Sarajevo, which was in a very bad state. Mak says that he had an instinctive reaction to clean up this neglected monument, which he passed by every day.

“I decided to arrange that monument with two colleagues, with whom I was studying at the time. The three of us arranged it, especially in protective suits, which today are called Covid suits. We disguised ourselves to look as professional as possible and to dress up the monument. Then we filmed that reaction and it was extremely interesting how people who passed by watched us. The police also stared at us, but no one paid much attention to what we were doing, probably thinking that we were professionals doing our job as ordered”, Mak recalls.

After some time, he continued to clean the monuments in Sarajevo, which dated from different periods. Mak says that in the beginning, he was not concerned with what certain monuments represented, but rather with what condition they are in. He explains that most of the neglected monuments date from the socialist and post-socialist periods, and he points out that it bothered him to pass dilapidated monuments in his city every day.

“I realized that art and performance offer a different way of acting in public space. Mere cleaning did not contribute to big changes as much as my appearance and performative act, which aims to change people’s awareness of cultural monuments, contributed,” explains Mak.

After cleaning several famous memorials and monuments in Sarajevo, he decided to emphasize the performative aspect of his work.

“I became interested in what certain monuments represent and how much I can play with that meaning. I understood this approach as a game, bringing back attention to some places that have been completely forgotten, and are important prominent places. Unfortunately, in our environment, these important places are largely neglected. If we looked at the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we would realize that we have cemeteries of monuments, some of which are masterpieces, such as the partisan cemetery in Mostar, the memorial on Sutjeska, as well as many others that have been left to the test of time”, explains the young artist.

Mak points out that it is ridiculous to talk about how much the authorities care about monuments, and that it is enough to see how today’s culture is treated in our country. He says that it is interesting when BiH is compared with countries in the region in terms of how monuments and heritage are treated. In this case, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most interesting because the destruction of monuments was the least done in war actions, and destruction in that way is excluded.

“In Croatia, it’s a different story when talking about monuments from the socialist era. Unfortunately, few of them survived. The large monuments in the north of Croatia are still there, but the small memorials and small monuments from the previous system have been almost erased. This is especially emphasized in the Dalmatian belt, where there was a drastic predominance between one time and another,” says Mak.

He thought about starting an initiative to get more people involved in cleaning the monument. He says that on October 24, as part of the ReMemory project, he will hold a workshop at the Brodac Gallery, where he will learn about the values ​​of monuments in public space, as well as the relationship of people to monuments. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to create smaller interventions in public spaces, all to draw attention to memorial sites and memorial spaces.

Mak believes that young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are largely disappointed and are tired of talking about starting something new. He says that he does not defend such attitudes, but that this is our reality.

“I think that politics has done its job in the past 30 years, and to a large extent has weakened and killed the will of young people. There will always be enthusiasts, but it mostly comes down to one or two people in the company, who try to carry all the burden. However, until society begins to include more individuals who will form serious working groups of action, there will be no serious changes”, explains Mak.

This young artist believes that for people to develop civic activism, it is first necessary to develop civic awareness.

“I’m not saying that civic activism doesn’t exist at all, but it’s simply quiet in our society,” Mak points out.

Inspired by the idea of ​​creating a different place for male and female artists to meet, in 2016 he launched the Brodac Contemporary Art Gallery. He was helped by his colleagues from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. In the beginning, it was an initiative for young artists who need to profile themselves and gain experience.

“Later, this gallery became a gathering place for established artists. Today, it is a place for creating perspectives, where young artists have the opportunity to communicate with older colleagues. I realized that this model of work is interesting and important to transfer experience to young artists. The gallery functions as a certain social space”, he explains.

He says that being an artist right after the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was more valuable than it is today. The reason for this is that many BiH artists were “under the spotlight” after the war’s destruction, which helped them present their work more easily.

“Today is a different time, the time of the media. Being an artist is connected with existence, so it goes beyond the scope of art. The advantage of doing art in our country is that there is not much glamour, so artists live in what Bosnia and Herzegovina is. This is the essential quality of our artists, and this social engagement can be recognized in the work of many of them”, Mak explains the BiH art scene.

He believes that young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are left to their own devices. As initiators of positive changes in society, they play a big role, but they do not have mechanisms. In many cases, young people depend on their parents, their environment, but also on what the environment has to say. Mak says that this system of values ​​has led us to the fact that young people do not want to get involved in public life.

In the future, he plans to hold several exhibitions in Split – the city where he currently resides. The works will concern the monument, and he adds with a smile that his most important plan for the future is to stay alive and healthy.

The preparation of this text was supported by the American Agency for International Development USAID through the project PRO-Budućnost. The content of this text does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.