The work "Atlantis?" is divided into two parts: the object and the performance in public space. This work took two years to complete. It commenced in 2019 when I noticed that in the largest park in the center of Sarajevo, there were cultural and historical monuments that no one cared about. While researching the topic, I came across shocking information, such as the revelation that these tombstones from the Ottoman period were used as building material in the construction of streets for traffic. The first phase of the work involved the theft of the monument itself, which I carried out in 2019. My goal was to keep the monument in my studio and observe what was happening around me, especially in the media. Would anyone notice that the monument was missing? After a year had passed and no one had mentioned a word about the stolen monument, I decided to create an identical replica of it. I placed the object in a fish tank and titled it "Atlantis?". This working title directly alludes to the legend of Atlantis. I believe that if we continue to behave in this manner and neglect cultural and historical monuments in this way, we will become like Atlantis. Following that, in 2021, I decided to return the monument to the place from which I originally stole it. I accomplished this by carrying the monument through the most prominent and crowded streets of Sarajevo. The performance lasted two hours, and the monument was returned to its original location. Today, it still remains there, awaiting restoration.
Perfomance
Duration: Two hours.
Photo-documentation: Ajla Salkić
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
12. 08. 2021.