eprintid: 2975
rev_number: 8
eprint_status: archive
userid: 72
dir: disk0/00/00/29/75
datestamp: 2015-12-16 13:24:29
lastmod: 2015-12-16 13:24:29
status_changed: 2015-12-16 13:24:29
type: conference_item
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Milosevic, Srdjan
creators_id: srdjan.milosevic@imtlucca.it
title: The acropolis of the socialist Yugoslavia between absence, presence and non-existence
ispublished: pub
subjects: DR
subjects: HX
subjects: NA
divisions: EIC
full_text_status: none
pres_type: paper
abstract: In our search for the Acropolis of the socialist Yugoslavia we should focus our attention
on New Belgrade, as it was planned to be the new capital of the country led by the
Communist Party, victoriously emerging from the Second World War. In their
enthusiastically organized volunteer labor, they have rendered absent both material and
immaterial traces of the urban and architectural efforts of the previous regime. In that
way they have effectively cut them off from any stake in future discussions. By
adopting this “tabula rasa” concept they allowed themselves freedom to search for the
new identity of the Yugoslav architecture independent from both Western and Eastern
patterns and models. Was it successful can be a topic for another discussion but it is
evident that many project remained on paper for various reasons. Those building who
were constructed, suffered a lot in this post-communist period from negligence and lack
of maintenance that this rendered them presently absent or absently present. Some
underwent such huge makeover, losing their original identity to such an extent that they became non-existent. In this period of transition from the communist/socialist to postsocialist
society, the history repeated itself with different actors only in an attempt to
render absent material and immaterial traces of the previous regime.
The Acropolis of the socialist Yugoslavia was executed only partially, although it was
envisioned as a core made of buildings serving executive, theoretical/ideological and
symbolical/commemorative functions. Their present day appearance could serve as a
paradigm of the political and societal changes that this country underwent in last
seventy years.
date: 2015
date_type: published
publisher: Balkan architectural biennale 2015
pagerange: 158-176
event_title: Balkan architectural biennale 2015
event_location: Belgrade, Serbia
event_dates: 7-14 December 2015
event_type: conference
refereed: TRUE
isbn: 978-86-916755-1-6
book_title: Capital A
citation:   Milosevic, Srdjan  The acropolis of the socialist Yugoslavia between absence, presence and non-existence.  In: Balkan architectural biennale 2015, 7-14 December 2015, Belgrade, Serbia pp. 158-176.  ISBN 978-86-916755-1-6.      (2015)