Belgrade architecture in photographs by Balkan Studies student Ema Rusiňáková.
The architecture of former Yugoslavia is at risk of disappearing. What was once a symbol of progress in a socialist country is now seen as a relic of the past that should make way for a new order. These negative connotations lead to an oversimplified perception of all state-sponsored construction of the period, even though many of these buildings are high-quality works that deserve proper protection. This problematic relationship between human memory and necessary, though often absent, heritage conservation is something we also experience in Czechia and Slovakia: negative memories are inextricably linked to buildings, yet the buildings themselves are important fragments of local history that should not be forgotten. The relatively recent demolition of Belgrade’s landmark Hotel Jugoslavija (1969–2025) has further fuelled the debate, raising an urgent question for Serbia that is familiar to our own society: How does the country intend to deal with the legacy of the previous regime?
Rusiňáková has focused her lens primarily on housing estates as places full of life, where people from all social backgrounds meet and which have become an inseparable part of social life.
The exhibition will be opened by the photographer herself on Thursday at 18:00 and will run until the end of the festival.
Guide: Ema Rusiňáková – Balkan Studies student, amateur photographer
Thu. 1. 10. | 18:00 | Brno Architecture Gallery, Starobrněnská 341/18, Brno (entrance through Punkt café) | Estimated duration: 30 minutes
Author of photos:Ema Rusiňáková
