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"Cities are symbols that carry meaning to the world. Sarajevo, rocked by years of civil war, has been characterized by a recent past that conjures strong emotions in its people and the global community. Alternating between hostility and fear, courage and hope, it feels like Sarajevo has always been "above the fold." Now, just over a decade after the end of the war, Sarajevo is trying to move beyond the headlines and reclaim its place among the cultural and creative capitals of Europe. To chart this new course a generation of young artists, architects, and designers are working under the shadow of history towards a reappraisal of their city... ...Skipping the highly charged or commercialized symbols of the city's past, Knezevic photographed her Sarajevo, the ordinary and the overlooked. In doing so she captured new icons that the designer hopes will come to represent a new set of everyday experiences. Next she turned these images of buildings, bridges, street furniture, public transportation, and everyday objects, into stylized vector files. "I've been collecting dingbat fonts for years," Knezevic noted. "I knew I wanted to design one of my own and this project seemed right." Once the font was complete, the designer's dingbats were printed and hung throughout the exhibition space, inviting visitors to experience her city or reconsider their own. ...Today the city is being rebuilt, it's recovering, and it's open to anyone who wants to live here," Knezevic is quick to remind people. "We've always been a multicultural community and we've always relied on the past. Now we're excited about the future. That's the real Sarajevo." |
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