M-I-T-R-O-?

The project is located in the northern part of the city of the same name: large arteries, communist artitecture, buildings «Mitteleuropa», peeling walls, ruined barracks housing refugees. Following the armed conflict of 1999, and the declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2008, the city was the subject of a political struggle between Serbs and Albanians. On both sides, tensions remain very strong: while in the South it is now considered Kosovar, the North side estimates to still be part of Serbia and refuses the authority of government in Pristina.
The walls of the city are the receptacle of all communitarian claims: Many graffiti proclaiming membership of northern Mitrovica to Serbia and opposition to foreign interference. In this part of Mitrovica, no neon signs. The street lighting is minimized. Devoid of cultural infrastructure, amputated ¾ of its territory and with a wild urban planning, the city offers an ideal playground for street art.
In this politically explosive context, five bright keywords (three in English, two in Serbian) followed by a «? «Have been installed on the walls of buildings. Days they are not visible, but appear only in the dark. Selected in collaboration with young people to be emblematic of their concerns, they will remain lit every night for three weeks. Insistent, but avoiding any provocation that could lead to violent movements, they ask passersby on their daily lives and aspirations in order to generate debate within the population.

The event is organised byl NGO «Aktiv Art Center» in Mitrovica (www.ngoaktiv.org) and suported by the Swiss Embassy in Pristina.
typographical board: Jérôme Bontron