Kempenears Tour

Take a look at a few of the featured designs that were initially put together as part of a long string of striking architectural works of art commissioned by the late Yugoslavian president Jospi Broz Tito all constructed to commemorate the areas in which WWII battles were fought and concentration camps once stood. Put together and competed by an array of artists and sculptors, these stunning and somewhat visually demanding concrete displays project as large scaled sculptural works of arts all seemingly emphasized by an even more stunning backdrop created by nature. Built throughout the 1960s and 70s, each piece was designed to reflect the strength and power of the Socialist Republic. During the early 1990s, they were heavily sought after and attracted millions of viewers and visitors every year, but after the Republic dissolved, they became elements that are today seemingly lost, abandoned and forgotten.

“From 2006 to 2009, Kempenaers toured around the ex-Yugoslavia region (now Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc.) with the help of a 1975 map of memorials, bringing before our eyes a series of melancholy yet striking images. His photos raise a question: can these former monuments continue to exist as pure sculptures? On one hand, their physical dilapidated condition and institutional neglect reflect a more general social historical fracturing. And on the other hand, they are still of stunning beauty without any symbolic significances.” - CrackTwo