KRAK presents Svi Žele Pogled by Alban Muja

Artist talk: November 19, 7–8:30pm, Irfan Hošić in conversation with Alban Muja, Jonathan Blackwood and Sabina Šabić

Svi žele pogled (Everyone Wants a View) by artist Alban Muja is an intervention in the urban tissue of Bihać that impacts the collective awareness of its residents and is strongly related to the fight for a greener environment and a more sustainable future. Muja’s idea, conceived as a permanent sculpture in public space, is an engaging reminder of the exclusivity of the view, as well as the ownership of the Una River, at a time when nature and natural attractions are being mass commodified. Recognizing that the view is frequently associated with property, the artist radicalizes his knowledge by emblazoning the statement “everyone wants a view” on the Hatinac skyscraper, thus complicating the old but always contemporary subject of privatization of the Una River banks.

The message is Everyone wants a view, or Svi žele pogled, is a collective, solidary exclamation that all citizens have the right to the Una River, access to its banks, and an unhindered view of the river flow. Such a cry has become necessary as a result of haphazard construction, heedless tourism, and enraged provincial invasion of the protected riverbed. At the same time, it is a plea to raise awareness of coexistence with other organisms against whom man commits aggression by increasing his dwelling area while neglecting the laws of balance, harmony, and respect between different species.

The installation of Muja’s artwork as the prominent emblem of the city’s vision on the roof of a residential tower is the start of a critical debate on climate change and the direct politicization of public space. Citizens are invited to action and responsibility in the relationship between art, ecology, and public space through this intervention.

The public discussion, which includes artist Alban Muja, art historian Jonathan Blackwood, and activist Sabina Šabić, aims to initiate a dialogue on the aforementioned topics and to gain new and old knowledge about the importance of a healthy environment through the participation of experts, activists, and citizens.

The work was created as part of the Creative Ecologies project, which intends to install permanent sculptures in Biha’s urban tissue between 2022 and 2023 that thematically and ideologically allude to environmental threats on a local and global scale. This collaboration includes four other artists in addition to Alban Muja: Molly Haslund, Scott Hocking, Šejla Kamerić, and Ina Weise.

Alban Muja’s exhibit Svi žele pogled was preceded by the artist’s study stay in Bihać in November 2021. Following the introduction of the initial concept in early 2022, conversation with the skyscraper’s tenants’ association began, with both formal and informal discussions taking place. A public presentation of the creative concept was held in March 2022, and plans for its realization were devised. Finally, the sculpture was installed as a permanent artistic intervention in June 2022, with Velaga Beganović providing technical support and skillful performance on the field.

The KRAK Center for Contemporary Culture is implementing the project, which is curated by Irfan Hošić; project collaborators include the City Administration of Bihać and the Government of the Una-Sana Canton. The Open Society Foundation Bosnia and Herzegovina provided funding for the project’s implementation. The Spatial Planning Institute in Bihać, the Tourist Board of the City of Bihać, and the Local Community Hatinac offered administrative assistance in the project’s implementation. The British Council is sponsoring the round table discussion.

Curator: Irfan Hošić