Tourist city

2007 Public space intervention, Novi Sad – Serbia

With the changes in power across the Balkans, political shifts often brought frequent and significant changes for communities that did not share the nationality of the ruling politics. This action of mine took place during my residency in Novi Sad (Vojvodina), Serbia, at a time when the city was led by a radical political force. This administration even changed the names of the streets, displaying them exclusively in Cyrillic and adjusting them to reflect their radical ideology. The new street signs were accessible only to a portion of the city’s population, disregarding its diverse community.

Previously, the street names, like many aspects of public life, were displayed in two, and in some cases, three languages, reflecting the city’s multi-ethnicity rather than radicalism. The paradox of this situation lies in the fact that these radical leaders came to power in a city known for its diversity.

In response, I undertook an action in the city’s main streets, converting the street names into Latin script to make them accessible to everyone, including those who did not understand Cyrillic. This also aimed to improve navigation for tourists visiting the city. I placed the Latin-script street nameplates in several key locations. However, within hours of my intervention, some of the signs were removed or damaged, demonstrating the tensions underlying the city’s identity and governance.