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Relics From An Alien Civilizati
In Yugoslavia ?
Belgian photographer Jan Kempenaers treats them purely as artistic objects in his book, Spomenik, named for the Serb-Croat word for monument.
Known for photographing geographical oddities, Kempenaers was captivated by the spomenik after seeing them in an art encyclopedia. After hearing that many had been destroyed or abandoned, he set out to record what was left.
Thousands of the monuments were commissioned by dictator Josip Tito to commemorate the resistance against Axis invaders during World War II. The abstract style stood in contrast to socialist realism and also served a political purpose.
"Tito couldn't erect figures or busts in honour of generals because he didn't want to be seen to be favouring any ethnic group, for example a Bosnian general or a Serb war hero, so instead they made these things that didn't refer to people," Kempenaers told The Guardian.
Although the monuments, made of reinforced concrete, steel, and granite, used to be tourist attractions, they have receded into obscurity since the fall of the Soviet Union and the Yugoslav Wars. When Kempenaers told locals what he was photographing, he says they thought he was crazy.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The monument of
Ilirska Bistrica was designed by Janez
Lenassi and built in 1965. It is
dedicated to Slovenian soldiers that
fell in World War II.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The Petrova Gora
monument was designed by Vojin Bakić
and built in 1982. It was dedicated to
the people of Kordun and Banija who
died during World War II. It was
dismantled in 2011.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The Susanjar Memorial
Complex in Bosnia and Herzegovina was
created in remembrance of the
thousands killed by Germans during the
Orthodox festival of Ilindan in 1941.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The Kruševo
Makedonium monument in Macedonia was
dedicated to the Ilinden Uprising of
1903, when the Macedonian population
revolted against the Ottoman Empire.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
Built in 1963, this
monument in Niš, Serbia commemorates
the 10,000 people from the area that
were killed during World War II. The
three clenched fists are the work of
sculptor Ivan Sabolić.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
This monument is
dedicated to the soldiers who freed
the city of Knin, Croatia from the
fascists during World War II.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
This monument,
authored by sculptor Miodrag Živković,
commemorates the Battle of Sutjeska,
one of the bloodiest battles of World
War II in the former Yugoslavia.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
This one in Košute,
Croatia is dedicated to those that
died in World War II and the Croatian
War of Independence.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The Kadinjača
Memorial Complex commemorates those
who died during the Battle of
Kadinjača.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
Built in 1949, this
one was designed by Vojin Bakić and is
dedicated to the fallen fighters of
the Yugoslav front.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
This sculpture was
built in 1973 and designed by Bogdan
Bogdanovic. It is dedicated to the
long mining tradition in Kosovo.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
The Kosmaj monument
in Serbia is dedicated to soldiers of
the Kosmaj Partisan detachment from
World War II.
© Jan Kempenaers
(School of Arts Ghent)
This monument is in
Korenica, on the border of Croatia and
Bosnia. It commemorates Yugoslavia's
victory in World War II. It has
reportedly since been torn down.
The monument of Ilirska Bistrica was designed by Janez Lenassi and built in 1965. It is dedicated to Slovenian soldiers that fell in World War II.
The Petrova Gora monument was designed by Vojin Bakić and built in 1982. It was dedicated to the people of Kordun and Banija who died during World War II. It was dismantled in 2011.
The Susanjar Memorial Complex in Bosnia and Herzegovina was created in remembrance of the thousands killed by Germans during the Orthodox festival of Ilindan in 1941.
The Kruševo Makedonium monument in Macedonia was dedicated to the Ilinden Uprising of 1903, when the Macedonian population revolted against the Ottoman Empire.
Built in 1963, this monument in Niš, Serbia commemorates the 10,000 people from the area that were killed during World War II. The three clenched fists are the work of sculptor Ivan Sabolić.
This monument is dedicated to the soldiers who freed the city of Knin, Croatia from the fascists during World War II.
This monument, authored by sculptor Miodrag Živković, commemorates the Battle of Sutjeska, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II in the former Yugoslavia.
This one in Košute, Croatia is dedicated to those that died in World War II and the Croatian War of Independence.
The Kadinjača Memorial Complex commemorates those who died during the Battle of Kadinjača.
Built in 1949, this one was designed by Vojin Bakić and is dedicated to the fallen fighters of the Yugoslav front.
This sculpture was built in 1973 and designed by Bogdan Bogdanovic. It is dedicated to the long mining tradition in Kosovo.
The Kosmaj monument in Serbia is dedicated to soldiers of the Kosmaj Partisan detachment from World War II.
This monument is in Korenica, on the border of Croatia and Bosnia. It commemorates Yugoslavia's victory in World War II. It has reportedly since been torn down.
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