Skenderija Through Young Eyes: Poster Exhibition at IUS

On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, the IUS Visual Arts and Visual Communications Design (VACD) study program organized an exhibition titled “KSC Skenderija – Part of the Historical Identity of the City of Sarajevo” at the IUS Art Gallery. The exhibition featured works by students attending the Graphic Design course taught by Associate Professor Branko Vekić, MFA.

Seventy students were given a brief to design a poster that represents the values of the Sports and Cultural Center Skenderija in Sarajevo—a brutalist megastructure that has been under consideration for demolition since 2018, to be replaced by a mixed-use development including office, commercial, and residential buildings. The students were first prepared by architectural history expert Assistant Professor Dr. Mejrema Zatrić-Šahović, after which they undertook a one-month independent research and design development process.

The prospects for preserving endangered modernist heritage heavily depend on broad public support and an understanding of modernism’s values. However, the number of people with lived experience of the modernist built environment is steadily decreasing. While the connection between welfare-state-sponsored collectivism and modernist brutalism may be naturally recognized by “baby boomers,” “zoomers” (members of Generation Z) may view it as a meaningful anachronism in the context of the neoliberal era.

The exhibition presents around 30 selected works, each integrating specific visual and textual messages, aiming to identify shared narratives and associations. It concludes that the overwhelming majority of the posters frame the Skenderija Center as a valuable collective resource and a rarity within an increasingly privatized urban landscape. The exhibition suggests that for upcoming generations, the affirmation of modernist heritage will likely become increasingly linked with critiques of neoliberal urban development.

The best works were awarded, and here are the winners: Suhejla Ibrišević – first place; Asja Ramusović – second place; and Vedad Šabeta – third place. Honorable mentions were given to Amra Bašić and Nejra Dizdarević.

The exhibition was a resounding success, both in terms of attendance and audience feedback. The participating young artists had the chance to engage with viewers and were rightfully proud of their work, as were the professors who led the project.

The exhibition will be on display until October 1, 2025.