Understanding City Growth _ Walking and Drawing Bežanija Village.
The accelerated growth of the city caused by a large population influx as a result of political and social changes in the last thirty years has led to major changes in the urban fabric of Belgrade. Citizens of the capital city often talk about the threatened identity of the city, problems in functioning, inadequate infrastructure, pollution. In contrast, there are unquestionable qualities, 7000 years of uninterrupted urban history, the position at the confluence of two large navigable rivers, the overlap of numerous cultural influences, but also countless demolitions and rebuilding as a consequence of life on the limes, turbulent history and war destruction that repeats itself every 40 -50 years. The urban identity of Belgrade is formed by buildings, objects and interspaces created in all historical periods. Cultivating the spirit of a place means recognizing and marking significant memory and material layers of the city.
What today makes Belgrade recognizable on the urban map of Europe is precisely the material testimony of a long continuity of existence through fragments of preserved traces and with the culmination of the inter-war and post-war period of modernism. We invited LINA fellows, young emerging creatives, to Belgrade to give an insight into the development potential of Belgrade from their perspective through various media. This year, the focus is on New Belgrade, more precisely the Bežanija settlement/village and opposed brutalist mega structure of Bežanije blocks 61, 62 and 63. This border territory in permanent transformation, at the meeting point of the rural environment and the structure of mega blocks, is a great challenge for urban planners and architects. The first part of the Understanding City Growth, as part of the 2024 LINA Architecture Programme, the residency period, was dedicated to the research, meetings and workshops. During their stay, LINA fellows, in addition to the opportunity to get to know each other and exchange experiences, achieved cooperation with representatives of various institutions and organizations, local residents and representatives of different generations. The later period, upon their return, was dedicated to analyzing and defining the proposal. The last one was the joint exhibition “Understanding City Growth” during the BINA 2024 festival, organized in the BINA pavilion. For the occasion of the exhibition all fellows gathered again in Belgrade to present their proposals that would contribute to improving the situation and quality of life in the neighborhood, preserving the identity of the place and transformations in accordance with the requirements of modern life and the needs of the residents.
Having in front of us the results of the work of all six LINA fellows teams, it can be concluded that by applying different methodologies, in a certain sense, they all came to similar conclusions. The first obvious fact is that even after almost half a century since the construction of the new housing blocks, there is a clear division between the old rural matrix of the village of Bežanija and these structures of Blocks 61-64. These very different, but very close residential areas largely function separately and without insight into the history of some and the specifics of others. The second conclusion is that since the creation of urban plans relating to the entire territory and since the construction of blocks, there have been significant changes in political and social system, lifestyle and standards and that it is necessary to rethink the situation on the ground and make certain changes that would contribute to the quality of life of citizens.The identity and order of the old matrix of the Vojvodina settlement Bežanija, as the oldest settlement on the territory of New Belgrade, is threatened, and the memory of the place is also suppressed. However, within the settlement itself there are oases of common life and self-organization of residents who are fighting for the survival of their community. It is precisely these values, in the opinion of LINA fellows, that should be preserved and for the purpose of which the community should be strengthened and support provided by the system, through local authorities and institutions for the protection of monuments, culture and education.
On the other hand, when analyzing the blocks created in the period of the 70s of the last century, and which are still being extended, LINA fellows conclude that despite the former planned construction, the passage of time, changes in lifestyle, but also often insufficient maintenance or inadequate use of space, clearly indicates the need to first of all rethink and adapt public spaces to new conditions, habits, but also to global phenomena such as climate change, which dictate different needs of residents. When studying the assigned territory, LINA fellows also recognize positive models of appropriation and spontaneous use of public space by citizens such as spaces for gathering and socializing, bocce ball court, etc.
All these insights, created during a short residential stay, once again confirm how useful exactly this kind of transdisciplinary analysis, contact with the local community and citizens are, as a preparation for further planning and corrections in order to improve the current situation on the ground. A discussion with local urban planners organized during the opening of the exhibition: Božana Lukić (Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure), Žaklina Gligorijević (Society of Female Architects) and Ana Graovac (New Planning Practice) confirmed this position and indicated the need for precisely this type of analysis and preliminary work that would largely contributed to the quality of urban plans but for which there is often no will due to financial, but also circumstances dictated by the market, investors demands and politics.
Collaboration with LINA fellow Maria Mendez (Spain)
Walking and Drawing Bežanija Village. Creating alternative images for the periphery of the city.
Bežanija Village is the oldest settlement still standing in New Belgrade. Its characteristic pitched-roof housing typology and urban structure edged by vineyards is today found cornered between the plateau and the high concrete residential towers of the brutalist era. Bežanija Village is unique; it holds landscape, heritage, and social value that deserves to be preserved amidst the rapid urban development: so much so that there is already a local citizen association in charge of keeping alive the memory of Old Bežanija.
“When BINA proposed me to work in this area of the city, I was surprised to hear that it was under threat: my perception when visiting it was that not only that it has, like many historical places, a unique charm and significance and a peaceful atmosphere: it also generates an interesting contrast and remarkable variety in the urban landscape coexisting with the brutalist towers, very different in scale and in proportions. In a time where all cities are becoming more and more alike, I am convinced of the value and importance of working for its preservation amidst the rapid urban development.In my practice, I seek to explore peripheral or contested spaces using subjective and experiential practices like drawing and walking. My research aims for a sensitive and immersive approach to studying and engaging with these peripheral areas, challenging conventional perspectives. The focus is on paying attention to the places as they are and giving voice to their unique identities and stories, questioning the predefined narratives that have been created elsewhere.” (Excerpt from the text in 19. BINA catalog by Maria Mendez)
In the framework of her workshops in which she included a large number of participants: school-aged children, students and local residents, Maria Mendez applied a specific methodology: drawing and walking. Participants established an intimate connection with the environment, capturing their subjective experiences through artistic expression. Participants established an intimate connection with the environment, capturing their subjective experiences through artistic expression, and doing it collectively enabled them to share their insights and deepen their way of looking through the perspectives of others. By fostering a deeper connection with the space, it contributed to the ability of participants to be aware of the necessity and advocate for more responsive and empathetic urban practices that respect the realities and needs of peripheral territories and communities like this one.
“Lastly, all of this leads us to reflect on what images and iconography are used to showcase our territories and with what objectives (solely touristic or economic? how does it affect at a local level?), in what contexts (only in the city center? only for tourists?), and by whom they are chosen and produced. How can we take ownership of the images that are shared of the places we inhabit? Can the practice of drawing be useful for making these images closer to our daily experience of the territory, more our own? Building upon these questions, the project outcome will work with the language of the touristic object (souvenir): postcards, t-shirts, tote-bags… Based on the drawings made in the collective encounters, an alternative version of these elements (our own merchandising!) will be made for Bežanija Village, in order to restore its value in a symbolic way to its inhabitants and the rest of the city.” (Excerpt from the text in 19. BINA
catalog by Maria Mendez)
