The project addresses the negative effects of invasive plant species on cultural heritage sites, and specifically modernist monuments, in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The initial phase of the project included field research that was performed by Center for Energy, Environment and Resources (CENER21) during the vegetation season of 2020. The activities addressed identified problems and provided relevant information about the presence of invasive species in the area of selected memorials and neglected Yugoslavian monuments.
Invasive species have been observed on the locations of the selected memorials and neglected monuments and the surrounding area, such as Monument Oskar Dudić in Otes settlement in Sarajevo, The Partisan Memorial Cemetery in Mostar, Počitelj Fortress, Garavice Memorial, and Jewish Cemetery located in Bihać. The only location without invasive species was Memorial Park Garavice in Bihać due to the current maintained condition of the surrounding area.
The information has been gathered through both rapid field surveys and an up-to-date desk study. The main aim was to report about the current state of present invasive plants in the area of selected memorials and neglected Yugoslavian monuments. The methodology and results of the rapid field survey were provided and at the same time project area was evaluated for the likely presence of invasive species. Furthermore, the project will include a series of workshops with scientists and artists, new media outputs, and public events. The new media outputs will take the shape of photos, short films, and video art. The project is gathering a group of artists that work with conceptual art and animation and young researchers that have experience in the field of ecology with a special interest in invasive species. Young researchers are aiming to familiarize artists with the topic of invasive plants and their negative consequences. Ultimately artistic ideas will inform the general public purposefully to raise awareness about a neglected environmental issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By combining scientific studies on the irreversible effects of invasive plant species with artistic translations of the outcomes, the project will raise awareness on this issue and the irreversible environmental consequences it could have. The project is using the local context of the problem but distributing it globally. Devouring architecture is using concrete examples to inform a larger number of people and organizations with creative ways to distribute it and using the know-how and examples from artists abroad to make this topic more approachable mainly using out-of-the-box ideas.