BORDER ECOLOGY
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This section of the installation talks about the concept of border ecology.
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Ecology is the scientific study of how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. It encompasses the examination of various patterns and relationships among both human and non-human entities. These interactions include those among individuals of the same species (conspecifics) as well as interactions between different species.
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I understand border ecology as a study of relationships that occurs within the borderlands, between the human and the environment, in the sense of flora and fauna of the borderlands, but also between the members of different communities that the border separates.
The space of borderland is not a blank card. Although often abandoned by human, it holds a rich tapestry of historical layers, human activities, and previous interactions. It is also a contact zone, a space where unique interactions occur between humans and non-human species. This makes it a space that can witness both colonisation and domination, control as well as serve as a platform for connection and exchange among divided communities.
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What interests me in this section is the relationship between nature and the traces of human presence/past. We tend to overlook​ the position of nature within the borderlands and its role in re-modeling environmental and historical palimpsest of borderlands.
Paradoxically, often borderlands allow nature to overrule the space.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic There existed a lush, velvety carpet adorned in shades of green, where the forces of nature were reclaiming their territory.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic Inquisitive green branches peer through the window, where a small balcony once provided a cozy spot for a morning coffee.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic Backing the walls.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic A small pine sapling is climbing up the hotel stairs.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic. The bobsleigh facilities constructed for the Winter Olympics in 1984 have gradually evolved into a lush groundcover, providing a hospitable environment for various species of moss to thrive.
Location: Trebevic The former craters caused by bullets or grenades, along with the now uninhabited trenches, have been transformed into thriving habitats for a diverse range of species and communities.
Location: IEBL - Trebevic The sniper position has now become a window for the expansive growth of branches.
Location: IEBL - The Vraca Memorial Park at Sarajevo Formerly a space for gatherings and leisure, symbol of 'brotherhood and unity', the area now features meticulously planned vegetation that functions as a pasture for local goats.
Location: IEBL Every neglected and forgotten crack in a structure can become a haven for new life to flourish.
