1999 (2014)
public space documentation/intervention
Metamorphosis/Belgrade
public space documentation/intervention
Metamorphosis/Belgrade
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. According to NATO, the operation sought to stop human rights abuses in Kosovo, and it was the first time that the organisation used military force without the approval of the UN Security Council.
The air strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999. The official NATO operation code name was Operation Allied Force; the United States called it Operation Noble Anvil, while in Yugoslavia the operation was incorrectly called "Merciful Angel" (Serbian Cyrillic: Милосрдни анђео), as a result of a misunderstanding or mistranslation.
The NATO bombing marked the second major combat operation in its history, following the 1995 NATO bombing campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 1999 bombings led to the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces from Kosovo and the establishment of UNMIK, a U.N. mission in Kosovo.
The bombing killed between 489 and 528 civilians, and destroyed bridges, industrial plants, public buildings, private businesses, as well as, barracks and military installations.
Wikipedia, NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
On April 2014 I visited Belgrade in order to identify and document possible material evidence of the 1999 NATO bombing operation.
These are the five sites inflicted by the 1999 NATO bombing I visited and documented on April 27, 2014, listed in the order visited:
Public space documentation/performance duration: 5 hours
Below are shown photographs documenting the public space documentation/intervention as well as the documentation samples that were drawn. A color code of four different colors was used to document the four sites were documentation samples were drawn.
1999 is part of Metamorphosis/Belgrade and the broader project Metamorphosis
These are the five sites inflicted by the 1999 NATO bombing I visited and documented on April 27, 2014, listed in the order visited:
- Usce Tower
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Radio Television Serbia Headquarter
- Federal Ministry of Defense
- Federal Ministry of Interior
Public space documentation/performance duration: 5 hours
Below are shown photographs documenting the public space documentation/intervention as well as the documentation samples that were drawn. A color code of four different colors was used to document the four sites were documentation samples were drawn.
1999 is part of Metamorphosis/Belgrade and the broader project Metamorphosis
1. Usce Tower
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THE SITE
Usce Tower was built in 1964 to serve as headquarters of the Central Committee of the League of Communists in the former Yugoslavia and was exclusively used for the Communist party. On April 21, 1999 NATO air strikes hit the Usce Tower, setting the upper floors on fire. Several days later NATO repeated the attack. In total 12 Tomahawk missiles were fired at the building. Reconstruction work started In early 2003 the reconstruction began and the reconstructed tower is now being rented out to tenants. Part of the present complex is Ušće Shopping Center that opened in April 2009 by Bill Gates on the south side of the tower. The mall has an area of 130,000 square metres (1,400,000 sq ft) on 6 levels, of which 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) is retail space, with 150 stores, restaurants and cafés. The shopping mall also has a multiplex cinema, a bowling alley and a casino. Subterranean levels house a 4,000 m2 hypermarket and two levels of parking. THE DOCUMENTATION No potential evidence of the 1999 bombing was identified on the seemingly completely reconstructed site therefore no documentation samples were drawn. |
Click on the thumbnails for full view
2. Museum of Contemporary Art
A front view of the Museum, closed due to reconstruction at the time of the visit
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THE SITE
The Museum was founded in 1958 aiming to collect, study and exhibit the works of modern Yugoslav art. Now the museum has a collection of more than 35,000 works of arts by Yugoslav artists: paintings and sculptures dating from 1900 up to the present day. On April 28th, when the Usce Business Center was bombed by NATO for the second time, the glazing of the Museum was blown off and and the Museum exhibits were damaged. The sculptures in the park surrounding the Museum sustained substantial damage too. THE DOCUMENTATION The museum was shut down for reconstruction at the time of the visit. The documentation captured a segment of the staircase in front of the building's entrance, and elements from the sculpture garden: Plaques with the inscriptions of artists' names and a broken glass surface. Color used for the documentation: Green |
Click on the thumbnails for full view
Click on the thumbnails for full view and description
3. Radio Television Serbia Headquarter
Drawing a documentation sample from an exposed interior wall of the ruins
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THE SITE The NATO bombing of the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters occurred on 23 April 1999. Sixteen employees of RTS died when a single NATO missile hit the building. Many were trapped for days, only communicating over mobile phones. The station returned to the air 24 hours later from a secret location. A new building has been built next to the bombed station while a monument was erected to all of those who have died in the attack. The monument overlooking the ruins asks "zashto" (‘why?‘), lists the names, profession and ages of the victims and has a photo of the ruins directly after the attack. THE DOCUMENTATION Documentation samples were drawn from segments of the exposed interior walls of the bombarded building of Radio Serbia headquarters. Color used for the documentation: Dark red |
Click on the thumbnails for full view
Click on the thumbnails for full view and description
4. Federal Ministry of Defense
View of the Federal Ministry of Defense building
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THE SITE
The building on the corner of Miloševa and Nemanjina streets, completed in 1963, is Belgrade’s most famous ruin: It is the work of Nikola Dobrovic who is considered Serbia’s most important modern architect although he built only one building in Belgrade towards the end of his career. The Federal Ministry of Defense twin giant front buildings were heavily damaged during NATO bombings on 7th May 1999 and are examples of precision bombing on Belgrade's Kneza Milosa Street. There is no plan of reconstruction of the building. THE DOCUMENTATION The Federal Ministry of Defense site was guarded and we were not allowed to enter. The documentation captured marks on the neighboring building identified as shrapnel marks. Color used for the documentation: Red 
View of the marks identified as shrapnel marks on the Ministry's neighboring building
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Click on the thumbnails for full view
Click on the thumbnails for full view and description
5. Federal Ministry of Interior
The sealed entrance of the Federal Ministry of Interior
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THE SITE
The Federal Ministry of Interior of Yugoslavia was bombed during the night of 7/8 May 1999, the same night the Embassy of China in Novi Beograd was hit. The building is on Kneza Milosa Street, a street heavily inflicted by the 1999 bombings. THE DOCUMENTATION The building was sealed with its covered facade indicating it was undergoing reconstruction. Documentation samples were drawn from the broken marble in front of its entrance. Color used for the documentation: Purple |
Click on the thumbnails for full view
Click on the thumbnails for full view and description
1999
public space documentation/intervention
5 hours
2014
public space documentation/intervention
5 hours
2014
IDENTIFYING THE DOCUMENTED SITES
The primary source for identifying the sites that were visited and documented was the online document NATO bombing trail in Belgrade. On the list of the sites accompanying the map below, those visited and documented are marked in bold.
The historical information included here about the sites was drawn from Wikipedia and the online document "NATO bombing trail in Belgrade".
The historical information included here about the sites was drawn from Wikipedia and the online document "NATO bombing trail in Belgrade".
Source: NATO bombing trail in Belgrade, online document
1. HOTEL JUGOSLAVIJA
2. USCE TOWER
3. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
4. AIRFORCE HEADQUARTER
5. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
6. AVALA TOWER NEAR BELGRADE
7. BUILDINGS AT KNEZA MILOSA
8. RADIO TELEVISION SERBIA HEADQUARTER
9. CHINESE EMBASSY
2. USCE TOWER
3. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
4. AIRFORCE HEADQUARTER
5. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
6. AVALA TOWER NEAR BELGRADE
7. BUILDINGS AT KNEZA MILOSA
8. RADIO TELEVISION SERBIA HEADQUARTER
9. CHINESE EMBASSY