Remembering the Victims: The Sarajevo Red Line Memorial and the Trauma Art Paradox

Abstract

The Sarajevo Red Line venerates the dead through both a physical memorial and performance. The artistic choices made by Haris Pašovic in creating the temporary memorial provide a way for both survivors and the world at large to unite in empathy, trying to come to terms with the tragedy, and assured that those who were forced to give the ultimate sacrifice would be remembered. The use of multiple mediums enhances the ability of an audience to connect, thus giving people an opportunity to relate to the tragedy whether it directly affected them or not. The seeming paradox inherent in the term trauma art is made more dramatic in memorials, but especially so in the Sarajevo Red Line. The overall idea of the Sarajevo Red Line is to commemorate the thousands of people (both adults and children) who lost their lives in the siege of Sarajevo that continued for nearly four years. That particular battle was bloody and tragic, yet the memorial itself is beautiful in both its simplicity and its complexity.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n9p449