prof.dr.Ivo Josipović,
former president of Republic of Croatia
"I am honored because I am here with you and I came because I like what you are doing. This is the first time I am in your city and for me this is a special opportunity because the young people decided to do a project that carries a message of peace. There is no more important goal , not even for politicians, from building peace and friendship between peoples and countries"
Softic Adi
A word from the founder
Haven't we all asked ourselves at least once: "What was life like in the past?". We certainly did! The project "EX Files: Maglaj as we used to love it" is a tribute to the city and people of a time that is not so long behind us. A group of young enthusiasts gathered around the "Dictum Factum" Youth Association, which explores domestic and publicly available archives for exciting photos and stories in today's times of crisis and transition, sounds utopian, but it is nevertheless true. The original goal to collect a few exciting pictures for Facebook later grew into the fastest-growing interactive platform in the country with over 15,000 views per day, and the idea of a unique exhibition in an even more unique space was born. Some would say: "Pure populism!" but we, looking at life as it used to be, gain strength and inspiration to build a new, life. We are absolutely not ashamed of our ambition that the project "Ex files: Maglaj" remains a permanent bequest for generations to come and that the collection is supplemented every few years with an accompanying exhibition. Who knows, maybe the pictures that some new kids from the streets of Maglaj posted tonight on Facebook and Instagram will be historical in a few decades? It is a great honour to receive a piece of soul and intimacy from your fellow citizens, framed by a wistful look at photographs that sing songs about one's youth. Having the opportunity to combine that with the superb aesthetics of Milomir Kovačević Strašni, the expression of Minje Ramović, the incredible solutions of Vjekoslav Bojat and Fuad Čičkušić and to add the uniqueness of Eldar Emrić to all of this is a privilege. And just imagine, four out of five top and multiple award-winning artists are from Maglaj. Isn't that wealth? We leave the answer to you. How much sun was there, and how much rain did it rain over Maglaj? Many. In those rains, there were kids who are founding a photo club, helping to organize the European Basketball Championship for Women, swimming in the pool at Natron, students who are preparing all summer and waiting for the Student Summer to fall in love at the famous Friendship Evening and necessarily dress as beautiful as they can. It was the era of parents visiting the hotel for a matinée on Sundays. The time when a small group left with a smile in the early July morning and spent the whole summer playing in the most elite hotels of the Adriatic and accompanied one Davorin, Usnija, Josip Pejaković. We walked around the corse, drank Kokta, went to Trieste to get Levi's and worked on the economy and in Natron to earn money for the excursion. "There's nothing that hasn't been done!" one Maglajlija told us. The project "Ex files: The fog we loved!" does not aim at politicization and propaganda of the system in which it grew up, but is exclusively a tribute to love and patriotism, customs and subcultures of a time in order to evoke reconciliation. Any resemblance to the real Maglaj and the awakening of buried emotions is intentional.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Ex Files: Maglaj as we loved it was founded by a group of enthusiasts gathered around the Youth Association "Dictum Factum" Maglaj. The primary goal was to digitize photos of the daily life of the city and its people after the catastrophic flood that hit Maglaj in 2014. After the extremely high popularity on the social platform Facebook and the great response of the citizens, the exhibition team decided to organize the first and until then the largest exhibition of photographs of everyday life in a city in the Balkans in the period from 1922 to 1992 with the aim of bringing the socialist childhood closer to today's young people in Maglaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. of Herzegovina, and as it later turned out, of the entire region, promoting coexistence. The first exhibition was visited over 1,000 times in the old Mapex commercial warehouse, while the second was realized in an old bank in the very center of the city and attracted the attention of over 1,700 visitors and a record attendance of the third cycle in the Austrian Villa Bjanka with 1,850 visitors.
3000+
of collected and digitized photos and objects in the period 2016-2018
3500+
2.000000
1.
Visitors
Views and clicks on Facebook
Project of this type in the Balkans
100+
∞
Young volunteers
Positive vibrations
PARTNERS
FOUNDERS
EXCLUSIVE PARTNER
GOLD PARTNER
EXCLUSIVE PARTNER
GENERAL PARTNER
sponsors:
media partners:
"I must admit that I am extremely pleased with the fact that I received an invitation to this exhibition and found time to visit it. The moment I received the invitation, Maglaj emotions awoke in me. The very photo on the invitation, which shows Gradina, Kuršumlija, the bridge and kayak The Natron paper that was used says that there are very creative young people living in this city. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for that! I saw many faces today that meant something to Maglaj visiting the exhibition. I congratulate this young group and make myself available to be part of their next project!"
Miralem Galijašević
prime minister of Zenica-Doboj Canton
THE FIRST EXHIBITON
The first exhibition cycle realized in the abandoned cold storage of the socialist giant Mapex Maglaj. The cycle focused on growing up and the way of life in socialism. Guided by the parental motto: "In my time..." the exhibition team collected over 500 photos, digitized them, and presented 60 of the most interesting ones at the exhibition in addition to a digital room where over 200 photos were projected whose quality did not meet the printed form. Presented and preserved fashion combinations for evening outings from former important events such as Sunday matinee, Student summer and graduation parties. The general sponsors were the Government of ZDK, Unicredit Bank and Red Bull Bosnia and Herzegovina. The special guest was the frontman of the legendary Maglaj group from that period, "Osmijeh jutru" and the author of the anthem of the city of Maglaj, Ekrem Softić.
the second exhibition
The second exhibition was held in 2017 in the premises of Natronkomerc (SDK). The topic "Under the lead rain" dealt with the happy moments of growing up Magla children in the period from the war in 1992 to 1995. The guest of honor was the former president of the Republic of Croatia, Prof. dr. Ivo Josipović, who held a workshop with the most talented high school students on the topic of post-conflict transition and the future of young people in the region. The general sponsor was the Government of ZDK, "Madi" Tešanj and Sarajevo Brewery. As part of the exhibition cycle, a documentary film called "Under the lead rain" was produced, shot and shown about a happy childhood in wartime Maglaj, directed by Armin Mulamehić and Adi Softić.
Svečano otvaranje:
Villa Bjanca, Bosanska ulica
Nekad i
sad
u 20:00h
the Third exhibition
The third exhibition focused on exploring the "heroes" and "anti-heroes" of the socialist time by doing a now-and-then photo story. The goal was to connect people who no longer live in Maglaj and start student collaboration on reconciliation and art projects on social media. Special guests were the Venice Film Festival awarded actor Emir Hadžihafizbegović and Lepa Brena, formerly the most popular singer in Yugoslavia and best friend to Emir as a symbol of war not changing true emotions and friendships. The exhibition was held in the abandoned Austrian Villa Bjanka which itself has a turbulent history being firstly a residence for Austrian politicians whose one's daughter committed suicide in the house (a legend being transmitted to generations of citizens) and a prison during World War II. In 2018 it became home to the exhibition and panel discussion of regional youth about art connecting minds.
goals of the project
1
Digitization of the photographic archive that survived the floods.
2
Awakening the curiosity of young people to research local history and the parental slogan: "In my time..." with the aim of promoting coexistence and ethnic reconciliation.
3
Unique public presentation of collected materials, promotion of youth activism, culture, patriotism and pacifism.
"Inspired by nostalgia for those old and different times and driven by the desire to preserve the cultural history of their city and its inhabitants, twenty young people decided to preserve the past for future generations."
Vice.com
"Ex Files is not necessarily a regret for a time, in my perception it is purely a presentation of a more beautiful and exciting part of the history of Maglaj, which has always known how to live. Maglaj has always known what is urban and what should be passed on to young generations. I really believe that these young people to create a kind of renaissance in this city, to revive the culture and spread Maglaj and what is Maglaj in a positive sense, because we had too much of the negative."
Dr.spec. Sanja Ilhana Obralić-Učambarlić, executive board member of Dictum Factum (2017-2021)
where old meets new
The Ex Files Maglaj platform strives to combine experience and youth into a unique platform, offering young people the opportunity to meet top professionals from the world of art, marketing and business, and to gain first relevant experience and lessons in project management, cultural management and reconciliation.
"This is a project and exhibition about the (un)forgotten Maglaj."
Radio Free Europe
"A project that has attracted many notable names."
N1
"A project that arouses enthusiasm!"
Newspaper Oslobođenje
OUR TEAM
Amila Omersoftić
Head of protocol
Belma Hasanbašić
Workshop coordinator
Mirza Ramović
president of "Dictum
Factum"
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Adnan Šahman
Technical coordinator &
postproduction
Nadina Habibović
Partner relations
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Erna Pavlović
Marketing and sales
Namik Karajbić
Photograph
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Samir Herceg
Board member
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Jasmin Čaušević
Graphic design
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Mirela Gračić
Sales and volunteer
coordinator
Enida Bradarić
Co-foduner of the
platform
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Lejla Hadžić
Procol assistant
Belma Hasanbašić
Koordinator radionica
Harun Čaušić
Logistics
FROM THE FUND OF THE EXHIBITION
Remembering the Bohemian by M.K.Strašni
(Restaurant "Centar" 1989.)
Kids at school in 1970's
Ladies at the town bridge in 1920.
Natron workers go to the Workers' Sports Games in 1984
Details of the European Women's Basketball Championship (KEP) held in Maglaj in 1980
Bathing of the Božić family on the banks of the Bosna river under the fortress in 1918
One of Lepa Brena's first performances as a contestant of the Student Summer Festival '79
Swimming in the pool at the Natron factory in 1962
Restoran Centar 1980's-the place to be
The band Osmijeh jutru
Friendship evening of the Student Summer '90
Maglaj's Golden Gate
Competition of high school students at the old training ground
The Musaefendić family in the 1950s
Ladies evening at the river in 1950's
War prom night
Basketball in wartimes
Kids eating huamnitarin aid in 1993
Childrens war television in 1994
Love in times of grenades- Svjetlana and Sebastian '93
Children in the ruined bazaar in 1993
The arts professor on his first working day in 1953 and first time in town after 5 years of absence in 2018
The radio editor on his first and last day of work
Endless love of Enisa and Dimitrije, 1971-2018
Anja and the necklace, 1993-2018
Pre- and post-war friendships, 1971-2018
Bosniak pianist playing at the Catholic church, 1990-2018
WHAT'S NEXT?
- The launch of digital campaigns in 2019 and 2020
- Spreading the project to other communities (Kakanj, 2021)
- Lunching the regional Maglaj Spirit Weekend Festival in 2022 promoting arts and reconciliation
- 2023: Ex Files 4 within Maglaj Spirit Weekend-breaking the record for most presented private archives about reconciliation in a digital format
CONTACT US
UDRUŽENJE MLADIH "REČENO-UČINJENO" - "DICTUM FACTUM"
uLICA ILIJAsa SMAJLAGIĆA 31
MAGLAJ, 74 250
Bosna i hercegovina
Tel: +387 62 363 513
ugdf@outlook.com
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