This is a large documentary-performative exhibition that will include 20 locations across Montenegro, symbolically in honor of this great jubilee. This project will present some of the most important archival documents, in a contemporary and striking way, to citizens outside of institutions, directly in public space.
Citizens will have the opportunity to see valuable documents from the funds of the State Archives of Montenegro, as well as selected materials from the archive and library department of the National Museum of Montenegro, the National Library "Đurđe Crnojević" and the Parliament of Montenegro in various formats, through billboards, panels and other forms of content. A special segment of the project will be performative events that will further revive history and bring it closer to the audience through artistic expression. The performances will be held on May 18 in Cetinje, on the balcony of the King Nikola's Castle, where a reading of selected segments from the Constitution of the Principality of Montenegro from 1905 and accompanying documents will be performed through interpretation. After that, a special performance will be held on May 19 in Bar, on the promenade and near the Port of Bar, marking an interactive meeting with citizens, while at the end of the project on May 20, a public reading of the Declaration of the Independent Republic of Montenegro from 2006 will be held on Independence Square in Podgorica.
The project "Archive in Public Space - Preserving the Archive, We Preserve Montenegro!" will bring archival materials closer to the general public and provide an opportunity to experience history directly, building a stronger connection between the past and contemporary identity, as well as a connection between citizens and the Archive as one of the most important institutions in the country. With this project, documents that testify to some of the key moments of Montenegrin history go beyond the framework of institutions and professional circles and become available to citizens in their everyday environment. Among them are extremely valuable historical records, primarily of a state-legal character, as well as other valuable documents, some of which are contextually linked to individual cities and parts of the country.
The author and project manager, Director of the State Archives of Montenegro Danilo Mrvaljević, emphasizes that this project opens a new chapter in the way archival materials are presented and experienced by the public.
"The State Archives of Montenegro is making a historic leap forward. For the first time, we are taking our most precious treasure out of the silence of the depot and bringing it to where it truly lives and belongs – among the citizens. Our vision is to transform the perception of the Archives, because the Archives is not just a silent guardian of valuable documents, but a living foundation of our identity and an indispensable guide to understanding contemporary society."
Marking two decades since the restoration of independence, we wanted to show the unbreakable continuity of Montenegrin statehood through authentic documents, which are a record of our existence. We want citizens not to observe this history from a distance, but to experience it directly, as an integral part of the space they share every day. This is not just an exhibition, but our invitation to meet again with our own roots where they are felt most strongly, and that is in the heart of our cities and in our shared memory," said Mrvaljević.
The State Archives of Montenegro invites all citizens to be part of this meeting, and to find all information about the project on social networks and the Archives website.
