Abandonded Yugoslavia-Era Monuments Look As If They Were Taken From The Future Past

Socialist-era monuments dot the countryside of the lands that once made up Yugoslavia, many of them World War II and concentration camp memorials.  The majority of the the monuments were commissioned by then president Josip Broz Tito during the 1960′s and 70′s. Photographer Jan Kempenaers toured the countries that once made up Yugoslavia to document the monuments in this series of photographs. With the fall of socialism and the disintegration of Yugoslavia, the monuments were largely abandoned. The monuments’ neglect is apparent and contrasts severely against their futuristic aesthetic.

The grouping of monuments have not only been abandoned by visitors but also their meaning and symbolism.  They ask serious questions regarding the nature of monuments in the sculptural tradition.  What is a memorial when it no longer memorializes anything?