The “TOUR” project combines storytelling, theater performance and historical reconstruction, in which Šeparović, using the space of the hospital as real-life scenography, guides the audience through a concrete labyrinth of operating rooms, fallout shelters, patient rooms, and onto the building’s roof. Visitors wade through the “mud” of unfinished dreams and the transition period, discovering stories and testimonies that shape this monumental structure. This journey through the concrete 222,000-square-meter labyrinth not only brings the hospital’s history to life but also questions broader social themes including social responsibility and civilizational progress.
“TOUR” also includes encounters with those who witnessed this history, among them engineer Rikard Stopfer, who provide insight into the technical and historical aspects of the hospital, as well as Dr. Aleksandar Džakula, a healthcare expert, who looks at the health system and the political resistance against the construction of the hospital. The performance is also permeated with elements of contemporary art, including interactions with artists such as Konrad Mulvaj, a drone pilot, and Marin Smoljanić, a graffiti artist, who add layers and color to the abandoned space with their work.
The tour ends with a climb to the roof of the unfinished hospital, where participants enjoy a spectacular view of the Sava River and the growing city. Architecture expert Dafne Berc joins the group. From this vantage point, participants consider the future of the monumental building, discussing the possibilities for its completion, conversion, demolition or even its preservation as a monument or a museum of utopia. The roof is also where Kristina Marić gives a special performance of the epic “The Building of Skadar,” symbolically linking the past and the present of this monumental project. Through this interaction between the past and the present, the performance explores and questions missed opportunities and social challenges.
The “TOUR” project offers visitors a unique experience well beyond an ordinary walk, combining education and emotion into a unique whole. This project is a journey through historical, architectural and human layers, reflecting the richness and complexity of urban life and the transition period. The project is not only a walk through a time capsule but also a deep reflection on the transition, changes and unfinished dreams.
