Women At Work - Under Construction

Maja Bajević studied at the Beaux Arts art school in Paris in the 1990s, while her home town Sarajevo was under siege. Her student life turned into exile, even though she was not legally a refugee. This experience is a vital source for Maja Bajević’s art. She worked for five days on the performance piece with five Bosnian women refugees. They embroidered traditional folklore patterns on the protective net outside the National Museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was being repaired after being damaged in the Yugoslavian wars. The work builds on a form of restoration; it was a way for the artist to recreate her city after the wounds caused by the conflicts. It also highlights crafts, a creative art that has not always been recognised by museums.