Ephemeral land

The historical context of the Western Balkans, long subject to imperial domination, has resulted in a marginalised neighbour of the European Union. This historical legacy, compounded by institutional neglect at both global and regional perceptions, has further entrenched its peripheral status. The countries of the peninsula are intricately interconnected, yet rather than a shared identity, they manifest a distinctive sociocultural diversity, largely attributable to their divergent geopolitical relations. As a result, studying the Balkans requires new perspectives, transcending conventional frameworks based on national identities.

The dissertation examines the transformation of railway infrastructure through the lenses of post- and decolonial theory, with the focus on borders and boundaries and narratives of domination and peripherality. It explores the global interconnections in the Balkans, using railway development as an example to study cross-border processes and their social construction. The railway serves as a lens to examine the perception of space, with imperial transport networks being reproduced in contemporary geopolitics, particularly in underrepresented, peripheral areas. These dynamics require a holistic, territorial view over time.

The primary objective is to establish a cartographic language for reading and visualizing a given territory by mixed methods in multiple scales and artistic practices. The morphological analysis, informed by historical maps and scientific research, is complemented by the integration of narratives sourced from regional authors and foreign travellers. This approach enables the introduction of an additional (subjective) dimension, namely the collective memory that unveils the tensions between formal planning strategies and the actual lived space. Thus, the chosen approach challenges the prevailing representation of Southeast Europe, with the objective of counter-mapping its historical socio-political territories and thereby facilitating a reimagining of its future.