The exhibition Backup – A0H1L9IMB4 by Nermina Trbonja, developed in collaboration with Quentin Fagart, Ksenija Hotić, and Ivan Hrkaš, formed part of an ongoing oral history project dedicated to documenting the experiences of non-Croat residents of Stolac who were detained in the camps of Koštana Bolnica, Gabela, Dretelj, and Heliodrom between 1993 and 1994.
Through recorded interviews, personal testimonies, and archival research, the project explored the fragile relationship between memory, trauma, testimony, and historical documentation. Over time, researcher Nermina Trbonja collected and preserved individual stories and memories, creating an archive shaped through listening, transcription, cataloguing, and long-term engagement with survivors and their experiences.
Presented at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo in April 2022, the exhibition reflected on the importance of oral history as a tool for preserving marginalized experiences and confronting silenced or insufficiently documented histories of war and detention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By bringing together testimony, research, and artistic presentation, Backup – A0H1L9IMB4 created space for reflection on memory, violence, and the ethical responsibility of preserving personal histories within post-conflict societies.
