ABOUT THE CENTRE

 

Mission

The mission of the Centre for Microhistory and Cultural Topography is dedicated to the research, documentation, and interpretation of everyday life, memory, and identity of local and regional communities through interdisciplinary, artistic, and participatory practices. Through the integration of microhistory, cultural geography, and contemporary art, the Centre explores how personal and collective narratives are inscribed into the spaces, landscapes, and cultural layers of the community.

The mission of the Centre is to:

• encourage the critical reading of space and society through small-scale stories and local narratives,
• develop innovative methodologies of microhistorical, topographic, and artistic research,
• promote interdisciplinary dialogue between science and art,
• engage communities in the co-creation of knowledge and cultural interpretation,
• shape spaces of public memory, creative reflection, and heritage awareness.

The Centre operates as a laboratory of knowledge, space, and expression, connecting the academic community, artists, and citizens in a shared exploration of the identities of space, people, and time.

 

Vision

The vision of the Centre for Microhistory and Cultural Topography is to become a leading interdisciplinary and artistic hub for the study of local identities, memory, and space, recognized for its innovative approaches that integrate scholarly analysis, artistic interpretation, and social engagement.

The vision of the Centre is to:

• shape living archives of places, voices, and traces of the past,
• develop new forms of public history through artistic and research practices,
• serve as a platform for dialogue between microhistory, art, and the community,
• create conditions for creative, ethically informed, and socially responsible interpretation of heritage,
• inspire social change through a critical understanding of local contexts.

At the heart of the Centre’s vision lies the belief that art and microhistory together open a space for a deeper understanding of reality – both the visible and the suppressed, the spatial and the emotional.

Objectives

The objectives of the Centre are to:

• develop and promote microhistorical research of local and regional communities, with a focus on everyday life, personal narratives, oral history, and informal heritage,
• document and interpret the cultural topography of space—the ways in which community identities and memory are inscribed into places and landscapes,
• integrate artistic practices into the processes of research and public interpretation of microhistorical and topographic themes, creating space for creative expression, dialogue, and social sensitivity,
• foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches by connecting history, anthropology, archival studies, visual arts, performance, design, digital tools, and cultural studies,
• engage communities in the processes of documenting, interpreting, and artistically exploring local stories and spaces,
• contribute to the public understanding of heritage and identity through education, art, scholarship, and engaged cultural programmes,
• establish networks with relevant institutions and stakeholders at the local, national, and international levels.

 

STAFF

 

Prof. Jasna Šulentić Begić, PhD

Associate Prof. Amir Begić, PhD

Associate Prof. Hrvoje Mesić, PhD

Ivana Pušić, Assistant

Tin Užar, Assistant (Title-holding)

Alta Pavin Banović, Senior Lecturer (Title-holding)

Marina Vinaj, PhD, Museum of Slavonia, Osijek

Dražen Kušen, PhD, State Archives in Osijek

Prof. Marijana Tomić, PhD, Department of Information Sciences and Technologies, University of Zadar

 

PROJECTS

 

Research and Documentation

• Microhistorical field research and ethnographic work
• Mapping cultural and emotional topographies
• Digital archiving of personal collections, photographs, records, and testimonies

 

Artistic and Intermedial Programmes

• Production of artistic installations, performances, exhibitions, and films inspired by local materials
• Artistic-research projects (e.g. artist-in-residence programmes focused on place, memory, and identity)
• Collaborations between artists, researchers, and the community
• Open calls for artistic interventions in public space

 

Education and Dissemination

• Creative and research workshops for pupils, students, and the wider public
• Public lectures, round tables, symposia, and interdisciplinary schools
• Mentorship programmes for emerging researchers and artists

 

Publications and Digital Presence

• Publication of edited volumes, portfolios, artists’ books, and micro-narrative notebooks
• Production of documentary and experimental films, audiovisual maps, and digital storytelling projects
• Development of an online platform for sharing microhistories and artistic responses

 

Collaboration and Public Engagement

• Partnerships with cultural institutions, civil society organisations, and communities
• Engagement of citizens in shaping and co-creating content
• Organisation of cultural and artistic events and festivals dedicated to local memory

 

CONTACT

 

Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek
Trg sv. Trojstva 3, 2nd floor, Office 33
CENTRE FOR MICROHISTORY AND CULTURAL TOPOGRAPHY

 

Head of the Centre:
Associate Prof. Hrvoje Mesić, PhD

hrvoje.mesic35@gmail.com

 

Office Hours:
Mondays from 18:00 to 19:00