The ‘Windows 99 – 20 Years Later’ exhibition was held in the Svilara Cultural Station last night. Numerous citizens of Novi Sad and people who respect work of Miloš Jovanović Hamer attended the exhibition.
Two decades ago, the 24th March was the first day of 78 days of bombing. In that period, when every type of communication broke down, when everything stopped and when the darkness came, the group of creative people continued to create. This is how the ‘Windows 99’ exhibition, as the strongest media and communication message about civil society and situation in cities, was created. The exhibition was the answer of group of artists led by Miloš Jovanović Hamer.
‘With this exhibition, visitors will have a chance to see 9 posters that are inspired by the signs of life during bombing. We dealt with advertising at that time, and all systems that worked broke down. In order to remain normal, we just had to do our job, and thus, instead advertising Coca Cola and Sony, we found the exit by advertising the life that continues despite bombing, through famous brands’, said Aleksandra Jovanović, creator of the exhibition.
Voja Žanetić and Vladimir Čeh, legends of advertising addressed the audience at the opening of the exhibition. They were talking enthusiastically about reactions of people to the ‘Windows 99’ exhibition and what it brought.
‘Miloš Jovanović is the epitome of creativity. He connected advertising and war. These are the posters that advertise war, and if some country is eager for war, as it is the case in some countries today, the posters can be used without any problems in order to convince people we need war. However, this is the exhibition for people who don’t like the war, who are against it, as Miloš Jovanović was’, said Voja Žanetić.
‘Using documentary photography, creative team of Miloš’s ‘hammer’ illustrated everyday life and slogans of popular campaigns of famous world brands in Novi Sad during the bombing. As the founder of the Advertising History Institute, I had to support the exhibition and I think this is my obligation. This is the opportunity to present what the life was like 20 years ago to young people in Novi Sad. I think we owe this to Miloš’, stressed Vladimir Čeh.
The ‘Windows 99’ exhibition of anti-war posters moved to more than 20 cities across the world 20 years ago – Banjaluka, Belgrade, San Diego, London, Budapest, Australia, New Zealand, San Francisco. The ‘Sony is Not a Game’ poster was one of the main posters of the inter-war exhibition in San Francisco.
The ‘Windows 99’ is one of the few cultural products in the region that manages to overcome the civilisation and cultural barriers.
