The IN MEMORIAM/U SPOMEN project is a multi-dimensional design/arts project that is acting as a platform to demonstrate the practice-led design research outcomes of Antonia Jolic’s PhD. Several institutional and community stakeholders were invited to join the process of participation through the IN MEMORIAM/U SPOMEN project which was conducted in Croatia with the Homeland War Museum Dubrovnik.

The IN MEMORIAM/U SPOMEN project was designed and implemented during a two and a half year period, from May 2022 to November 2024. The objective was to verify if the proposed Memory Culture Participatory Design Framework proved to be effective in supporting the design process of a participatory project within the context of cultural memory. Through the framework’s application to the IN MEMORIAM/U SPOMEN project, it identified narratives and visions in order to investigate how cultural memory related to the Homeland War might be mediated, negotiated or challenged in Croatia. The field research conducted indicated a lack of awareness, limited knowledge and ability by Croatian cultural institutions in reaching out to community when dealing with cultural memory. The IN MEMORIAM/U SPOMEN project has sought to bridge the gap between top-down and bottom-up project initiatives in Croatia, whereby the community would play a more inclusive role in the institution’s goals regarding the representation and articulation of the Homeland War. The project was collaboratively developed between the Homeland War Museum Dubrovnik, its curatorial staff and myself as Researcher-in-Residence.

The outcome of the ‘live project’ can be seen on website https://www.inmemoriam-hr.net/, as well as Instagram @inmemoriam_hr and Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TonkaPussycat.