The starting point for this project is an actual kiosk in Belgrade, Serbia, not far from where I grew up. The original kiosk was produced in the 1970s in former Yugoslavia and was state property during the socialist period. At that time, each residential area had a red kiosk where people could buy newspapers, hot dogs, and yogurt during their lunch break.
Today, more than 30 years later, some of these kiosks have survived numerous political changes, war, sanctions, and economic transitions. They are still standing, particularly in the countryside. Today they are privately owned, and a variety of domestic and Western products can be bought there. Originally made of iron, without water, toilets, or proper heating, they were never designed to last for decades and are now severely dilapidated. Nevertheless, the kiosks continue to serve their purpose, carrying traces of a period of transition and nostalgia for a different time.
The government is working to remove them and replace them with new kiosks owned by large corporations as part of the ongoing privatization process. The existing kiosks are often family-owned or run by a single person and frequently represent their primary source of income.
The red kiosk is a symbol of the utopian period in which it originated, while simultaneously becoming a symbol of nostalgia for that period and, ultimately, for an entire generation.
I visited the kiosk in Belgrade several times in 2009, spending time there observing and interacting with the employees. I documented the kiosk through photographs and filmed a short movie from behind the small front window used to serve customers. With the help of neighbours and family, I collected various products and empty packaging from the kiosk, which became part of the installation.
