Sarajevo and The Trio Design Group

The graphic design group 'Trio' was founded in Bosnia's capital city Sarajevo in1985, producing work throughout Bosnia and the surrounding countries in a collaborative effort. The Trio group became an established design agency doing corporate work across Europe, as the Bosnia war broke out in 1992 the design group became trapped in Bosnia, within their personal practice they begun to campaign against the Seige of Sarajevo by the Serbian Military.

'War Studio' Photograph of The Trio, Bojan and Dalida Hadzihalilovic, Bosnia 1993. Scanned from Graphic Agitation, Liz McQuinston.

By using western cultural icons, the group reinterpreted adverts and symbols into ironic and dark humoured posters and postcards. The use of computers with very early versions of sketch and adobe photoshop enabled the manipulation of advertising campaigns and logos. A recurring theme throughout the work is the 1984 winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, referring ironically to the lack of international intervention and the need for dominance by the UN. Postcards were used because of the ease of transportation with the intention of sending them around the world to publicise the disaster. The works gained the Trio international recognition and became the face of the war. 

'Enjoy Sara-jevo' postcard, The Trio, during the Bosnia War 1993/94. Scanned from Graphic Agitation, Liz McQuinston.

Selection of postcards produced by The Trio, reworking cultural icons. Designed between 1993/94. Scanned from Graphic Agitation, Liz McQuinston.

Selection of postcards produced by The Trio, reworking cultural icons. Designed between 1993/94. Scanned from Graphic Agitation 2, Liz McQuinston.

Disunited Nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia 1993. Scanned from Graphic Agitation 2, Liz McQuinston.

Post Office, Trio, Bosnia 1993.

The relationship between graphic art and the political warfare in Sarajevo enabled the worldwide attention the war deserved. This evoked a greater, more appropriate, response from the United Nations in August 1995 as Nato launched airstrikes against the Serbian military. Graphic arts acted as the enabler, attempting to re-focus international intervention by using culturally relevant advertisements and specific western brands to stir a response from those in power.

The Trio group later developed in the internationally renowned design studio Fabrika working with some of the largest brands across the globe such as BMW and BIENNALE.

References

Graphic Agitation 2, Liz McQuinston, 2004.

http://bosniavolimte.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/trio-sarajevo-surrealism-art-at-its.html

http://www.fabrika.com/

https://backspace.com/notes/search.php?q=bosnia&n=0&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=submit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17617775