POINT Fun: XXkomikaze comic book exhibition at DKC Sarajevo

Ever since its first edition, the POINT Conference has tried to be a platform designed to support the development of the independent cultural scene. Therefore, this year, the youth led social-cultural space DKC will host an exhibition of the independent comics publication Komikaze, which marks its 20th anniversary. This event will represent another in a series of actions to support the opening of the cultural centre in Podgorica. The opening of the exhibition will take place on Thursday, June 15, starting at 20:30.

The XXkomikaze exhibition has been on tour since 2022. The exhibition started in Zagreb and so far it visited the following cities: Naples, Bari, Graz, Dubrovnik, Hvar and Zadar! It was created to mark the completion of the second decade and contains the covers of published Komikaze comic albums. The exhibition allows you to see the covers in XXL dimensions, but also browse through your favourites and take home our micro-editions.

An information desk with a travelling comic strip is an indispensable part of the lineup where you can listen to tête-à-tête Komikaze presentations and smell the fresh scent of the underground printed on paper.

The Komikaze network has about 400 authors and contains 6,000 pages of authored comics and illustrations, which come from about 60 countries. It can be found on https://komikaze.hr and webzines are published every four months. A selection of three webzines forms an album at the end of the year. It is printed in 500 copies with an average of 25 authors. This rhythm has been continuous since 2002, and the call for new authors is open. Everything tangible on paper is also on the net, along with info and links to authors and other great comics.

Exhibition will gather poster authors; Ivana Armanini,Mp Fikaris,Elevatorteeth,Radovan Popović,Ravic, Juliette Bensimon-Marchina, Ronald Reiska, Arnus Horribilis, Wostok, Miro Župa, Juraj Vranjić, Zsolt Vidak, Norihiro Sekitani, Ti-n-lalan, Seljak, Dalibor Barić, Vančo Rebac, Septik, Igor Hofbauer, Bruno Pogačnik, Kevin Barry, Damir Stojnić. 

At the opening of the exhibition, attendees will have a chance to meet Komikaze’s founder, Ivana Armanini. Her work is inseparable from activism and social context. She graduated from the School for applied art and design and the Academy of fine arts in Zagreb (mag. art; rector’s award). She is a member of the Croatian community of independent artists and had 10 solo exhibitions and 10 solo comic publications (albums, fanzines, art books, micro-editions)

This summer, an international network of autonomous socio-cultural centres will join forces and collectively help the local youth of Podgorica (Montenegro) in their efforts to create their own independent space. The idea for the international solidarity project started in 2015 when Belgium-based NGO ‘Toestand’ were invited to Kremenchuk (Ukraine) to help the locals to turn an abandoned building into an independent youth centre. The project continued and expanded every year and currently counts 130 volunteers coming from five countries (Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Belgium). As in previous years, local youth together with international volunteers will transform a neglected building into a non-commercial space of free expression and experimentation. The project aims to empower existing local initiatives and create an inclusive environment that welcomes various activities beneficial for the local community.

Social-cultural centre Sarajevo (DKC Sarajevo) is a socially engaged collective that revives and adapts public spaces through the promotion of countercultural practices and art. It is a self-organized informal group which operates on the principles of non-commercialism, solidarity and anti-fascism, insisting on reviving cultural spaces and returning public space to citizens. The centre serves as a meeting point of ideas based on the principle “from everyone, to everyone” where activities of wider social and cultural importance are held.

The POINT in-house DJ combination Skali & Sijah will be in charge of the entertainment after the opening of the exhibition.