12 Days in Serbia

This project was the first in Karlssonwilker's series of real-time design adventures (followed by South Africa and Jerusalem). Starting during the turmoil of the 1990s, Belgrade’s FIA Art Group, together with Publikum have commissioned and produced a special artist-designed calendar for the Serbian public as a way to offer a glimpse of hope and positivity.

Karlssonwilker was the first non-Serb contributors invited to this project. Rather than providing a standard calendar design in the safety of our studio, we wanted to put our feet on the Serbian ground and get an insight into the local culture. Our hope was to create an immersive project that would take place in real-time over the course of 12 days, with one piece of design produced every single day, resulting in a full calendar.

From our arrival at Nikola Tesla airport, being greeted by chanting children and a traditional dance group, we realized the importance of the project, which got our heart rate up and our adrenaline pumping. Daily trips included visits to various landmarks, as well as ongoing conversations, interviews, and visits with politicians, famous musicians, artists, and all kinds of young creatives. There were plenty of experiences with locals, and of course, food and drink, which all helped to inspire the twelve real-time-designed pieces.