SKOPJE, July 23, 2025 – A new public art installation in Skopje is using a powerful and physical metaphor to challenge citizens to confront the invisible barriers created by hate speech. The project, described as an act of creative activism, has placed a series of hurdles in a busy public space, turning a daily commute into an opportunity for reflection.
The installation, located in the city center from Komercijalna Bank to the small square at Porta Bunjakovec, features physical barriers that mimic athletic hurdles. These objects are intentionally placed to disrupt the normal flow of urban movement, forcing pedestrians to navigate around them. The goal is to draw a parallel between these literal obstacles and the metaphorical ones that hate speech creates in our communication, social, and emotional lives.
Each hurdle is inscribed with a message designed to provoke thought and direct action. Messages include: “Hate speech hinders normal communication,” “Hate speech blocks the truth,” and “Labeling blocks you?” The organizers hope that by physically interacting with these barriers, people will be compelled to question the problems and divisions that hate speech introduces into their communities.
This creative intervention transforms a common public area into a “field of confrontation,” where passersby become participants rather than just observers. The project aims to demonstrate that social problems can be addressed through the power of visual language and artistic interpretation. The organizers state that the fight against hate doesn’t have to begin in institutions; it can start in the places we move through every day, potentially triggering a wider institutional response.
The installation serves as a reminder that in our fast-paced urban lives, we are often unaware of how hate speech disrupts our shared spaces. By making this disruption tangible, the project hopes to spark a conversation about where hate speech leads us and whether it ultimately holds us back.
This initiative was prepared by the Contemporary Art Center – Skopje, as part of the Innovative Media’s “Diversity Network 2.0 – New Agenda” project.
