What has “Dalmatinka” given us?
Self-initiated project
exhibition, catalogue, 2017.
Publisher:
Sikirica Gallery, Sinj
Editors:
Jelena Pavlinušić, Dragana Modrić, Nikola Križanac
Since its opening in 1951 until the beginning of the 1990s, Dalmatinka spinning mill was the base of economic and industrial life in the city of Sinj, located in Dalmatia hinterland in Croatia. Since it was built, it has been recognized as an excellent example of industrial architecture and gained respect within textile production throughout Europe and world. Breakup of Yugoslavia affected the factory with the loss of its market, and during th etransition processes, privatization and bankruptcy, the factory reduced employees and increased losses, which led to its final closure in 2009.
Although older generations still remember those times, younger generations are unfamiliar with it, and without any remembrance, it was on the path to oblivion. Wanting to preserve the memory on the Dalmatinka factory, the project entitled “Industrial heritage and memory culture on the example of the Dalmatian factory – Sinj”, started to collect the documents and photographies mostly from private archives of the former workers, because official factory archive was destroyed and lost trough time. So most important historical facts, that are associated with the factory itself, are preserved in the memories of its former workers only.
* Exhibition photos by Duška Boban