Centre for Civic Education (CCE), M90 Foundation, and Cultural Front from Serbia, in cooperation with the Cultural Centre of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, will open the exhibition “The 1990s: From Dissent to Resistance” on Monday, 6 October 2025, at noon, at the Gallery of the Cultural Centre (Dvorski trg 1).
This exhibition recalls often forgotten but powerful examples of civic courage – individuals and groups who, even in the darkest of times, chose peace, solidarity, and human dignity over fear, propaganda, and division. Through documents, photographs, and testimonies, it offers a different view of the 1990s, highlighting acts of resistance, aid, and hope that continue to inspire today and point to the foundation for building better societies.
Through this exhibition, the authors Igor Štiks, Dubravka Stojanović and Dejan Ubović send a message that the struggle is not over – by giving voice to the heroes, anti-war movements, and independent media of that era, it continues through memory and remembrance. By remembering these people, we also remind ourselves that a society is not defined only by what happened to it, but also by what it chose not to allow to happen.
The exhibition “The 1990s: From Dissent to Resistance” is not only about the past, but also about universal values that are equally important today – empathy, courage, and truth. Each photograph, each name, and each story in this exhibition testifies to the strength of individuals who, in times of revisionism and denial, chose truth and resistance.
Six thematic sections depict resistance through independent and anti-war media, art, protests, and civic initiatives, but also through small, everyday acts of solidarity. A special place is dedicated to independent and anti-war media, artistic performances, and civic actions that exposed propaganda and fought against authoritarianism. The Wall of Heroes honours people such as Srđan Aleksić, Admiral Vladimir Barović, Goran Čengić, General Vladimir Trifunović, and others, while a particularly emotional segment, Goranka’s Niche, pays tribute to photographer Goranka Matić.
The exhibition “The 1990s: From Dissent to Resistance” will be open to the public in Cetinje until 25 October 2025, on weekdays from 9:00 to 19:00 and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 17:00.
This exhibition stems from the initiative “Museum of the Nineties”, which has already been presented in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica, and Budva, and in June 2025, the permanent installation “Labyrinth of the Nineties” was opened in Belgrade. The exhibition is organized by Cultural Front, Foundation M90, and CCE, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands through the MATRA programme, as well as the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB) and the Shared Horizons project, funded by the Republic of France and implemented by Expertise France / Groupe AFD. The content of this exhibition is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the donors.
Maja Marinović, Programme Associate