Svi ga znaju kao "podeljeni grad mostova"- po kojima je dobio ime. Tačnije, saznali smo, ime dolazi od ljudi koji su sakupljali putarinu za prelazak preko mosta, oni su se zvali 'Mostari'. Ako je Mostar danas podeljen ali i povezan preko reke i mostova jedan od naših zadataka je postao da istražimo ko su današnji mostarski "Mostari" koji upravljaju vezom i podelom na dve strane grada.

Prvih par dana jaka kiša i vetar ometaju neposredno otvaranje kancelarije za vez pa smo ovu okolnost iskoristili za pripremanje materijala za rad, za istraživanje različitih enterijera, lokalnih barova i udruženja gde je društveni život premešten. Na ovoj listi su OKC Abrašević, Udruženje 'J.B. Tito', udruženje žena 'Zlatna jesen', lokalna kafana "Kamena", između ostalih.

Tkanina koju smo kupili bila je lokalno proizvedena od strane žena iz jednog bosanskog sela, kako nam je objasnila Janja, vlasnica tekstilne prodavnice "Vez". To je bila uska, grubo tkana, bela pamučna tkanina, sa dve bočne pruge crvene i plave boje, koja se obično koristi za kuhinjske krpe.

Ipak, loše vreme nije sprečilo protest koji se od marta svaki dan održava između 18 i 19 časova na Španskom trgu. Bili smo informisani da se pre nekoliko meseci na protestu sakupljalo nekoliko hiljada ljudi ali sada možemo da nađemo u najavljenom terminu samo nekoliko desetina ljudi pretežno starije dobi sa svojim zviždaljkama i trubama. Počeli smo da odlazimo tamo da pokušamo da shvatimo zašto se protest raspao i zašto nema više mlađih ljudi.

Naša kancelarija za vez otvorena je tokom dve nedelje u glavnoj pešačkoj ulici poznatijoj kao Lenjinovo šetalište. Svaki dan između 17 i 18 časova mi bi instalirati sto i stolice, vezli i razgovarali/diskutovali sa prolaznicima o lokalnim pitanjima. Naša pozicija je takođe bila interesantana jer bi 'kancelariju' postavljali upravo između grupe demonstranata i policajaca koji su čuvali protest. Na taj način smo mogli da se uključimo u razgovor sa obe suprotavljene grupe, kao i sa slučajnim prolaznicima.

Ostatak vremena smo provodili u istraživanju i radu na drugim mestima, tako da smo izvestili sa izborne skupštine Udruženja J. B. Tito, sa partizanskog spomenika, sada zaraslog u vegetaciju, posetili smo manifestaciju Dani trešnje, bili smo gosti Radija Mostar par puta.

Završne radove spajanja individualnih vezova u celinu uradili smo heklanjem uz veliku pomoć Fatime Omanović, vešte dame, koja nas je upoznala sa ovim tehnikom i tokom 3 dana ponudila nam gostoprimstvo u njenom domu.

Od sagovornika, inspiratora, kritičara i komentatora vredi pomenuti Mileta i Goran iz udruženja Tito, Vlatku, Marinu našu domacicu i organizatora, Zehru i druge žene sa protesta čija imena ne znamo, Mušicu, Gazda Jezdu, među mnogim, mnogim drugim.

Odlučili smo da finalnu prezentaciju tapiserije uradimo u Abraševiću iako je nedostajao naslov. Upravo smo ovaj skup hteli da iskoristimo u nameri da kroz javnu istragu i diskusiju nađemo najpodesniji naziv. Na finalnoj prezentaciju pridružila nam se lepa grupa ljudi različite dobi, ljudi smo se sreli i koji su na neki način bili uključeni tokom našeg boravka u Mostaru, sa svojim prijateljima i rođacima. Mnogo je novih i inspirativnih slogana i rima izašlo al konačnu pobedu odneo je Gazda Jezdin slogan 'Bio grad na Neretvi'. (Ko razume shvatiće)

Everybody knows it as a ‘divided city of bridges’ to which it also owes it’s name (‘most’-bridge). More precisely, we found out that the name comes from the people who were charging tolls for crossing the bridge, in south slavic languages called ‘mostari’. If Mostar is nowadays divided and connected by its river and bridges, one of our tasks became to explore who would be todays mostar’s ‘mostari’ who are managing connection and division of the two sides of the city.

First couple of days a heavy rain and wind impeded immediate opening of an embroidery office as it was planned so we used this circumstance to prepare materials for work and inspect diverse interiors, local bars and associations where social life had migrated. On this list, there is Youth Cultural Center Abrasevic, Association ‘J.B. Tito’, woman association ‘Zlatna Jesen’, local bar ‘Kamena’, among others. Fabric we purchased was locally manufactured by a woman from a Bosnian village, as we were explained by Janja, older woman, owner of a textile shop “Vez”. It was narrow roughly woven cotton fabric with 2 lateral stripes, coming in two colour variants red and blue, a cloth usually used for kitchen towels.

Nevertheless, bad weather did not stop the protests that since March are held every day between 6 and 7 at the Spanish square. We were informed that few months ago the protests were gathering couple of thousands, but now we could find in the announced hour on the Spanish square only a few dozens of predominantly people of older generation, with their whistles and trumpets. We started going there trying to understand, why the protest broke apart and why there was no more younger people. Several of the embroideries that were produced in this contexts converted into the arena for an “embroidered conversation” where layers of comments created a palimpsest, which is also a snapshot of the multiple perspectives currently inhabiting the city.

Our embroidery office was open during two weeks on the main pedestrian street, known as Lenjinovo setaliste. Every day between 17 and 18h we would instal a table and chairs there, working and talking with passers by, discussing local issues. Our position was also interesting as we would place our ‘office right between the protesters group and the policemen who were guarding the protests. In this way we could engage in conversation with both opposed groups, so as with less pronounced citizens.

The rest of the time we would spend exploring and working on different places of interest, so we reported from the general assembly of the J.B.Tito association, from the Partisan Monument now grown in vegetation, visited Days of Cherry Fair of local producers, were guests of Radio Mostar couple of times.

Finishing works of joining individual embroideries with crochet we did with a great help of Fatima Omanovic, a skilled lady, who instructed us in this labour and offered us hospitality of her home during 3 days.

Of our inspirators, interlocutors, critics and commentators it is worth mentioning Mile and Goran from Tito association, Vlatka, Marina our host and organizer, Zehra, Sedika and other women whose names we don’t know from the protest, Musica, Gazda Jezda, among many, many others.

We decided to do the final presentation of the tapestry although it was still missing the title. Precisely we wanted to use this gathering in order to find the most appropriate title through the public enquiry and discussion.  For the final presentation in Abrasevic joined a nice group of people of very diverse ages, people we met and in some way engaged with during our stay in Mostar, their friends and relatives. Lots of new and inspiring slogans, rhymes came out and finally the winning was Gazda Jezda’s ‘Biograd na Neretvi’. (who understand will realize)