What War Materiel May Become: Retracing the Biographical Trajectories of Three Cluster Munitions
Jean-Philippe Miller-Tremblay
Studienzentrums zur Kunst der Moderne und Gegenwart of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte28.4.2026, 16:00
Library of the Center for Urban History
The use of cluster munitions in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has raised a number of issues. One of them is the "lives" of the munitions themselves after they are fired. In his research, Jean-Philippe is studying the trajectories of three rockets that used to carry submunitions, from the moment they were fired to their journey as spent weapons and more.
One was transformed into a coatrack to be sold as interior decoration. Another became a musical instrument played during concerts and operas. And the third one was collected and stored in the prospect of being recycled in the future.
During the Urban Seminar the researcher will look at these trajectories from three angles: memorial, evidential and aesthetic; and will explore these three dimensions of their existence.
He is a research associate at the Studienzentrums zur Kunst der Moderne und Gegenwart of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (ZIKG) in Munich and a lecturer at the Institut catholique de Paris (ICP). Since 2025, he has been documenting the life paths of artifacts created in Ukraine from weapons produced since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. During his residency at the Center for Urban History, he intends to pursue his ongoing research by documenting the stories behind such objects made in the region. 
Jean-Philippe Miller-Tremblay
Studienzentrums zur Kunst der Moderne und Gegenwart of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte
Urban Seminar will be held in a workshop format. Researchers are invited to discuss scholarly projects, research at various stages of development, and completed research that is being prepared for publication.
Participation in the Urban Seminar requires preliminary reading and discussion of the researcher's text. If you would like to join the Seminar, please email Maryana Mazurak (m.mazurak@lvivcenter.org), and we will send you the materials in advance.