29.11.2012 All News
The framework programme for the exhibition “SEE New Perspectives: from Balkan Photographers” which is being organized by the European Fund for the Balkans and is consist of 2 thematic panel discussions, 2 photo workshops and 2 film projections has been successfully running in the last two weeks.
After the opening of the exhibition in the Artget Gallery on November 17 and in the following period until December 14, the Serbian public has a rare opportunity to see a World Press Photo Exhibition that covers issues that are familiar to the Balkan countries region. The project which is also supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung was designed to connect the 15 photographers from the Balkan region and to showcase their individual stock photos and photo essays on the theme “New Perspectives: From Balkan photographers”.
The European Fund for the Balkans created the special framework programme “Freedoms and Boundaries” in order to continue the story of the photographers essays into wider discussion on what are the new perspectives of the Balkan countries. The cultural phenomena, trends and stereotypes which are present in the everyday life in the whole region were the things that were used as starting points and small fragments in building the whole mosaic.
The exhibition space in the premises of the Artget Gallery is the gathering point for all the activities. The panel theme “Photojournalism in Serbia: New Perspectives” really offered a great introspection in the actual problems of the professional photographers in Serbia and a view of the general situation with the media, the documentary photography and the struggle to be in sync with the constant changes in the digital era. Bringing together a representative group of the Serbian photographic scene like Ivana Tomanovic, Imre Szabo, Srdjan Ilic and Sasa Colic, was a good base for starting off a great discussion and new initiatives which will hopefully continue in the future.
The film “Whose is this song” from the director Adela Peeva was also interesting for the local audience among which there were also tourist from Bulgaria and Romania. At the end of the projection they were all glad to see such a movie that touches the musical heritage, customs and stereotypes of the region, through the search of the origins of the song which is sang in Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, Serbia and Bulgaria and for which all of the countries representatives say that is theirs.
The panel “The New perspectives for the young people on the Balkans” also initiated a wide discussion among the panelist Rajko Bozic, Predrag Vukcevic, Tatjana Rosic, Dobrica Veselinovic and Jelisaveta Blagojevic and the young people in the audience on subjects like culture, music, activism and other different spheres.
The next event in the framework programme will be the premiere of the documentary “Twilight of Heroes – Croatia, Europe and the International Tribunal” on 12 of December. This documentary film by Gerald Knaus and Fritz Ofner is based on ESI research and part of the “Return to Europe” film series initiated and supported by ERSTE Foundation.
The film screening will be followed by a discussion on “Croatia’s road from Tudjman to EU accession: what does it mean for Serbia?” with Milan Pajević, director of the European Integration Office of the Republic of Serbia, and Milica Delević, chair of the European Integration Committee in the Serbian Parliament, moderated by ESI deputy chairman Kristof Bender.
The two closed photo workshops are lead by the two photographers Marko Risovic and Nemanja Pancic, who have participated in the exhibition “SEE New Perspectives:From Balkan Photographers”.They skillfully took over the role of teachers to the group of young upcoming photographers and enthusiasts in producing distinctive photo essays which will be exhibited on the mini-exhibition on 13 of December as a final wrap up of the Serbian edition of the project.
For more information please visit the Facebook page of the exhibition here
