Participants: Ertan Ahmeti, Marina Dinčić, Slobodan Dinčić, Mefail Drmaku, Remzija Duljaj, Marija Elezović, Liridon Hyda, Sebehate Hyda, Blerta Ilazi, Edvina Iseni, Sanja Janjić, Slobodan Jovanović, Arta Limani, Emel Murina, Ivana Pavlović, Ivan Radenović, Jelena Stanisavljević, Slađana Stanišić, Visar Thaci
Author of the project and the coordinator of the workshops: Ana Adamović
Local coordinators: Gordana Ristić, Faruk Daliu i Ivica Stepanović
Arta Limani (1988, Preševo)
Sometimes you have the impression that your life is passing by and no one is noticing. Sometimes you seem to yourself so irrelevant to the world. Then sometimes you think you are more important then you thought. In the future I would like to overcome the barriers that my elders left for me but I wish to keep their traditions that are of value.
Blerta Ilazi (1988, Preševo)
I don’t think that a feeling of happiness can last. It is brief, just a moment. But that very moment when we can feel happiness, these eight or ten seconds is inspiration that helps us overcome all the bed things happening.
Edvina Iseni (1989, Bujanovac)
I’m sure I’ll be living abroad in the future, in Sweden. There I have an uncle and he promised me that he’ll arrange for me to go there when I finish school, in two years. Sweden is a big country, big cities, big houses, big cafés, not like here in Bujanovac. There, I would like to do something I like, to wake up in the morning and go happily to work. I just need to finish the school, and I will.
Emel Murina (1988, Bujanovac)
If I were rich, I would buy a house first, abroad, in Mexico or Spain. I know how it is there, from TV shows. I would have a swimming pool and car. And a servant, for sure, so she could serve me. I think it’s possible; I just need to finish school, to work, earn a lot and not spend too much.
I would like to be a police-woman. There is only one Roma policeman here, no woman, so that’s what I would like to be.
Ertan Ahmeti (1988, Preševo)
I see life as a bunch of small goals, ideals that are all of the same importance. These ideals are real, they are not just our fantasy. If we had only one ideal, one goal, than it could really be only our fantasy, since it’s too big and difficult to realize.
Ivan Radenović (1988, Grmovo, Kosovska Vitina – Bujanovac)
I would like to go and live in Austria. I’ve never traveled so far; I got a passport only recently. There, in Austria, I have an aunt and she told me how it is there. There, you can do everything easier. While you are waiting for the papers, you can work, and when you get them you are safe. I hope some day it would be better for my children there, if not, I’ll bring them back here.
Ivana Pavlović (1987, Uroševac – Bujanovac)
From the workshops I’ve learned that photography is not just the moment when you see the flash of the camera. That it is something that needs our mental engagement and ability to bring images to life and show their values.
Jelena Stanisavljević (1987, Preševo)
Blue color makes me happy. I love when the sky is blue, with no clouds. In future I’ll be happy if all my family is together.
Liridon Hyda (1987, Bujanovac)
Problems everywhere could be solved only in one way – with a pencil. A pencil doesn’t write alone, there is a person behind it, with his or her opinions and views. A person that is using education to spread misinformation, that is misusing knowledge, in my opinion is a criminal, maybe smart and educated but a criminal nevertheless. Problems can’t be solved by force. Force should be used for some useful businesses, never for fighting. Here, they’ve tried to solve problems by talks, but it didn’t work out. I would like to appeal on the ones that are making decisions here to sit and talk, since that, and never the force, could be the only solution.
Marija Elezović (1987, Bujanovac)
This photograph represents women who do not think about their lives and who are not seeing the world with the open eyes. It is as if they are using only one eye and thinking that what they see with it is right. Then, when they get into trouble, it is too late to get out of it.
Marina Dinčić (1986, Grmovo, Kosovska Vitina – Bujanovac)
No matter what nationality we are, we should be friends. While I was living on Kosovo, I was living in such an environment where there were both Serbs and Albanians and Roma. We went to school together, though in different classes. I knew some Albanian songs, we were playing together, I knew their language and everything. For me it wasn’t a problem. The problem here is that there are many people who don’t want to have friends that are of different nationality.
Mefail Drmaku (1988, Bujanovac)
This is my cousin, he is deaf and he lives in Niš, he goes to school there. There, he has a suite, a tie and he has cigarettes in his hands. I don’t know why he has these cigarettes. I took this picture since I love him but also because I feel sorry that he is deaf and has to be in Niš, alone.
Remzija Duljaj (1987, Bujanovac)
For me, the most important thing is to finish school, to have a job and a stable life. I would like to be a secretary. And also, I would like to travel, so far I’ve never traveled anywhere.
Sanja Janjić (1987, Vranje)
In fact, we are all the same. Our families are the same, only our religions and nationalities are different.
Sebehate Hyda (1987, Bujanovac)
If you are capable, everything is possible. I believe in myself a lot. If I had better living conditions in some other country, then I would live there. But for me the place where you live is not that important. The family is important and having a good life. Good life is when you live normally, you don’t have to have too much of anything. If you are capable and believe in yourself you can have all of that here as well.
Slađana Stanišić (1988, Grmovo, Kosovska Vitina – Bujanovac)
I miss my home a lot. The whole Kosovo. I’m not very happy here. Everything is different, people and nature and everything. I would like to go back.
Slobodan Dinčić (1987, Grmovo, Kosovska Vitina – Bujanovac)
The place where you live is not that important. It is important that you are with your family. The biggest happiness is to live with your own people that love you and respect you.
Slobodan Jovanović (1988, Preševo)
I learned at the workshops how to communicate about everything with people, I made friends. Also, I learned how to take photographs. I liked the most to take photographs of sunsets, clouds, animals. That gives me inspiration, the strength. When I look at beautiful sunset I know that tomorrow I’ll be happy, smiling.
Visar Thaci (1987, Bujanovac)
When you are a child you are happy since you don’t have any worries, though there are some children that are not happy. When you grow up you chose yourself if you are going to be happy. You have to work to make a good living for yourself. Happiness is when you have a good family, when you are in the middle. It’s better to be in the middle, since when you are always happy, life is not that interesting.
In 2005 the Communication project was presented in Bujanovac Cultural Center, as well as in O3ONE gallery in Belgrade. In 2006 the project was presented on the Culture of Fear exhibiton in Halle14 art space in Leipzig.
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The project was realized in collaboration with Generator from Vranje, and with the support by Olof Palme International Center in Belgrade.