Heritage (2021)
Mixed media (painted canvas, a bullet, set of hands) - digital photography.The piece examines how the turbulent socio-political history of the Balkans continues to shape its cultural identity.
A black-painted geographic coordinate system stretches across the canvas background, mirroring the longitude and latitude of the former SFR Yugoslavia — a region often referred to locally as Krvavi Balkan (Bloody Balkan) or Crna Rupa Evrope (Europe’s Black Hole). In the foreground, a visibly older and physically stronger hand passes a bullet to a younger, more delicate one. Symbolically, this gesture illustrates the transmission of violence from older to newer generations in the Balkans.
Given the history of former Yugoslavia, the upbringing of new generations continues to be shaped by the looming threat of internal conflict. Knowledge, beliefs, and opinions are handed down, reinforcing systems of categorization and division. As a result, children are often taught — sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly — that hate and violence are legitimate tools for communication and survival, all under the guise of protecting one's identity.
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