Armin Durgut Photography Exhibition on December 8: Life of Refugees along the Balkan Route

(Patria) - On the occasion of International Human Rights Day on December 10 and International Migrants Day on December 18, the Goethe-Institut presents the exhibition "Life in Motion" from December 8, 2023, to January 21, 2024, featuring 64 photographs by young photojournalist Armin Durgut, documenting the lives of refugees along the Balkan route.

A panel discussion with Armin Durgut, Pakistani musician Nouriez Javed - Nur, Ferida Abdagić from KUMA International, social worker Goga Lovrić from Ušivak Camp, and journalist Vanja Stokić, moderated by Claudia Zini, will be held at the exhibition opening on December 8 at 7:00 PM. Afterwards, BalkanEros Band & Travelers will present their album "Music in My Suitcase".

About the exhibition:

What the lives of refugees and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina are like is a question most of us don't even think about, unless we are directly affected. Local media either do not report on migrants at all, or they do so in a negative and superficial manner. It is usually about statistics, not about the human destinies behind these numbers. The face of the migrant, as a metonymy for their fate, remains unknown. A large part of society in Bosnia and Herzegovina – and not just here – shows callous indifference to the fate of people fleeing war and poverty, striving to live in safety and prosperity and become part of our daily lives.

Armin Durgut turns the lens of his camera against hopelessness and directs his attention to the isolated individual – the individual "trapped" in their migrant daily life. By photographically focusing on the individual and their fate, the cruelty we see in the media is broken, giving a "human story" – a significance that is generally denied to us. Durgut's clean, direct, and unambiguous photojournalism fundamentally undermines the silence and inaction in the media, politics, and society. The core of Durgut's photographic approach lies in the author's need to force the viewer to engage and provoke an emotional reaction.

Armin Durgut, born in 1995 in Zenica, discovered photography during his education as a means of objective observation, capturing and conveying what is seen without "embellishment." With his recognizable visual expression, Durgut directs his photographic sense primarily towards documenting his immediate surroundings and gives his photojournalism unadulterated naturalism. By capturing authentic scenes of human destinies and tragedies, Durgut joins the ranks of young photojournalists who, with their direct and authentic shots, counter the widespread phenomenon of manipulated photography. In his work, he often highlights the aesthetics of social justice, depicting the complex narrative of our reality. The world that appears in his photographs is a world of suffering, pain, and misfortune, a world of struggle, a world that cannot afford scenes of false happiness and contentment.

The album "Music in My Suitcase," created in the summer of 2023 in collaboration with migrants from the Ušivak camp, will be presented at the BalkanEros Band & Travelers concert. The project was realized and financed by the KUMA International organization in cooperation with CRS. The concert is more than a musical event; it serves as a powerful message emphasizing the importance of understanding and support among people of different backgrounds. The audience embarks on a journey along the "Migrant Route," offering a unique insight into the experiences of people arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina.