Exhibition of Photographs 'Soul of Srebrenica' in Belgrade

(Patria) - The exhibition "Soul of Srebrenica" by Sarajevo-based author and award-winning photographer Midhat Poturović will be on display in Belgrade starting tomorrow.

The exhibition talks about Srebrenica and, according to the author, offers hope for a better understanding of what happened during the war, while also pointing to the importance of renouncing the politics of the past and those who committed war crimes in someone's name or in the name of a nation.

Poturović says that all photographs were taken in the post-war period, as he belongs to the generation that were children during the war.

The exhibition consists of 18 large-format black and white photographs, each intended to be affirmative and communicative. A part of the exhibition also includes a short video about the photograph of Srebrenica mother Hatidža Mehmedović, who spent more than two decades fighting for the truth.

"Her heart stopped beating in July 2018. She remained remembered as a heroine who fought until her last breath, as a symbol of all Srebrenica mothers," explains Poturović.

He emphasizes that he is immensely pleased that his work on Srebrenica has been recognized by people in Serbia and that it will be exhibited in Belgrade this year.

"I could never have imagined that I, as someone who spent his childhood under shelling in besieged Sarajevo, would, after so many years, be holding an exhibition about Srebrenica in the capital of Serbia, in Belgrade. I feel gratitude to all those people who are striving with all their might to build a wonderful country, a Serbia full of empathy, different from the one in the 90s. This exhibition has a special significance precisely because of that," he says, as reported by BIRN.

For him, it is important that younger generations seek the truth and talk about this topic so that such things do not happen to future generations.

"I believe that this exhibition will contribute to better understanding, and point out why it is important to renounce the politics of the past and those who committed war crimes in someone's name, or in the name of a nation, all under the guise of false patriotism and insane nationalism based on petty personal interests, due to which the countries of Southeast Europe have been progressing very slowly in every segment of society for decades," Poturović points out.

The photo series "Soul of Srebrenica" received the "Hrvoje Polan" photography award, initiated by Grain magazine, with the support of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia and the German non-governmental organization forumZFD Belgrade office, with the aim of recognizing and supporting engaged author photography and its contribution to the development of a culture of remembrance in the former Yugoslavia.

Poturović's works have been exhibited in America, Albania, Argentina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Croatia, Italy, Colombia, Hungary, Spain, Serbia, and Turkey, in addition to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has received numerous prestigious photography awards, including: International Photography Awards (IPA), Pictures of the Year International (POYi), Balkan Photo Award, Swedish Picture of the Year, UNICEF, BETA Photo of the Year, Fokus Award, and Photo of the Year in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The exhibition will be open at Endžio HAB until July 13, every day from 1 PM to 7 PM.