Honey & Rakija for Lunch
During the war in Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995, the Serbian military tried to take over Bosnia and exterminate the population. In addition, they destroyed fields, bombed shelters, and cut off food supplies from the outside of Bosnia.
From April 1993 to March 1994, the Usora region was surrounded by the Serbian army. Jelah, a small village, was also affected. Amid destruction and despair, the inhabitants survived impressively by growing vegetables and fruits and slaughtering animals. Money was no longer valuable; therefore services were exchanged for food, whiskey or cigarettes. Solidarity among the residents led to the sharing of resources and constant mutual support.
The photographs show personal perspectives on the Bosnian war, which are exhibited as cinematic stills in a series of five. Tasks, such as cooking, gardening, or farming, were reenacted to represent their life during the Bosnian war. The still lifes are portrayals of what food was available during the total encapsulation. The layer of transmediality is added by the two videos. One of them shows the emotional trauma repression of the war survivors, the other video addresses the brutal truth of living in a surrounded area.
All of these components create a narrative and complexity to the history of the Bosnian war and how inhabitants survived during that time. In addition, the way of sugarcoating their past is contrasted with documentary and archival material.
Prints on Paper and Video installation
Transmedia Project created by Evelyn Nietlisbach and Ariane Hügli
Term assignment at Camera Arts Lucerne, coached by Salvatore Vitale and Thomas Knüsel
April 2024
Exhibited at HSLU Lucerne
From April 1993 to March 1994, the Usora region was surrounded by the Serbian army. Jelah, a small village, was also affected. Amid destruction and despair, the inhabitants survived impressively by growing vegetables and fruits and slaughtering animals. Money was no longer valuable; therefore services were exchanged for food, whiskey or cigarettes. Solidarity among the residents led to the sharing of resources and constant mutual support.
The photographs show personal perspectives on the Bosnian war, which are exhibited as cinematic stills in a series of five. Tasks, such as cooking, gardening, or farming, were reenacted to represent their life during the Bosnian war. The still lifes are portrayals of what food was available during the total encapsulation. The layer of transmediality is added by the two videos. One of them shows the emotional trauma repression of the war survivors, the other video addresses the brutal truth of living in a surrounded area.
All of these components create a narrative and complexity to the history of the Bosnian war and how inhabitants survived during that time. In addition, the way of sugarcoating their past is contrasted with documentary and archival material.
Prints on Paper and Video installation
Transmedia Project created by Evelyn Nietlisbach and Ariane Hügli
Term assignment at Camera Arts Lucerne, coached by Salvatore Vitale and Thomas Knüsel
April 2024
Exhibited at HSLU Lucerne