Reflecting on personal experience and photographic practices in general, the 22-minute video essay contemplates the role of photography in the recent waves of mass protests and social activism. The title is a reference to the memorials of the Bosnian War and the months-long protest in Hong Kong that began in June 2019. The video essay is comprised of video footages found in popular free stock website. In five chapters, the essay delves into the ever-complex politics of visibility and invisibility, offering a critical examination on how photography may or may not contribute to peace in the age of mass surveillance enabled by hyper-connectivity and the omnipresence of camera. Viewing image as not merely a picture but an active agent that incites changes or inflicts damages to its subject, the essay discusses the merits and naivety of photojournalistic practice at times of social uprisings.
Samra Šabanović, born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a visual artist and curator. Sheung Yiu is a Hong-Kong-born, image-centered artist and independent researcher. He is about to start his doctoral candidacy at Aalto University. Both are based in Helsinki, Finland.
You can find more information about the artists on their personal webpages:
http://www.sheungyiu.com/
https://www.samrasabanovic.com/