Belfast - The Peace Lines / 1996

 

Photographs were made during my first visit to Belfast in 1996. Visit was organized in the frame of residential program of Belfast Exposed Community Photography Group through which, two Belfast cult photographers (Sean McKernan and Frankie Quinn) visit Sarajevo and after few months I visit Belfast. Photographs were taken on so-called The Peace Lines, the net of the points that connect/disconnect local communities between Falls Road (catholic majority) and Shankill Road (protestant majority). During my stay, it was organized several meetings with political representatives from both sides (Sinn Fein, Democratic Unionist Party), which resulted that their representatives were together present on the opening of my individual exhibition “Dum Dum” in Belfast Exposed Gallery and after on our collective exhibition in Old Arts Museum in Belfast. During my stay, with aim of better understanding the situation on the field, it was organized several meetings with actual or ex-members of paramilitary organizations (IRA, UVF, UDA).

 

As during the Bosnian war (1992-95), I lived on the front line (after became administration line which is unfortunately still today, the line of political disagreements), this photographic research done in Belfast is very important for me as an artist and also as someone who’s family was separated in Sarajevo during the siege.

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                                         Sean McKernan and Andrej Ðerković, Peacelines, Belfast, 1996