PRESS RELEASE

SREBRENICA NOW: a divided community comes together through photography
Photographs showing at Viewfinder Photography Gallery
10th–30th April

More than ten years on from the genocide at Srebrenica, Bosnia Herzegovina, in which more than 7,000 men and boys died, the perpetrators still remain at large. Families of the victims are denied justice and now have to face the reality that some will never be held accountable for their actions.

In Srebrenica Now, Bosniaks and Serbs living in the town now have created a unique photographic record of their lives. Together with extended captions from the photographers, they provide a powerful, human and moving reminder that the issues around Srebrenica have not gone away – and neither have the hopes and fears of people living there.

Srebrenica Now, a three-week exhibition at the Viewfinder Gallery, London, reveals the community as it sees itself. Some of the photographers are long-term residents; others have settled there since the 1995 atrocity. In a place still reeling from its recent history, the medium of photography has created a rare chance for a dialogue within the community.

“The exhibition is important because it looks forward” says Alison Snape of the Srebrenica Justice Campaign. “It gives a unique view of life in the town, as people face up to the horror of what happened in the past but also look towards the future.”

The photographers are families and friends of those killed, as well as refugees from other parts of Bosnia who were displaced there during the war. The photographs are the results of a project led by Central Saint Martins Fine Art graduate Philippa Harrison and financed by London-based Srebrenica Justice Campaign, the refugee support group BH Community UK, and the Dutch Bosnian NGO Werkgroep Nederland-Srebrenica.

Srebrenica Now staged by bridging arts will be on show at the Viewfinder Photography Gallery, Greenwich, London from 10–30 April 2006.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Srebrenica Now is staged by bridging arts in partnership with Refugees in the Arts Initiative, with support from the Srebrenica Justice Campaign and the refugee support group BH Community UK. The show runs from 10-30 April 2006 at the Viewfinder Photography Gallery, Linear House, Peyton Place, London, SE10 8RS. Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 9am–5pm, Sat-Sun: 12pm-4pm. www.viewfinder.org.uk

2. A private view will take place on Wednesday 12 April 2006 at 6.30pm. For further details email philippaharrison@hotmail.com or call Philippa Harrison on 07801062088.

3. Srebrenica – declared a ‘safe area’ by the United Nations – was allowed to fall to besieging nationalists Serbs in July 1995. More than 7,000 men and boys were massacred. The women of Srebrenica were forcibly evacuated from the enclave, and today live as refugees in their own country. In Tuzla they have formed themselves into a campaigning group “Zene Srebrenice” or “Women of Srebrenica” to fight for justice. Following a tour of Britain by the pressure group, the Srebrenica Justice Campaign was launched to support their demands. The Campaign is now linked with groups across the world to form Srebrenica Justice International.

4. Srebrenica Now follows an initiative by the Dutch-Bosnian NGO Wergroep-Nederland Srebrenica (WNS) to improve the atmosphere in the town through the projects that could benefit all its inhabitants, and in doing so facilitate interactions between returning Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) and Serbs of good will.

5. bridging arts specialises in events, art installations and performances with a message, to give people without a voice – particularly people from the developing world – can speak out through the arts. More information is available on www.bridging-arts.com

For more information, email philippaharrison@hotmail.com or call Philippa Harrison on 07801062088

Viewfinder Photography Gallery, Linear House, Peyton Place, Greenwich, London SE10 8RS,
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am–5pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-4pm www.viewfinder.org.uk