During my visit to Ohrid, I encountered something rather odd, yet very beautiful. There was a very large flock of fish in the lake. So large, that you could barely see the ground. Later that day, a local man told me that it was very unusual, and not an everyday encounter. I stood there, staring with amazement at the fish for at least a minute, when I felt the urge to throw a pebble into the lake. Once I did it, the event started unfolding itself in front of me, while I observed carefully, without any thought of using it in my artwork later on. The way fish ran away from the pebble, and how fast they came back, was fascinating. Just like that. Like nothing has happened.
A few days later, it got to me. We are nothing more than a flock of fish. We transform, we bend, we adapt, and in the end – we forget.
It takes only 3 seconds for a golden fish to forget. It takes only 3 seconds for Ohrid’s flock of fish to forget a pebble thrown at them. We are no different. After a few generations, the memory is evaporating. There will be no more living memories, and the only ones that we will have are the ones in books and on photographs.
My work represents a process of tragedy, transformation, return and oblivion.
The photo collage consists of many photographs from the period of the First World War, cut in the shape of fish, and dyed in the colours of the lake.
Snezana participated in the Art Residency that took place in Bitola (North Macedonia) from 22 October 2018 to 22 November 2018, and focused on the local events of the First World War (Macedonian Front) and their impact in the local community.
Flock of fish
in a lake,
in a pond.Throw a pebble,
throw a war,
or peace,we forget.
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