The travelling exhibition “SEE New Perspectives from Balkan Photographers” on display in Belgrade from November 18 to December 14

The European Fund for the Balkans is the local partner organization for the realization of the travelling exhibition “See New Perspectives from Balkan photographers” by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and World Press Photo. In the period between 18th of November - 14 of December, the Artget Gallery of the Cultural Centre of Belgrade will be the place where the local public can look at the photo-essays of the 15 talented photographers - Andrei Pungovschi (Romania), Armend Nimani (Kosovo), Bevis Fusha(Albania) , Dženat Dreković (Serbia) , Eugenia Maximova (Bulgaria), Ferdi Limani( Kosovo), Jasmin Brutus (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Jetmir Idriz (Kosovo), Marko Risović (Serbia), Nemanja Pančić (Serbia), Octav Ganea (Romania), Petrut Calinescu (Romania), Sanja Knežević, (Serbia), Tomislav Georgiev (Macedonia), Vesselina Nikolaeva (Bulgaria). They were chosen to participate in this project by presenting their unique and different overviews of the modern everyday living in the countries in the Balkan region. Everything started back in 2010, when World Press Photo and Robert Bosch Stiftung launched the joint project "SEE New Perspectives: Master Class for Professional Photographers from Southeastern Europe". The aim of the project was to challenge the photographers’ perceptions of their native countries and their region by encouraging them to explore new perspectives on life in the region beyond borders and prevailing stereotypes. The master class was also envisioned to advance the photographers in their professional development and to strengthen their narrative skills. For many years, the flood of images generated by the local and international journalists depicted the region as bleak and mired in crisis. As the Balkans have moved on over the past few years towards a more stable future, it was important to create a up to date impression of the region. The final photo essays are a record of life in the Balkans in 2010 and 2011. The topics range from migrant workers commuting between France and Romania through marriage brokers in rural Serbia to the international ambitions of a young wrestling champion in Bulgaria. As people from the region, the photographers have worked inside a number of subcultures to provide new insights and to stimulate fresh thinking about a region where stereotypes are all too familiar. The final result is this collection of the individual photo-impressions of the authors, that deserves the attention of the wider audience. See more on See New Perspectives from Balkan photographers photo - Kremikovtzi, Bulgaria © Eugenia Maximova, 2012, Bulgaria