“Applied Nostalgia Belgrade - Bratislava” exhibition opened

December 06 2016 | Belgrade

“Applied Nostalgia Belgrade - Bratislava” exhibition opened

The eleventh photo exhibition “Applied Nostalgia Serbia-Slovakia”, organised by the European Integration Office on the occasion of the Slovak Presidency of the European Union, opened today in the gallery of the National Bank of Serbia.

Ksenija Milenković, the Acting Director of the European Integration Office, reminded that next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the “Applied Nostalgia” project, which began in Lisbon with an exhibition held on the occasion of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU.

“During these 10 years, we have had an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with cities in more than 10 countries that have presided the EU, both in the so-called old and new Member States, and observe the transformation experienced by their major cities in the process of European integration; on the other hand, we are able to gradually follow Belgrade’s transformation over the past 10 years in the process of EU accession”, stated Milenković.

She said that during this period they tried to find similarities between these cities and Belgrade, and that they were positively surprised that Belgrade repeatedly showed that it was truly a European city.

Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Serbia, H.E. Dagmar Repčeková, noticed that the photos taken in Belgrade and Bratislava included people wearing different clothing and eating different kinds of food, but their similarities were still evident.

“We all share the same roots, we are all born naked coming into this world and we all have to find the essence of our existence; the same problems bind us in spite of our differences. This project is in some way a return to the roots, and whenever we need to get closer to see whether it is Belgrade or Bratislava we are looking at, we understand how similar we actually are”, she highlighted.

Repčeková noted that all of the people shown in the photographs, as well as those that could not be seen, share the same dream of a better future, a better life, a secure life for their families, protected from war.

“We have to work hard to ensure a better future for the new generations. In the past we took separate paths, let us now make an effort to head towards the future together”, said the ambassador.

Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Michael Davenport indicated that the European Integration Office has been utilising the “Applied Nostalgia” project for nine years to connect Serbia and EU Member States through photographs.

“I hope that the result of the Slovak Presidency of the EU will be the opening of new chapters, however, European integration does not only mean negotiations, chapters and requirements. Culture is also what is common to the European civilization, which the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Serbia has been nicely pointing out for the past six months”, said Davenport.

He noticed that two young photographers, Milena Anđela Mišić Atanacković and Tomas Hulik, with nostalgic eyes evoke their vision of Bratislava and Belgrade, showing similarities and differences between European countries and the values that they respect and cherish.

“Your two countries are bound by history, talented people, the Danube, and now this exhibition”, added Davenport.

The exhibition at the Gallery of the National Bank of Serbia can be visited from 6 to 13 December, after which it will open in Bratislava on 16 December.