Project description: The main activity of the supported project “Interpretation of Otherness – Hijab as a Cultural Marker” was a photography exhibition accompanied by a catalog and a debate program on the topic of the hijab as a phenomenon of identity construction and contestation. Irfan Ličina, a photographer from Novi Pazar who specializes in portrait, skate, documentary, and street photography, and whose work was recently included in the permanent collection of the Historical Museum of Serbia in Belgrade, is one of the exhibition’s authors. To provide a different perspective, someone outside of Novi Pazar was involved—Srđan Veljović, a photographer and conceptual documentarian who explores the issue of identity and how it is established as a field constructed externally, focusing on the boundary that defines it. Since the project focused on the representation of the hijab in public spaces, the photoshoot was conducted at various locations in Novi Pazar, including streets, public spaces, shopping centers, parks, and religious sites. Women of different social, economic, and age backgrounds who agreed to participate were photographed for the future exhibition, which seeks to explore how the hijab manifests and is identified in public space, as well as how it is represented. As an accompanying installation, a multimedia piece titled “Interpretation of Otherness” was created, featuring archival footage of Novi Pazar from 1970 to the present, with a focus on citizens in public spaces. It also included testimonies from women who participated in the 1951 campaign to enforce the Law on the Prohibition of Wearing the Veil and Feredža. The exhibition, titled Interpretations of Otherness – Hijab as a Phenomenon of Constructing and Contesting Identity, opened in October 2023 at the Ras Museum. Eighteen photographs of various formats by Srđan Veljović and Irfan Ličina were displayed. The exhibition’s opening attracted a large number of guests from the local public, cultural, and political spheres. The day after, a debate on the same topic was organized to reflect collectively on the hijab as a phenomenon that both constructs and contests identity in the local community. This project created a space for diverse reflections on the aspects of constructing and contesting female ethnic and religious identity in the Muslim community, thereby breaking down prejudices and misconceptions about Muslim women from the region. A catalog featuring the photographs and accompanying project information was sent by Forum 10 to over fifty different international organizations, cultural institutions, ministries, embassies, cultural workers, and other artistic collectives.
Grant amount: 989.756,00 RSD
