Portfolio Category - LCEA 2013

SPLIT PERSPECTIVES In this project, I explore the ambivalence and tension in a traditional community that is faced with increasing diversity of contemporary society. Two public events: a traditional religious procession and an LGBT Pride march - both held in Spring in Split, Croatia - are used to depict two faces of the same place. Gay activists, who are preparing for the Pride march, remember the riots of the 2011 Split Pride when the first march was disrupted by violent groups. They know how hard it is to "come out of the closet", and equally hard to stay in it. Especially in Mediterranean towns where the openness and vivid street life go hand in hand with social taboos. I attempted to make images that are more suggestive than descriptive. Instead of common pictures of a religious procession or gay protesters, I wanted to provide just hints: a man lurks at the gay parade from his window; a big rainbow flag is being sewed; young priests are chatting before the celebration; gays who are still uncertain if they could be attacked on the street. The reminiscences of the past violent riots are depicted as video stills. By using a visual hyperlink (QR code), the video still image becomes unfrozen in the hands of the viewer. "Split Perspectives" documents two faces of the same place, by taking fragments out of a larger scene, and placing them together side by side, exploring their visual and contextual links.