“To make photographs, you must believe in an
invisible world.” – Ilkka Uimonen

In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb military, under
general Ratko Mladic, staged a takeover of the
Bosnian Muslim safe haven of Srebrenica. Five days
later, it was the site of the worst massacre in
Europe since World War II with over 7000 men and
boys executed. In the decade following the
massacre, a bitter struggle ensues between:
remembering and forgetting, crime and justice as
well as truth and falsehood. General Ratko, Mladic
and Radovan Karadzic (then President of Republika
Srpska) have never been brought to trial.

The survivors of Srebrenica use photography in
their pursuit of justice and many of these images
can be seen as evidence of this atrocious war
crime. This series by Roger Lemoyne began in 1995,
when these events were unfolding. As they faded
from news into history, experiences became
memories and his photographs moved from recording
tragic events to enabling remembrance. These
pictures convey a sense of loss for missing loved
ones, an unwavering need for justice and the
importance of preserving history. The emptiness
that permeates each image expresses the absence
that lingers when thousands of people disappear.

Generously supported by CALQ (Counsil des Arts et
Lettres du Quebec). Lecture May 3, see LECTURES.

Curated by Bonnie Rubenstein