“Say to remember me, So we won’t forget”
in collaboration with Luiza Thaqi
Curated by Humanitarian Law Center
Audio-visual installation
25'
2023
Photography: Zana Begolli
“Mothers of War” project began with the personal stories of our mothers and the stories we grew up hearing in our homes. The concept of growing up as “children of war” had become so ingrained, that it required a moment of reflection to grasp its meaning. In ten interviews we conducted as part of our research process with women from different regions and backgrounds of Kosovo who had experienced pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood during the period 1997-2000, it became clear how these experiences were profoundly affected by the conflict. Through the interviews we had with these women, many questions emerged regarding layered concepts such as motherhood, family, community, home, space, identity, body, survival, future, and self. Importantly, these themes emerged organically as the women attempted to recall these moments.
The installation takes on a fluid form with images of the world that many remember from their homes or along roads that led to places that offered brief safety. The audio recordings are the actual testimonies that began as conversations between individuals. The voices from time to time stand by themselves, and from time to time join together, paralleling the idea of individuality and collectivity of this particular experience.
Mutual communication, both as children of war and as protagonists of these events, aims to ensure that these memories do not fade over time and that they become part of a broader narrative of the war in Kosovo.
