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CRETE/GEORGIOUPOLIS, May 6 (FENA) – As part of the 10th EUSAIR Forum taking place on the Greek island of Crete, the international exhibition Living Without Leaving opened, focusing on migration, identity, and belonging from the perspective of young artists from the Adriatic-Ionian region.
The exhibition emerged from an art competition launched earlier this year by the European Commission in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Ioannina in Greece.
Out of more than 60 submissions from eight countries – including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia – 15 works were selected, each offering an intimate exploration of roots, departures, and belonging.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is represented by two artists – Petra Perković with her work Koloopanak and Hana Kazić with the photograph The Tram Girl – whose pieces visualize, in different ways, the emotional complexity of leaving and staying.
Petra Perković reinterprets cultural heritage in a contemporary context through a sculptural representation of traditional Dalmatian footwear – the opanak.
''Through the opanak, I tried to capture the feeling of roots – something that stays with us no matter where we go. It’s not just an object from the past, but a symbol of continuity and the quiet resilience of our communities,'' said Perković, whose work is based on abstract wire structures.
On the other hand, Hana Kazić’s photograph The Tram Girl presents a quiet, melancholic portrait of a young woman lost in thought as she gazes out a tram window. The black-and-white aesthetic amplifies the sense of uncertainty and nostalgia, while the reflection on the glass symbolizes the internal conflict between staying and leaving.
''This girl is here, but her gaze belongs somewhere else. The tram is a space between the known and the unknown, and the blurred window becomes a metaphor for a future that is unclear and shaped by circumstance,'' the artist writes in her description.
The photo is minimally edited, with only lens distortion correction, and is composed according to the rule of thirds, where the girl’s gaze leads toward the street, suggesting a perspective from the margins of everyday life.
Organizers emphasize that the exhibition is not just an artistic display, but a visual dialogue of a generation searching for its place in the world.
''The works of young artists from the region remind us that questions of belonging, identity, and migration are both universal and deeply personal. This exhibition calls for understanding and solidarity – not just among states, but also across generations,'' the European Commission stated.
After its debut at the Forum in Greece, the Living Without Leaving exhibition will be showcased in Belgium, Albania, and North Macedonia in 2025.
The exhibition highlights the importance of art as a tool for reflecting on shared values and challenges, and the role of young artists in shaping a more inclusive European space. For those who wish to view the exhibition online, all works are available at the official website: www.livingwithoutleaving.eu/artworks
(FENA) A. B.
