So close so far: video initiative invites artists to contribute memories of Yugoslav wars

So Close So Far, a project centred on personal memory and narrative, has launched a call to action for artists to share their experiences of the Yugoslav wars.

A collaborative initiative between Italian film collective REC and cultural association Alauda, So Close So Far takes as its starting point the acknowledgement that official historiographies often fail to reflect the lived experience of the ordinary person. The project aims to gather the personal stories that together create a richer and altogether more pertinent history.

So Close So Far seeks to create a virtual archive of oral testimonies in an audio-visual format, which will form the basis for a sound installation to be presented in Austria, Italy and Serbia.

So Close So Far forms part of the broader international project titled Testimony-Truth or Politics, which is supported by the Centre for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade; The Ignorant Schoolmaster and his Committees, Belgrade; and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, in cooperation with Boem, Vienna, Austria; and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT Transeuropa) in Rovereto, Italy.

Find out more about So Close So Far and how to contribute here.