Morena Banozic
I am a Croatian photographer based in Dublin. As a photographer I understand the challenges of working with people and places, especially having respect for boundaries when given access to people. Making and spending time with people to understand how their past and expectations of the future puts their experiences in context: this is central to my research approach and at the core of my practice. I priorities methods that support me in my exploration of the feelings and ideas that emerge when I reflect on my personal journey of growing up in one country and moving to another as an adult. Visual methodologies often include the use of collage and montage, and analogue darkroom and printing processes. I value the handmade look and feel in photography, accepting and celebrating the type of visual variations that result from working in this way. I expect to be asked to account for the consequences of introducing viewers to new perspectives. I accept that my intention to educate carries responsibilities. I believe that photography has an important role in the world today because it has become an important form of artistic expression and preservation of memories. Photography allows us to capture and preserve personal memories, from everyday moments to significant life events. Some of the photographers that inspires me are Marius Svaleng Andresen and Robbie Lawrence.
After Midnight
After Midnight is inspired by the life and legacy of Croatian writer, Maria Juric Zagorka. The project is influencedby Zagorka’s feminist stance and her role as the first Croatian female journalist combating Hungarian influence. It explores themes such as love, religion, gender and women’s rights, but its primary focus lies in depicting the responsibility of the photographer and her agency to challenge social expectations. There are parallels drawn between the challenges faced by Zagorka and those in my own life, particularly as a female artist living away from Croatia. Ultimately, the project celebrates my Croatian roots, exploring aspects of Croatian culture but equally the experience of loneliness in a foreign country and certain conflictual feelings about patriotism. Using symbolic, material elements such as red thread, I make the connection between the goals of feminism and weight of history.
Photobook
After Midnight is devided into the three chapters with short introductions. It goes true three stages of my life, being in Ireland and Croatia. Book contains mixture of urban architecture photographs, ruins and portraits showing my mix feelings of home and acceptance.