Sep 09 2023 - 16:30

Sala Conferenze del Museo della Guerra, Rovereto

Photographing Life, Not Just War.

Mario Boccia, Anja Margetić

Closing Event of the Exhibit Sarajevo 1992-1996: The Longest Siege

Mario Boccia, freelance photojournalist, Benjamina Karić, author, and Anja Margetić, Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo | ph Hossam Halim.

Anja Margetić, Deputy mayor of Sarajevo

Mario Boccia in the foreground, with a photo exhibition in the background.

Mario Boccia, Linguaggi 2023

The Italian Historical War Museum and the Balkans Caucasus Observatory Transeuropa choose to open a window on the war in the former Yugoslavia, a painful and recent event, which, thanks to the photographic storytelling of Mario Boccia, becomes a glimpse into the present.
The closing event of the exhibition will host the author of the shots. The Mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, was supposed to join the dialogue with him, but due to institutional reasons, the Mayor will not be present and will be replaced by Vice Mayor Anja Margetić.

On the occasion of the event, there will be a special free opening of the exhibition from 6 PM to 8 PM.

Mario Boccia, a freelance photojournalist, has produced reports on international issues and published articles and photographs in many Italian newspapers. He served as a correspondent and reporter for “il Manifesto” from Sarajevo, Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje, Dyarbakir, and Baghdad.

Benjamina Karić, born in Sarajevo in 1991, is the author of numerous publications and translations, having participated in several international and national scientific conferences. In 2021, she became the Mayor of Sarajevo, the youngest and only the second woman in the city's history to hold this position.

Anja Margetić, born in Sarajevo in 1975, has been the Vice Mayor of Sarajevo since 2021. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the United States and a master's degree in International Affairs and Public Policy from Italy. A talented young swimmer, she represented the Yugoslav team at the Balkan Games and the European Championships in the junior category. In 1992, at just 17 years old, she participated in the Barcelona Olympics, becoming the first woman to compete under the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She continues her involvement in the sports sector as a coach for the national swimming team. She speaks English and Italian.

Between 1992 and 1996, Sarajevo endured the longest siege in the military history of the late 20th century. In his work as a photojournalist, Mario Boccia chose to focus on the civil resistance of the city, aiming to tell the story of the drama without showing blood. As Benjamina Karić stated, Boccia “photographed life, not just war.” He chose to photograph both the besieged and the besiegers, often crossing the front lines, believing that “identifying with the victims is easy and reassuring, but it can be hypocritical.”

The exhibition is open until September 10, 2023, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 AM to 6 PM.

In collaboration with the Historical Museum of War, the Center for International Cooperation, the Balkans Observatory, and Transeuropa.