Time Stands Still (1916 & 1991-2002)

This exhibition of digital photography brings together two congruous conflicts: The Easter Rising, Ireland, 1916 and the war and subsequent fall of Yugoslavia, 1991-2002.

While in residence at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, I started looking into the history of Ireland in relation to the history of my own country of birth, Macedonia. Macedonia is a country recently involved in ethnic and political conflict and currently dealing with new notions of identity and boundaries; negotiating local, regional and international boundaries, encompassing ethnic, economic and social changes. Ireland went through similar shifts one hundred years ago and is now a major European nation.

I became particularly interested in the history of the Easter Rising, 1916 and the history of the Kilmainham Gaol. Using digital photography and image manipulation I explored the architecture of the Kilmainham Gaol Museum and found images with which to investigate these notions of identity, nationalism and cultural development.

The second part of this exhibition consists of 14 images of the once beautiful landscapes of the Former Yugoslavia. In November 2005 I revisited 14 places where executions are known to have taken place between 1989 and 2001. Many of the names of these places resonate from the news broadcasts and media reports of the time.

By bringing these two conflicts together in this manner I aim to remember the tragic sacrifices made by heroic individuals and victims, show that new countries can develop and grow despite these horrible events and remind us that such acts are not so very far from home.

Elpida would like to thank the National Library of Ireland, OPW and Arts Council England, South East for their support.