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Protected: How to Appreciate Poor Places

Protected: How to Appreciate Poor Places

by Rupert Wolfe Murray | Jul 23, 2015 | Advice for Future Travellers, Travel Advice & Skills

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I don't know why but this interesting poster didn' I don't know why but this interesting poster didn't make it into our book of #Bosnian #War #Posters. The hand in the photo belongs to the great Tuzla artist, Began Turbić, when I last met him. The graphics show statistics of war damage to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was probably done quite early in the war as the final totals were mixh higher. By showing this material I'm hoping young people in the region will realise the pointlessness of #nationalism and war. #everydayeasterneurope #bosnianwarposters #bosnianhistory #bosniak #bosniankingdom #bosnaihercegovina @dadolatinovic
I'm in England for a couple of weeks more, then ba I'm in England for a couple of weeks more, then back to Sarajevo. The weather's usually terrible here but sometimes it's perfect. This was a view yesterday morning when the temperature dropped below freezing and the sun was up, a rare combination. #northhamptonshire #florenorthampton
This poster was made during the Bosnian war and sh This poster was made during the Bosnian war and shows one of Serbia's intellectual leaders of the time, Dobrica Cosic, in a not very flattering light. I'm reading a fascinating book called The Serbs by Tim Judah and he puts this intellectual into historical perspective. It's quite sympathetic towards the #Serbs, especially regarding their moments of glory in WW1 and WW2. But overall he explains that too many Serb politicians appeal to #nationalism with which they distort history and exaggerate the threat of the neighbouring #Croat and #Muslim populations. Tim Judah talks about Cosic's "obsession that Serbia 'won its wars but always lost its peace'" These words were published in the Politika magazine, in #Belgrade, quoting Cosica himself: "Historical experience has imposed on the Serbian nation the necessity of definitively rejecting the idea of liberating and saving others, who consider such a role as oppression, enslavement and exploitation...I assume that the Serbian people are ready to live in a common democratic state with Muslims and #Macedonians...If this does not happen, the Serbian people will create their own state in their ethnic areas." Tim Judah says this about the above quote, and the other nationalistic #rhetoric coming out of #Belgrade: "Such language was regarded by many Muslims as a threat, which it was. It told them, 'Do as we say -- or you're dead." Fortunately, most educated Serbs today recognise the false promise of nationalism and realise that it has brought them nothing but disaster. I'm confident that they can learn from their mistakes, avoid conflict and become a good neighbour again. #Bosnianwarposters #everydayeasterneurope #Bosniaandherzegovina #Bosnaihercegovina #bosniahistory #bosniak
Another great #bosnian poster by Began Turbić, in Another great #bosnian poster by Began Turbić, in #Tuzla, made during the war. But what does it mean? @dadolatinovic @crevnic @nerinanell @bosniak_history @bosniahistory #bosnianwarposters #everydayeasterneurope
One of Began Turbić's wartime ppsters that didn't One of Began Turbić's wartime ppsters that didn't make it into our forthcoming book #bosnianwarposters As I've said before, Mr Turbić is one of my favourite #Bosnian artists who worked on posters during the war. He painted in #Tuzla, which was shelled every night by Serb forces...I visited the city twoce during the war and remember going to sleep despite random shelling, hoping one of them wouldn't land on me. #bosnianart #everydayeasterneurope #bosniak #bosnianhistory @dadolatinovic @nerinanell @bosniak_history
I thought I’d run out of interesting things to p I thought I’d run out of interesting things to post from England but a friend with an old Tesla (he drives around for free as the first generation of those cars gets free power) took me to the rocky beach at #Portslade, near #Brighton and #Hove. The evening light was incredible and we stumbled across this collection of artworks, or should I call them #beachart? They were hidden from view, invisible from the road and also from the beach. You have to be right by them to notice them at all. No signs or signatures at all. Pure anonymous art. Perhaps this is how art should be? Whoever did this great work -- and I’m sure it was one person behind it, either working alone or with some helpers -- they spent many, many hours gathering the scraps and then assembling them. Well done to him or, her. Each of these characters has such…character. Do you like them? Have you ever come across such a selection?
I came across this #poster of #Batman when travell I came across this #poster of #Batman when travelling through the English city of #Canterbury last weekend. I like this #retro image of the old American #vigilante but don't like the #vengeance based concept that the films are based on (such ideas are killing democracy), and I don't want to see the film. I also like the idea of Batman being at large in a sleepy English town. English place names are sometimes quite funny and the second image I'm sharing is a map of the Southeast England rail network. The photo is crap but the following names I found on this map are (in my opinion) quite delightful. These names remind me of #JRRTolkein who used to study the wildly different dialects he found all over England and Wales. The first and the last name could have been used in The Lord of the Rings or his other great epic, The #Hobbit. Apparently the Elfish language he invented for these books were based on ancient English and Welsh. Some Southeast England Place Names: Erith Clock House Bat and Ball Snodland Sandwich Deal Ham Street Battle Three Oaks Three Bridges Ore
Although I'm stuck in England for the next few wee Although I'm stuck in England for the next few weeks my thoughts are very much in #BosniaHerzegovina, particularly in the northern industrial city of #Tuzla where I spent many happy years after the war (1996-98). I have a close emotional bond to the place based on vague but powerful memories. At the end of last year I gave a talk at Tuzla's art/construction school about my current project on #Bosnianwarposters -- and this has renewed my emotional bonds. They trusted me to interview them, photograph them and share their opinions and this takes courage and faith (luckily I'm a volunteer and not working for a dodgy media outlet looking for dirt). I feel trust and respect for all of them, and I'm grateful for the teachers for organising it. The students' intelligence, openness, creativity and lack of hatred for their fellow countrymen really took my breath away and gives me hope for the future of #Bosnia. These photos are of an art student in Tuzla called Medina. Her English is impeccable. I showed her some of the material from our book of wartime posters and she said she thinks "it means a lot. It's different. It could help society. It will be something great." All the young people I interviewed were interested in these wartime posters, mainly because it's a graphic guide to Bosnia's recent war (1992-95) which they don't learn about in school. I asked Medina what was her favourite poster and she said it was the one with the violin that's broken into three separate, and useless, pieces. She said this symbolises, for her, the current state of #BiH which is "broken into pieces" but, "together we can be stronger and we can work together." Next month I plan to go back to Tuzla and meet these inspiring students again. If people like this were running the country the inter-ethnic hatred that is fanned by certain politicians and journalists would start to fade away. #everydayeasterneurope #tuzlaart @medayna_h @dadolatinovic @van_sarian
Saw some interesting images on England's south coa Saw some interesting images on England's south coast yesterday. The first one is by Anthony Gormley but I dunno who the other artists are. Interesting to see modern art in such an old, faded English seaside resort. I wonder if Brexit and Covid travel restrictions will help these towns recover their once booming economies. It would be a small consolidation for these twin plagues. #margateart #anthonygormley #kentart @hanneylesley
More rendom images from the south coast of England More rendom images from the south coast of England
I'm taking a break from Bosnia Herzegovina for a f I'm taking a break from Bosnia Herzegovina for a few weeks but the weather is crap (what a surprise!) Until today I haven't seen anything worth photographing/sharing. I went for a walk in the rain, and am on a train journey, and got some shots which I think are interesting. Do you?
Another impressive art student in #Tuzla, showing Another impressive art student in #Tuzla, showing one of the wartime posters that will be featured in our forthcoming book #bosnianwarposters This poster was made in #Croatia in the early 1990s, when they were under attack by Serbian forces. The reference to #Yugoslavia (YU) has a double meaning: Croatia didn't want to be part of that nation any more; and they objected to the fact that Serbia had seized the military hardware (represented by the tank) of the once-massive Yugoslav National Army. The students at this #art school in Tuzla also pointed out something I'd not noticed with this old war poster: these students are fluent in English (the lady in the photo speaks Queens English) and their interpretation of the photo is that it says "No Tank You" i.e. No "Thank" You. This witty and modern interpepretion of this old poster is exactly what we're hoping for with our Bosnian War Poster book: that young people can reinterpret the propaganda material from the war in creative and witty ways. They will also learn about the war when the book comes out, as we arrange the posters in chronological order, tell the story of each image and offer a graphic history of the war. All of the students I met in Bosnia Herzegovina tell me that they don't get taught about the 1992-95 war in school and they look forward to reading our book so they can get an objective insight into it. What particularly impressed me was that none that I met said a word against the other ethnic groups in their divided nation; that seems to be a thing for certain politicians and media professionals. Their neutrality gives me a lot of hope. @nerinanell @dadolatinovic @van_sarian @bosniak_history @bosniahistory #bosniaandherzegovina #everydayeasterneurope #bosnianhistory
One of the awesome art students I met in #Tuzla, b One of the awesome art students I met in #Tuzla, brandishing one of the great images from our forthcoming book on #bosnianwarposters @dadolatinovic @van_sarian @bosniahistory #bosniaandherzegovina #bosnianart
President George H.W. Bush with a subtle addition President George H.W. Bush with a subtle addition by Began Turbić, the great #bosnianwarposters designer in #Tuzla. I know the yellow fleur de lis (lily) represents Bosnia but what does it mean in this poster? Can any Bosnians advise? Bush senior was the US president when Bosnia slid into war, in 1992. They tried to prevent it but their lame attempts had no chance against the extreme #nationalism that had been unleashed in the former #Yugoslavia. It was Bill Clinton who, many years later, stopped the slaughter. #everydayeasterneurope #bosnianart #bosniaandherzegovina❤️ @bosniak_history @dadolatinovic @van_sarian @bosniahistory @graffiti.in.bosnia @the.bosniak.path @bosinstitut
Another great poster from the #Bosnian war by Bega Another great poster from the #Bosnian war by Began Turbić. The best way artists could protest about the east was by making posters. #bosnianwarposters #everydayeasterneurope #bosniahistory
Detail of one of the more artistic #bosnianwarpost Detail of one of the more artistic #bosnianwarposters, promoting an arts festival (#Sarajevo Winter Festival) that was organised during the longest siege in 20th century history (the siege of Sarajevo)... #everydayeasterneurope
Began Turbić with his three way saw that symbolis Began Turbić with his three way saw that symbolises the ripping apart of #Bosnia and #Herzegovina. In the background you can see some of his #bosnianwarposters
I met this hairless #cat on Boxing Day. Although h I met this hairless #cat on Boxing Day. Although he looks #grotesque, he's affectionate and liked to sit on my lap. Like #snakes, these cats need warmth from external sources or warm bodies like mine.
Another epic poster from Tuzla in our forthcoming Another epic poster from Tuzla in our forthcoming book of #bosnianwarposters The slogan says the UN's wartime mission in Bosnia (UNPROFOR) was bad but the Serbian aggressors' appetite was good ("Bad Mandate and Good Appetite"). I just realised that the Good Appetite reference what you say before a meal. In English we use the French term: Bon apetit. Unfortunately I had to crop this poster a lot but if you get pur forthcoming book you'll see it, and hundreds of others, in their full glory. Just DM me if you'd like to reserve a discounted copy. #everydayeasterneurope #bosniangraphics #bosniaandherzegovina❤️ #bosnianhistory
According to this art student in #Tuzla, this is w According to this art student in #Tuzla, this is what I look like. Unfortunately I don't have his name but if you know it please send it to me. I'd like to thank him. I was visiting his school as part of my #Bosnia tour, raising awareness about our book of #bosnianwarposters and #bosniaherzegovina #bosniaart #everydayeasterneurope #bosnaihercegovina
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