Sponsored by the Croatian Memorial Foundation and presented in collaboration with Prokultura, Witnesses to History is a curated exhibition of war photography by renowned Croatian photojournalists Matko Biljak and Božo Vukičević. I was invited to curate and design this exhibition, which brings together a carefully selected collection of images that document the lived experiences, struggles, and resilience of individuals and communities during the Croatian War of Independence.

The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue represent only a small segment of the photographers’ extensive oeuvre, yet they capture the profound emotional and historical weight of their work. Through the lens of Biljak and Vukičević, visitors are offered an intimate and unfiltered encounter with moments that shaped a nation’s collective memory. Their photographs bear witness not only to conflict but to humanity—revealing stories of survival, solidarity, loss, and hope.

Curating this exhibition required a sensitive and historically grounded approach, ensuring that the visual narrative honoured both the integrity of the photographers’ work and the lived realities of those portrayed. The design of the exhibition sought to create an atmosphere of reflection and respect, allowing viewers to engage deeply with the images and to consider their wider cultural and historical significance.

Witnesses to History contributes to ongoing conversations about memory, representation, and the preservation of visual heritage in post-conflict societies. By presenting these powerful images in a public forum, the exhibition encourages dialogue about the role of photography in shaping collective remembrance and highlights the enduring importance of documenting and sharing the human dimensions of conflict.

A newspaper feature on the exhibition, published in Slobodna Dalmacija, can be accessed here: https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/split-i-zupanija/split/matkove-i-bozine-ratne-fotografije-izlazu-se-na-peristilu-emocije-na-otvorenju-bile-su-i-vise-nego-opipljive-stvorili-su-dragocjene-dokumente-1238895