Debat: KUNST, GESCHIEDENIS EN SREBRENICA

Op zondag 11 juli 2010 is het precies 15 jaar geleden dat de Bosnische enclave Srebrenica viel. Naar aanleiding van de tentoonstelling Friso Keuris: Dutchbat III organiseert Gemak op maandagavond 12 juli 2010 (19.00 – 22.00) een avond met film en discussie over de impact van Srebrenica, over invloed & betrokkenheid van kunstenaars en schrijvers en over hun en onze fascinatie voor de zwarte bladzijden in de militaire en politieke geschiedenis van het vaderland of moederland.

Pieter van Os, politiek redacteur van NRC Handelsblad, praat met fotograaf Friso Keuris en schrijver Frank Westerman uitgebreid over hun visie op Srebrenica, politieke thema’s en dilemma’s in de kunst, maar ook over Nederlandse geschiedschrijving, censuur en al dan niet gestuurde beeldvorming (denk aan embedded journalism, het fenomeen ‘war artist’, het recente relletje over het geweigerde artikel in De Onderofficier op last van het Ministerie van Defensie etc.).

De avond start om 19.00uur met de mogelijkheid om voorafgaande aan het gesprek eenmalig in Gemak de documentaire A Cry from the Grave (Leslie Woodhead, 1999), of de film Snow (Aida Begic, 2008), te zien. Beide films belichten de val van Srebrenica vanuit verschillende invalshoeken; de ene vanuit een journalistieke visie, de andere vanuit een filmische, poëtische interpretatie.

De discussie start aansluitend – na een korte pauze – omstreeks 20.30uur.

Frank Westerman

(Emmen, 1964)

Frank Westerman bezocht als verslaggever van NRC Handelsblad tal van internationale brandhaarden. Over de val van Srebrenica in juli 1995 schreef hij samen met collega-journalist Bart Rijs ‘Het Zwartste Scenario’. Als enige Nederlandse verslaggevers wisten Rijs en Westerman door te dringen tot de omsingelde enclave. Ze gebruiken in hun boek geheime VN-documenten en interviews met ooggetuigen om de oorlogsjaren van Srebrenica te reconstrueren. Niet alleen vanwege z’n inhoud, maar ook vanwege z’n vorm leest het boek als een thriller. (www.frankwesterman.nl)

Tentoonstelling Friso Keuris – Dutchbat III, 5 juni t/m 1 augustus 2010

Openingstijden Gemak: dinsdag t/m zondag: 12 – 17 uur

Locatie Gemak: Vrije Academie, Paviljoensgracht 20 – 24, Den Haag

Toegang: gratis

! Laat even weten of u komt, rsvp via info@vrijeacademie.org

ART, HISTORY AND SREBRENICA

Pieter van Os in discussion with Friso Keuris and Frank Westerman

Monday evening) 12th July 2010 (19.00 – 22.00) 

On the 11th of July, it will be exactly 15 years since the fall of Srebrenica. In conjuction with the exhibition Friso Keuris: Dutchbat III, Gemak will organise an evening of film and debate on Monday 12th July (19.00 – 22.00), about the impact of Srebrenica, the influence & involvement of artists and writers, and their (and our) fascination for the so-called ‘dark pages’ in military and political history. 

Pieter van Os, political correspondent for the NRC Handelsblad, will debate with photographer Friso Keuris and writer Frank Westerman about their thoughts on Srebrenica, first and foremost about political topics and artistic dilemmas, but also about the way in which Dutch history is represented and truth is depicted (think of embedded journalism, the phenomenon ‘war artist’ and the recent uproar over the article in ‘De Onderofficier’ which the Dutch Ministry of Justice refused to publish). 

The evening will start at 19.00 in Gemak with the option of watching either the documentary A Cry from the Grave (Leslie Woodhead, 1999), or the film Snow (Aida Begic, 2008) before the debate commences. Both films highlight the fall of Srebrenica from different perspectives; one from a journalist’s perspective, the other from a cinematic, poetic perspective.
The discussion will then commence – after a short break – at around 20.30.

 Frank Westerman (Emmen, 1964)

As a reporter for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, Frank Westerman visited many international conflict areas. Together with his colleague Bart Rijs he wrote the book Het Zwartste Scenario (The worst-case scenario). Rijs and Westerman were the only Dutch reporters who managed to reach the besieged Bosnian enclave Srebrenica. To reconstruct Srebrenica’s war years, they used secret VN documents and interviewed eye-witnesses, resulting in a book that reads as a thriller. (www.frankwesterman.nl)

Exhibition Friso Keuris – Dutchbat III,

5th June til 1st Augustus 2010

Fifteen years ago, the most-discussed UN mission took place, which The Netherlands was a part of. In Srebrenica almost 8000 muslim men were taken away by Bosnian Serbs, all under Dutch soldiers’ watch. A tragedy for modern history; for witnesses, a highly traumatic experience. Photographer Friso Keuris (1963) has produced a profound series of portraits of the former Dutch soldiers.
In 2006, Keuris began taking photographs of the Dutchbat III soldiers. His interest in eye witnesses of the high and low points of Dutch history was the reason for this project. The portraits of the veterans of Dutchbat III give a face to the individuals who, united, form the battalion that was witness to the largest mass murder in Europe (after the Second World War). What Keuris wishes to show is that this ‘anonymous’ group consists of all kinds of people, each with their own stories and motives. All find themselves in the same hell that has scarred them for good.

In the exhibition these personal stories are illustrated by use of a number of accompanying texts, personal photographs and sound bites.

With this exhibition and the accompanying book, which will be out later this year, Friso Keuris has made a ‘document humain’ in which the helplessness of the Dutchbat III and the individual is apparent.
The exhibition was opened on June 5th, in the presence of several Dutchbat III soldiers,  by Ad van Liempt, journalist & former editor in chief of Nova and creator of the television programme Andere tijden. 

Opening hours Gemak: Tuesday til Sunday: 12.00 – 17.00

Location Gemak: Vrije Academie, Paviljoensgracht 20 – 24, Den Haag

Entry: free of charge

! Please let us know if you plan on coming, rsvp via info@vrijeacademie.org