SOTIRI
International Prize
for Young Photographers
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Evangelia Zotou (Greece - Netherlands)
“New documentary” 2007.

Fotot jane te shkrepura brenda nje fortese te vjeter ne Utrecht, Hollande (1816).
Ajo eshte nje shenje e lidhur ngushte me historine e vendit por nuk eshte fotografuar si e tille. Ajo eshte nje hapesire e ndricuar dhe e dokumetuar si e tille me gjithe atmosferen e saj mistike, duke kerkuart te rievokoje historine dhe te kaluaren. Ashtu te ngrira, keto pjese interiori, vec historise qe mbartin, ndertojne nje lloj autonomie, qe ngre pyetje mbi vendin, historine, hapesiren dhe marredhenien e tyre me keto hapesira te ndricuara ne kohe. Ato e ftojne shikuesi te ndjeke instinktin e tij dhe te konceptoje keto hapesira pertej kohes dhe historise te tyre, si hapesira alternative per te ndertuar nje histori imagjinare personale.

The selective photos are a representation of an old fortress established in 1816, in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Its first and main reason of existence was to defend against the Spanish invaders and colonizers. The fort per se is a historical monument, related as such to the history of the country. However the photos describe the place from a different aspect with the light playing an important role: creating mystic atmosphere, reviving old legends and enriching viewer’s imagination. The interiors are being transformed into spaces with geometrical forms and abstract shapes. This transformation gives them autonomy and makes them existing objects ready to carry the viewer away in fields where he has to question his own relation with history and space.

With my work I do not intend to increase the uncontested value of a historical monument, rather my interest consists in suggesting new environments which can be variously interpreted and approached. As such the photos, invite the viewer to travel through them to a place where he has to relay on his imagination and create thus his own perceptions, stories and memories. In this case the photos create alternative spaces which invite you to be part of a public history that you can transform to a personal one.