ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ziyah Gafić - Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram.

Why you should listen

Ziyah Gafić uses his camera to capture the aftermath of war. He has traveled to Pakistan, Iraq and Chechnya to capture beautiful portraits of people carrying on with their lives in the face of destruction; he has photographed the everyday lives of children in Rwanda, a generation born from the widespread use of rape as a weapon during the Rwandan genocide. A moving question runs through his work: After war, how do people manage to keep the fabric of society together?

Gafić's interest in this subject comes from his own biography. Born in Sarajevo, he was a teenager during the Bosnian War of the 1990s. Through photography, he parses what happened in his homeland. For his book Quest for Identity, Gafić photographed the watches, keys, shoes, combs and glasses exhumed from mass graves 20 years after the Bosnian War. These objects are cleaned, catalogued and used to help identify the bodies found with them, but afterwards, they become what Gafić calls “orphans of the narrative,” either destroyed or stored away out of sight and out of mind. His quest is to keep them in view as a last testament to the fact that these people existed, preserving them as an easily accessible visual archive that tells the story of what happened—integrating an objective forensic perspective with human compassion.

More profile about the speaker
Ziyah Gafić | Speaker | TED.com
TED2014

Ziyah Gafić: Everyday objects, tragic histories

Zijah Gafić (Ziyah Gafic): Svakodnevni predmeti, tragične prošlosti

Filmed:
1,040,925 views

Zijah Gafić fotografiše predmete iz naše svakodnevice - satove, cipele, naočare. Ali ove fotografije su zavaravajuće jednostavne; predmeti na njima su ekshumirani u masovnim grobnicama rata u Bosni. Gafić, TED Fellow i građanin Sarajeva, fotografisao je svaki predmet u ovim grobnicama kako bi napravio živuću arhivu identiteta onih koji su poginuli.
- Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
These are simplejednostavno objectsobjekata:
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Ovo su jednostavni predmeti:
00:14
clockssatovi, keystipke, combsglavnice, glassesnaočare.
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satovi, ključevi, češljevi, naočale.
00:18
They are the things the victimsžrtve of genocidegenocid in BosniaBosna
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To su stvari koje su
žrtve genocida u Bosni
00:20
carriednosi with them on theirnjihova finalfinale journeyputovanje.
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nosile sa sobom
na njihovom posljednjem putovanju.
00:23
We are all familiarpoznat with these mundanesvakodnevno,
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Svima su nam poznati ovi uobičajeni,
00:26
everydaysvaki dan objectsobjekata.
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svakodnevni predmeti.
00:27
The factčinjenica that some of the victimsžrtve carriednosi
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Činjenica da su neke od žrtava nosile
00:29
personallični itemsstavke suchtakve as
toothpastepasta za zube and a toothbrushčetkica za zube
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lične predmete poput
četkice i paste za zube
00:32
is a clearjasno signznak they had no ideaideja
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jasan je znak da nisu znali
00:35
what was about to happenda se desi to them.
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šta će im se ubrzo desiti.
00:37
UsuallyObično, they were told that they were going to be
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Uglavnom, govoreno im je da će biti
00:39
exchangedrazmjenjuju for prisonerszatvorenici of warrat.
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razmjenjeni za zarobljenike rata.
00:42
These itemsstavke have been recoveredObnova
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2013
Ovi predmeti su pronađeni
00:44
from numerousbrojni massmasa gravesgrobnice acrosspreko my homelanddomovina,
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u brojnim masovnim grobnicama
širom moje domovine,
00:47
and as we speakgovori, forensicsForenzika are exhumingekshumacije bodiestela
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i dok sada pričamo,
forenzičari ekshumiraju tijela
00:49
from newlynovo discoveredotkriveni massmasa gravesgrobnice,
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iz novootkrivene masovne grobnice,
00:51
20 yearsgodine after the warrat.
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20 godina poslije rata.
00:53
And it is quitesasvim possiblymoguće the largestnajveći ever discoveredotkriveni.
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I vjerovatno je najveća ikada otkrivena.
00:57
DuringTijekom the fourčetiri yearsgodine of conflictkonflikt
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Tokom četiri godine sukoba
00:59
that devastateddevastiran the Bosnianbosanski nationnacija in the earlyrano '90s,
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koji je razorio
bosansku naciju u ranim 90-im,
01:02
approximatelyotprilike 30,000 citizensgrađani, mainlyuglavnom civilianscivila,
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oko 30.000 građana, uglavnom civila
01:05
wentotišao missingnestala, presumedpretpostavlja se da killedubijen,
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je nestalo, vjerovatno ubijeno,
01:07
and anotherdrugi 100,000 were killedubijen
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i još 100.000 je ubijeno
01:09
duringtokom combatborba operationsoperacije.
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tokom ratnih operacija.
01:11
MostVećina of them were killedubijen
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Većina njih je ubijena
01:13
eitherbilo to in the earlyrano daysdana of the warrat
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ili u prvim danima rata
01:14
or towardsprema the endkraj of the hostilitiesneprijateljstvima,
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ili pri kraju sukoba,
01:16
when U.N. safesigurno zoneszone like SrebrenicaSrebrenica
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kada su sigurne zone UN-a,
poput Srebrenice,
01:19
fellpao into the handsruke of the SerbSrba armyvojska.
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pale u ruke srpske vojske.
01:22
The internationalmeđunarodni criminalkriminalac tribunalsud
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Međunarodni tribunal
01:24
deliveredisporučeno a numberbroj of sentencesrečenice
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je izrekao nekoliko presuda
01:26
for crimesza zločine againstprotiv humanityčovečanstvo and genocidegenocid.
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za zločine protiv čovječnosti i genocida.
01:29
GenocideGenocid is a systematicsustavno and deliberatenamjerno
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Genocid je sistematsko i namjerno
01:32
destructionuništenje of a racialrasni, politicalpolitički, religiousreligiozno
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uništavanje rasnih, političkih, vjerskih
01:36
or ethnicetnički groupgrupa.
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ili etničkih grupa.
01:37
As much as genocidegenocid is about killingubistvo.
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Koliko god je genocid vezan za ubijanje,
01:40
It is alsotakođe about destroyinguništavajući theirnjihova propertyimovina,
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toliko ima veze
i sa uništavanjem njihove imovine,
01:43
theirnjihova culturalkulturno heritagebaština,
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njihovog kulturološkog nasljeđa,
01:45
and ultimatelyna kraju the very notionpojam that they ever existedpostojala.
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i u konačnici bilo kakvog traga
o tome da su oni ikada i postojali.
01:48
GenocideGenocid is not only about the killingubistvo;
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Genocid nije samo ubijanje;
01:51
it is about the deniednegiran identityidentitet.
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to je i osporavanje identiteta.
01:54
There are always tracestragova
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Uvijek postoje tragovi -
01:55
no suchtakve thing as a perfectsavršeno crimekriminal.
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ne postoji savršen zločin.
01:57
There are always remnantsostaci of the perishedsu poginuli onesone
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Uvijek postoje ostaci poginulih
02:00
that are more durableizdržljiv than theirnjihova fragilekrhka bodiestela
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koji su dugotrajnijih
od njihovih krhkih tijela
02:02
and our selectiveselektivni and fadingnestaje memorymemorije of them.
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i našeg selektivnog
i slabog sjećanja na njih.
02:06
These itemsstavke are recoveredObnova
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Ovi predmeti su pronađeni
u brojnim masovnim grobnicama,
02:09
from numerousbrojni massmasa gravesgrobnice,
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02:10
and the mainglavni goalcilj of this collectionkolekcija of the itemsstavke
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i glavni cilj ove zbirke predmeta
02:13
is a uniquejedinstven processproces
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je jedinstven proces
02:15
of identifyingidentificiranje those who disappearednestao in the killingsubojstva,
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identifikacije onih koji
su nestali tokom zločina,
02:18
the first actčiniti of genocidegenocid on EuropeanEuropski soilzemljište
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prvog genodica na tlu Evrope
02:21
sinceod tada the HolocaustHolokaust.
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nakon Holokausta.
02:22
Not a singlesingl bodytelo should remainostaje undiscoveredneotkrivena
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Niti jedno tijelo ne bi trebalo
ostati neotkriveno
02:25
or unidentifiedNeidentificirani.
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ili neidentificirano.
02:27
OnceJednom recoveredObnova,
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Kada budu pronađeni,
02:28
these itemsstavke that the victimsžrtve carriednosi with them
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ovi predmeti koje su žrtve nosile sa sobom
02:31
on theirnjihova way to executionizvršenje
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na njihovom putu ka egzekuciji
02:33
are carefullypažljivo cleanedočišćeno, analyzedanalizirano,
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su pažljivo očišćeni, analizirani,
katalogizirani i uskladišteni.
02:35
cataloguedkatalogizira and storedpohranjeni.
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02:37
ThousandsTisuće of artifactsartefakti are
packedupakovan in whitebela plasticplastika bagstorbe
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Na hiljade predmeta je upakovano
u bijele plastične kesice
02:40
just like the onesone you see on CSICSI.
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baš poput onih koje gledate na CSI-u.
02:43
These objectsobjekata are used as a forensicforenzički toolalat
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Ovi predmeti se koriste
kao forenzički dokazi
02:45
in visualvizuelni identificationidentifikacija of the victimsžrtve,
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prilikom vizuelne idektifikacije žrtava
02:48
but they are alsotakođe used as
very valuablevredno forensicforenzički evidencedokaze
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ali također služe i kao veoma vrijedni
forenzički dokazi
02:51
in the ongoingu toku warrat crimesza zločine trialssuđenja.
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u sadašnjim suđenjima za ratne zločine.
02:54
SurvivorsPreživjeli are occasionallypovremeno calledpozvana
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Preživjeli bivaju povremeno pozvani
02:56
to try to identifyidentifikovati these itemsstavke physicallyfizički,
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da pokušaju identifikovati
ove predmete fizički,
02:59
but physicalfizički browsingpregledavajući is extremelyekstremno difficultteško,
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ali fizičko prepoznavanje
je veoma zahtjevno,
03:02
an ineffectiveneučinkovit and painfulbolan processproces.
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neefikasno i veoma je bolan proces.
03:05
OnceJednom the forensicsForenzika and doctorsdoktori and lawyersadvokati
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Kada forenzičari, doktori i advokati
završe sa korištenjem ovih predmeta,
03:09
are donezavršeno with these objectsobjekata,
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03:10
they becomepostati orphanssiročadi of the narrativenarativ.
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oni postaju siročad ove priče.
03:13
ManyMnogi of them get destroyeduništeno, believe it or not,
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Mnogi od njih bivaju uništeni,
vjerovali ili ne,
03:16
or they get simplyjednostavno shelvedpolice,
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ili jednostavno uskladišteni,
03:17
out of sightvid and out of mindum.
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daleko od očiju i od uma.
03:20
I decidedodlučio a fewnekoliko yearsgodine agopre
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Prije nekoliko godina sam odlučio
03:22
to photographfotografija everysvaki singlesingl exhumedekshumirano itemstavka
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da fotografišem svaki ekshumirani predmet
03:25
in ordernaruči to createstvoriti a visualvizuelni archivearhiva
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kako bih napravio vizuelnu arhivu
03:27
that survivorsPostako što što što što što što što što što Post Imageswewe iii could easilylako browsePregledaj.
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koju preživjeli mogu
sa lahkoćom pretraživati.
03:30
As a storytellerPripovjedač, I like to give back to the communityzajednica.
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Budući da sam pripovjedač,
volim raditi za zajednicu,
03:34
I like to movekretati se beyondšire raisingpodizanje awarenesssvesnost.
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volim ići iza podizanja svijesti.
03:37
And in this caseslučaj, someoneneko maymože
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I u ovom slučaju, neko bi mogao
03:39
recognizeprepoznati these itemsstavke
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prepoznati ove predmete
03:41
or at leastnajmanje theirnjihova photographsfotografije will remainostaje
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ili će barem njihove fotografije ostati
03:43
as a permanenttrajno, unbiasednepristran and accuratetačan reminderpodsjetnik
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kao trajni, nepristrasni
i precizni podsjetnik
03:47
of what happeneddogodilo se.
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o tome šta se desilo.
03:49
PhotographyFotografije is about empathyempatija,
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Fotografija je vezana za empatiju,
03:51
and the familiarityupoznatost of these
itemsstavke guaranteegarancija empathyempatija.
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i to koliko su ovi predmeti
poznati garantuje empatiju.
03:54
In this caseslučaj, I am merelysamo a toolalat,
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U ovom slučaju, ja sam samo sredstvo,
03:57
a forensicforenzički, if you like,
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forenzičar, ako želite,
03:59
and the resultrezultat is a photographyfotografija that is as closezatvori
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i rezultat je fotografija koja je najbliža
04:01
as possiblemoguće of beingbiće a documentdokument.
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tome da bude dokument.
04:04
OnceJednom all the missingnestala personsosobe are identifiedidentifikovane,
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Jednom kada sve nestale osobe
budu identifikovane,
jedino će nijhova tijela
u njihovim grobovima
04:07
only decayingpropadaju bodiestela in theirnjihova gravesgrobnice
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04:09
and these everydaysvaki dan itemsstavke will remainostaje.
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i ovi uobičajeni predmeti ostati.
04:11
In all theirnjihova simplicityjednostavnost,
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Uz svu njihovu jednostavnost,
04:13
these itemsstavke are the last testamenttestament
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ovi predmeti su posljednji svjedok
04:15
to the identityidentitet of the victimsžrtve,
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identiteta žrtava,
04:17
the last permanenttrajno reminderpodsjetnik
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posljednji vječni podsjetnik
04:19
that these people ever existedpostojala.
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da su ovi ljudi ikada postojali.
04:21
Thank you very much.
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Hvala vam.
(Aplauz)
04:23
(ApplausePljesak)
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Translated by Muamer Seljubac
Reviewed by Adisa Ejubovic

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ziyah Gafić - Photographer + storyteller
To help him come to terms with the tragedy of his own homeland, Bosnian photographer Ziyah Gafić turns his camera on the aftermath of conflict, showing his images in galleries, in books and on Instagram.

Why you should listen

Ziyah Gafić uses his camera to capture the aftermath of war. He has traveled to Pakistan, Iraq and Chechnya to capture beautiful portraits of people carrying on with their lives in the face of destruction; he has photographed the everyday lives of children in Rwanda, a generation born from the widespread use of rape as a weapon during the Rwandan genocide. A moving question runs through his work: After war, how do people manage to keep the fabric of society together?

Gafić's interest in this subject comes from his own biography. Born in Sarajevo, he was a teenager during the Bosnian War of the 1990s. Through photography, he parses what happened in his homeland. For his book Quest for Identity, Gafić photographed the watches, keys, shoes, combs and glasses exhumed from mass graves 20 years after the Bosnian War. These objects are cleaned, catalogued and used to help identify the bodies found with them, but afterwards, they become what Gafić calls “orphans of the narrative,” either destroyed or stored away out of sight and out of mind. His quest is to keep them in view as a last testament to the fact that these people existed, preserving them as an easily accessible visual archive that tells the story of what happened—integrating an objective forensic perspective with human compassion.

More profile about the speaker
Ziyah Gafić | Speaker | TED.com