Photo Exhibition “Vulnerable and Forgotten People” Opens in Zurich

The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of guests from the diplomatic corps, the business community, representatives of cultural and artistic institutions, as well as members of the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland. Among those present were the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to Switzerland, Ivan Trifunović, the Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Arno Gujon, and the exhibition’s author, South African photographer Katharine Cooper.

Addressing the audience at the KUNSThouse gallery, Arno Gujon emphasized that the exhibition aims to bring the everyday reality of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija closer to an international audience and to highlight the challenges they face in preserving their identity, cultural heritage, and religious traditions. He also pointed to similarities between the situation of the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija and the suffering of Christian communities in the Middle East.

“The events unfolding in Kosovo and Metohija are taking place in the heart of Europe, only a few hours from Zurich, Paris, or Brussels. Our mission is not to discuss political issues or international law, but rather to portray, through human stories, emotions, and the everyday lives of families living there, a reality that often remains invisible to the wider public,” Gujon stated.

Katharine Cooper explained that through her photographic work she seeks to document the lives of people who, because of their faith or origin, are exposed to persecution, discrimination, and social isolation. According to her, photography serves not only as a way to preserve their testimonies but also to demonstrate the resilience of communities that, despite numerous challenges, manage to preserve their identity, traditions, and dignity.

The exhibition features a selection of photographs from several of the artist’s projects dedicated to communities affected by conflict, displacement, and social marginalization. Particular attention is given to works created during her visits to Kosovo and Metohija in 2016 and 2025, documenting the everyday lives of the Serbian population living in enclaves and the challenges they face. Visitors also had the opportunity to view photographs taken in regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as well as in the Middle East, specifically Syria and Iraq.

The exhibition curator, Ida Sinkević, noted that Katharine Cooper’s photographs carry a powerful humanitarian message, reminding viewers that behind statistics, political analyses, and media reports stand real people with their own life stories, names, and identities.

The exhibition “Vulnerable and Forgotten People” invites the public to recognize the human dimension of contemporary crises beyond political narratives and numbers. Through carefully documented scenes from Kosovo and Metohija, Africa, and the Middle East, the author creates space for reflection on universal themes of vulnerability, survival, and human dignity, giving a voice to communities whose stories often remain on the margins of the modern world.

The strong public interest and the many positive reactions from attendees once again confirmed the importance of cultural events that, through art, encourage dialogue, mutual understanding, and the preservation of collective memory.