BLURRING THE LINES
BLURRING THE LINES

Mirre Wijnja

A Shared Line

EDITION

2021

school

Academie voor Kunst en Vormgeving St. Joost
Breda, The Netherlands

In March 2021, I travelled for my graduation project in compliance with the Covid-19 rules to Northern Ireland. The project A Shared Line is a site specific investigation into what it means to call this place ‘home’. During my walks I have photographed the border and I have portrayed people I met along the way. Since 1998, the Northern Irish border is invisible which is a symbol of peace. Although most of the violence has subsides, Northern Ireland is still a country of division. The present Northern Ireland border was created in 1921, so this year the border exists a hundred years. This is a unique moment in history. Therefore I would like to continue working on this project after graduating in June 2021 to bring the work back to its context. Within the Irish/Catholic and British/Protestant communities, there is talk of the past for fear of periods of conflict, again. I have the feeling avoiding contact with ‘the other’ and shunning to talk about the past, is false peace. Once, George Santayana said: “Those who can’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” The box, filled with portraits, images of the border area and quotes from inhabitants of Northern Ireland, is an invitation to start a dialogue about the conflict. With this travelling archive I continue coming months my research into how photography can contribute to the process of reconciliation.

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Mirre Wijnja

A Shared Line

EDITION

2021

school

Academie voor Kunst en Vormgeving St. Joost
Breda, The Netherlands

In March 2021, I travelled for my graduation project in compliance with the Covid-19 rules to Northern Ireland. The project A Shared Line is a site specific investigation into what it means to call this place ‘home’. During my walks I have photographed the border and I have portrayed people I met along the way. Since 1998, the Northern Irish border is invisible which is a symbol of peace. Although most of the violence has subsides, Northern Ireland is still a country of division. The present Northern Ireland border was created in 1921, so this year the border exists a hundred years. This is a unique moment in history. Therefore I would like to continue working on this project after graduating in June 2021 to bring the work back to its context. Within the Irish/Catholic and British/Protestant communities, there is talk of the past for fear of periods of conflict, again. I have the feeling avoiding contact with ‘the other’ and shunning to talk about the past, is false peace. Once, George Santayana said: “Those who can’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” The box, filled with portraits, images of the border area and quotes from inhabitants of Northern Ireland, is an invitation to start a dialogue about the conflict. With this travelling archive I continue coming months my research into how photography can contribute to the process of reconciliation.

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