Between The Lines: Identity, Censorship, and Memory

In the Balkans, identity has never been simple. Shaped by empires, wars, migrations, and shifting politics, it has always been a subject of negotiation. Media and political discourse often push us into predefined roles – as members, traitors, victims, or heroes – rarely leaving space for complexity, self-exploration, or personal choice.

My work explores themes of censorship and propaganda—how they shape the context in which content is presented and, ultimately, how societies see themselves and others. In Eastern Europe, where I’m from, censorship is often associated with authoritarian regimes, media control, and state propaganda. Rather than open discourse, information is frequently filtered through political structures. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, where I now live, direct state censorship is less common, but corporate and economic forces exert their own influence. Mass media is shaped by capitalist interests, and social media algorithms further manipulate our perception of reality.

The work uses censorship as a visual tool to reveal how information is selectively presented, narratives are imposed, and possibilities for thought are narrowed. In the blacked-out lines and the visible letters, hidden questions emerge—not to dictate answers, but to create space for questioning personal and collective identity.

The five guiding questions in these works lead us through key reflections on identity, belonging, and perception:
1. How much of what you believe is truly yours?
2. Can non-belonging turn into freedom, or does it remain just emptiness?
3. How much of what could change your life for the better do you avoid being aware of, and if you stopped avoiding it, would you eliminate the blind spots that are destroying your life?
4. What would you see if you looked at your own country the way you look at others?
5. Who would you be without the stories you have been told about yourself?

Balkan identity is often shaped at the intersection of personal and collective memory, historical trauma, and political narratives. These works do not offer conclusions but invite the viewer to fill in the gaps—to read between the lines and ask themselves: Is identity something we choose, something we are given, or what remains when all the stories about us disappear?