Stills of the white city by Rokas Jankus
These are candid street photographs taken in the city of Belgrade, documenting the lives of its people amidst a period of political and social transition. Belgrade, also known as "Beograd" by the Serbs, meaning "White City" in Serbian, is a place where daily life is sometimes melancholic and sometimes rational.
I had the opportunity to live in Belgrade for almost half a year as part of an artist residency program. The city is several decades behind cultural and social centers in Europe, with the mindset of its people, clothing, events, daily life, and trends reminding me of times past. Despite this, some technological aspects of daily life are more modern than in parts of its northern neighbors. Perhaps this is because the Yugoslavian War is still fresh in people's memories, especially those from my generation. Additionally, recent conflicts with ex-Yugoslavian neighbors by the end of the last century may have also prevented Serbia's progress.
Today, the Republic of Serbia and Belgrade are in a transition process, torn between joining the European Union and trying to remain independent. However, the country's path forward is being slowed down by corrupt politicians, in addition to an economic crisis and high inflation. Belgrade is an outgoing and active city, with people always on the move, yet the pace of life is slower here, making punctuality less important.
These pictures are a result of my perception as a guest in Belgrade and its citizens. This ongoing series was captured with a monochrome sensor camera and just one lens, allowing me to focus solely on the subjects without distractions.
Rokas, an architect and photographer, was born 38 years ago in Vilnius, Lithuania. Today, he is based in Hamburg, Germany where he passionately captures daily life through sensors, film, and paper. He seeks to find beauty, or the absurd, in commonplace situations without any predefined aim. Instead, he likes to utilize his intuition and feeling of a place or situation to create something unique after the process of shooting. To him, photography is a visualisation of his thoughts and emotions, serving as a self-portrait during a specific moment in time. The pictures he takes reflect his changing feelings as time passes.
