On June 11th 2024, the ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ exhibition opened at the historic National Museum of Kosovo in Pristina. It was launched by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Mr Albin Kurti, Lord George Robertson and HE Mr Jonathan Hargreaves, the British Ambassador to Kosovo. The launch was attended by many other distinguished guests.
World events are happening all the time but it is not long before the world moves on. Histories are written and often fought over about the largest themes and significances but all too often the stories of those who worked the hardest, achieved the most and deserve so much credit are overlooked and forgotten. To bring those stories to life and earn the attention they deserve demands storytelling of the highest order. In the 20th century and now into the 21st, that storytelling became visual and whilst there has been an increasing and global coverage, only a few practitioners have achieved more than the record and extended their documentary practice to become an art form that serves to go beyond the communication of events into the sharing of feelings, experiences and lives.
This is what ‘KFOR and Kosovo+25’ is about, when the exhibition was first presented in 2001 and now, 25 years later in a new form restored, extended and updated for the present day.
In 1999, KFOR, the NATO led international peace keeping force, entered Kosovo following resolution 1244 by the United Nations Security Council. 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of that deployment.
Documentary photographer Nick Sidle was attached to KFOR in the early stages of the operation and produced a unique record of the work of the peacekeepers showing troops from nine different countries including nineteen individual regiments or units from the United Kingdom and the United States, the two largest contributors to KFOR. His photostory also captured a picture of ordinary life for the men, women and children of Kosovo at what was an extraordinary time.
The restoration and exploration of the archive of original film material he produced is underway and ‘the story so far’ opened as the exhibition ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ at the National Museum of Kosovo to time with the anniversary.
The exhibition was presented across two galleries at the National Museum and included 83 images from the full 200-image exhibition. The rest of the photostory is still in the process of being restored.
The exhibition included several short photostories. Some of these were presented in triplets throughout the exhibition, as many as the space would allow, in the case of the images on the right, the story of a blown fuse and below, the role of KFOR doctors running medical clinics for the population in a setting where basic civic services, including GP surgeries, had ceased to function. These were everyday situations, recognisable to all populations and allowing them to ‘step into’ the world of Kosovo as it was 25 years ago.
As well as the stories told within single images or groups of images, as in the triplets, the exhibition as a whole was presented in two clockwise circles in each gallery, to tell a further story, following the ‘Story Circle’ format as developed by Heartstone in all its programmes.
The launch event was very well attended with the Prime Minister and other special guests including Ministers and several Ambassadors.
VIP guests included from right: Ms Saranda Bogujevci – Vice-President, Parliament of Kosovo, Ms Mimoza Kusari-Lila – Head of the Vetevendosje Parliamentary Group, Ms Nila Joshi, Co-Director – Heartstone HCISC, Lord George Robertson, Sitakumari, Director – Heartstone, Prime Minister Mr Albin Kurti, HE Mr Jonathan Hargreaves – UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Ms RozetaHajdari – Minister of Industry, Entrepreneuriship and Trade, Mr Hajrullah Ceku – Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mr Besim Muzaqi – Member of the Assembly, Ms Emilija Rexhepi – Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo.
Speakers from left to right: Sitakumari – Heartstone Director, Vjollca Aliu – Dep Director National Museum, who welcomed everyone to the exhibition and event, Lord George Robertson, Prime Minister Mr Albin Kurti, Mr Besim Muzaqi – Member of the Assembly, HE Mr Jonathan Hargreaves – UK Ambassador to Kosovo
Prime Minister Mr Albin Kurti said:
“From being a political prisoner on June 10, I became a prisoner of war. It’s those first two and a half years that I don’t know because I’ve been locked away and isolated, and all these exhibitions and shows and performances that take us back 25 years are not the kind that make me recall but make me learn about what I missed. Therefore, I thank the organiser with the deepest gratitude for this.”
Remembering the days of the war, the prime minister emphasised, “this exhibition takes us back to the first months of freedom and brings to light an important historical period for all of us, it brings us the contrast between the inhumanity of a regime and the gracious beauty of humanity. Especially in this exhibition you can see the ordinary life of people in different situations which humanity makes the same. So you will be able to see the non-events of life that make life a good event and this unique photo-documentation by photographer and journalist Nick Sidle is a testament to the courage and sacrifices of those who have contributed to peace in our country”.
Lord George Robertson, pictured here, at right, in the second gallery of the exhibition said:
‘This is not simply a photoexhibition, it is a living memorial to a unique moment in our history. The stories encapsulated in the photos, captured so sympathetically by the embedded photographer, Nick Sidle, tell about the way in which a military victory was followed by a brilliant humanitarian exercise to stabilize a war-torn country.
In the Tower of London and in the National Museum of Kosovo, the images have electrified the audience and I have seen people engaged as hardly ever before. It is visually powerful but accompanied also by the accounts of those in the photos and their story has a serious message for all of us.
The confict in Kosovo, exactly twenty five years ago, involved thousands of troops from the UK and a number of other countries. It led to the liberation of Kosovo, now an independent country and an end to the horrific ethnic cleansing of Slobodan Milosovic. Their role is captured in these photos and the stories they provoke. It is an exhibition to inspire, reassure and enhance our nation and a quarter of a century on should be seen more widely…..’
Sitakumari presented the background to the story gathered in 2000-1 by photojournalist Nick Sidle, capturing the human story and a genuine ‘moment of time’, Heartstone’s approach to all its photo stories, why the story was important then and its continuing value now, how it is being used across the UK, including reaching the next generation, and the key messages it puts across.
HE Jonathan Hargreaves, UK Ambassador to Kosovo, at left, also spoke of the importance and value of the photodocumentary for the world today as well as capturing a key moment in Kosovo’s history.
As well as speakers in person, the event included online Lord David Hannay – Chair of the UN All Party Parliamentary Group in the UK Houses of Parliament, Lord Clive Soley, Nick Sidle – the photographer for ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’, Billy Miller – one of the veterans in the photos, Nuala Riddell-Morales – Director CDP, Dr Gari Donn – Director UNA Scotland, Dr Maureen Sier – Director Interfaith Scotland, Cllr Leslie-anne Niven – Armed Forces Champion, Highland Council, Philip Parker for the National Memorial Arboretum + other guests.
Sitakumari presented the exhibition to the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other main guests. The image of the soldier with the little girl in an alley with wall covered in graffiti seen here became well known in 2000 and was circulated worldwide. It has acquired a prominent place once again.
Protecting religious sites, supporting returned refugees, delivering aid, escorting civilians to work were all part of the day-to-day actions of KFOR and captured in the images.
Visiting people in their homes, conducting ‘stop and search’ for illegal weapons, helping rebuild homes, farmers planting fields needing to know where mines might be hidden, coping with extreme cold weather are all scenes captured in the story.
While commenting on the photographs, the prime minister emphasised ‘…it is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of international cooperation and the valuable contribution of KFOR, of which NATO was the substance.’
Alongside those who have contributed to this exhibition, the prime minister expressed gratitude to all the peacekeepers who have served and are serving in Kosovo.
Special guests to the exhibition included Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, pictured here being taken round the exhibition. She pointed out an important angle in many of the images including children – before the arrival of KFOR, children were most often afraid of soldiers, so the images captured the social change that had occurred following the deployment.
Ms Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Head of Vetevendosje Parliamentary Group, is pictured below with Sitakumari.
The Ministry of Culture had provided funds to ensure the exhibition could take shape at the Museum.
The photodocumentary captivated the guests. Strong media coverage ensured news of the launch and exhibition spread to the widest population.
As a result of popular demand, the exhibition has remained open at the Museum beyond its planned dates.
Following the success of the exhibition, plans are now underway to expand the exhibition, building the connection further with the National Museum of Kosovo and bring a more substantial exhibition in the coming year, adding in the stories of people and soldiers in the images who are being tracked down for this purpose making this an even more unique exhibition commemorating the events of 25 years ago.
This will form the full-scale restored exhibition in 2025.
Above: the key members of the team in Kosovo who made the exhibition happen together with the Heartstone team who were present at the launch celebrating a successful launch.
From left: Jerry Piper – Co-Director Heartstone CISC, Tomorr Arifi – Curator, National Museum, Alban Bakija – Custos, National Museum, Vjollca Aliu – Deputy Director National Museum, Sitakumari – Director Heartstone, Nila Joshi – Co-Director Heartstone CISC
Particular thanks to Custos Alban Bakija, pictured above 2nd from right with Curator Tomorr Arifi, 1st on left, Sitakumari and one of the key members of his team, Mr Izri Gashi, 1st on right, for their exceptional care in mounting this exhibition for the 25th Anniversary. The two other key team members were Mr Izet Brajshori and Mr Shkelzen Berisha. Others who helped to stage this exhibition included the interpreter who took part at the launch seen at right with Sitakumari. For most of those in the team, the exhibition had brought back personal memories making it even more poignant and relevant at this time.
Our grateful thanks to the Ministry of Culture for their funding and support for this staging at the National Museum of Kosovo and to the following supporters and funders without whom this exhibition would not have taken place:
Lord George Robertson
Lord Michael Hintze
Babcock International
Thales
Photo below: The National Museum of Kosovo on the day of the launch
