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70 x 140 cm
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Sublimation print on a towel
(In)tangible Cultural Heritage explores the evolution of a traditional religious ceremony in Serbia into a politically charged spectacle—an elaborate performance infused with church uniforms, military insignia, pyrotechnics, and drones, all conspiring to stir emotions among an impoverished population. On the day of Christ’s baptism, hundreds of semi-naked men, led by police officers and priests, gather on the Epiphany plateau along the Danube. During the ceremony, participants kneel and swear an oath to defend their faith, their country, and its recently lost territories. Over 500 men then leap into the icy waters of the Danube, swimming 33 meters—practically in the muddy waters they themselves have created. The photographs were taken annually on January 19, from 2019 to 2025, at various locations near the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Printed on large, soft cotton towels, the images evoke the warmth and nostalgia of summer holidays, providing a stark contrast to the severity of the swimmers’ ritual. These intimate details—goosebumps, tattoos, embraces—portray the participants as vulnerable individuals caught in a larger ideological structure, manipulated as tools for political propaganda. Emotions—though inherently human—are increasingly commodified and politicized, especially in hybrid regimes. The exploitation of these emotions becomes more evident when we observe shifts in font choices on the swimmers’ official shirts: when aligning with Russia, the fonts are more traditional and Orthodox; but when purchasing fighter jets from France, the fonts change to a more modern, sans-serif style. These subtle shifts highlight the deep connection between geopolitics and national identity, showing how emotions—once deeply personal—are now entwined with political agendas, manipulated as tools for ideological purposes.
