TON GROOT HAAR – MIRSAD ISMET IZET
In his extensive documentary project, which resulted in a publication, the Dutch photographer Ton Groot Haar (b. 1957) tells a story of three brothers from Sanski Most in Bosnia. After the outbreak of the Bosnian War and the resulting death of Ismet - the oldest brother - Kuburić family is forced to flee the country and seek asylum in The Netherlands.
The publication comprised of four parts, each printed on a different-size paper and hand-stitched into one whole story. The folder-like cover, draws out Groot Haar’s bus journey from The Netherlands through Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia down to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Touched by the story of his friend Mirsad - the youngest brother - Groot Haar begins a long term investigation into the history of the Kubrić family, living between two different worlds: The Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At the beginning of the book we are introduced to Mirsad, the only brother who still lives in The Netherlands. One day, him and his son Aky made a cardboard model of a house they dreamed of building in Sanski Most. Unfortunately, due to a sudden death of Aky, the house was never finished nor inhabited.
When turning the publication around, we can read into the story of Izet, the middle brother, who after years spent in The Netherlands returns to Sanski Most with his wife. Despite the economically and politically unstable situation of Bosnia, Izet finds peace in the countryside, surrounded by nature and farm animals.
At the heart of the book, sits a tribute to Ismet, the oldest brother, tragically murdered at the start of the civil war in Bosnia in 1992. The archival photographs of him and his family are accompanied by a text, summarising the history of former Yugoslavia and its gory transformation.
Apart from portraying the unique story of the Kubrić brother, Groot Harr documents his journeys across various borderlands. In addition, the large format photographs of the flowing waters of Sana river - recurring every now and then, when flipping though the publication - give the project a poetic touch, opening it up to an important discussion about migration and borders.