Part I

For the past 25 years, I've immersed myself in work, driven by a mantra my father often repeated: "Work will set you free." However, it was only recently that I discovered the true origin of these words—'Arbeit macht frei.'

Growing up, my father's philosophy was simple yet stern: "Shut up and work." he didnt say it like that but this approach became a part of me, influenced in equal measure by my father's relentless work ethic—he was, undeniably, a workaholic—and my own natural inclination towards industriousness.

However, a lingering curiosity about the history of that saying led me to an unexpected revelation. It turns out the phrase gained notoriety during World War II, a fact that initially eluded me. Reflecting on it, the pieces started to fall into place. My father was born in 1942, in the shadows of a war-torn world. Both my grands, carried the legacies of their time—my grandfather, notably, was a committed communist , while my grandmother from father side was a school teacher / professor.

Understanding the phrase's dark historical context, I began to see my father's words in a new light. It wasn't just a motto for diligence; it was a vestige of his upbringing in a post-war era, a complex interweaving of history, personal philosophy, and the indelible marks left by a world recovering from unimaginable turmoil.

The 1990s brought another war, one that, to my mind, seemed largely ignored by the broader world. For five to six years, as we were entrenched in conflict, the politicians and the so-called world protector, the USA, imposed an embargo that infringed on our basic human right to self-defense, only to then, in what seemed an act of grace, bomb the Yugoslavian army. 

If you are interested in learning more about this war you can visit BBC brief guide  that explains what happened or even better see the 6 part BBC documentary called The Death of Yugoslavia: Enter Nationalism.

Its truly great documentary and i highly recommend to anyone who is interested.

 

 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conducted a bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 24 March 1999 to 9 June 1999. That marked the end of the war, but for those of us living in these territories, the war never truly ended. The idea of becoming an artist in the complexity of this new world, a world into which I was immigrating, seemed like something out of a book or a movie. "Crazy" is the only word that comes to mind.

But in 1995, after my service in the army, I arrived in Canada and embarked on a new life, fuelled by a renewed dream. Here, I believed, I could continue working on my profession as an artist, free from the shadows of my past and the conflicts that had shaped so much of my experience.....

 

                                                                                                       To be continued