This is Laurent Hazgui’s presentation of the exhibition Conflits Gelés at PCP Photographie:
The explosion of the Soviet bloc has given birth to territories where life seems to have stopped on December 26th, 1991. Four separatist states, whose status, according to the Organization for Security for and Co-operation in Europe, is “frozen conflict,” have been at war since the declaration of their independence: Transnistria (Moldova), South Ossetia (Georgia), Abkhazia (Georgia) and Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenia/Azerbaijan).
These de facto states, no larger than a county and unrecognized by the international community, all share the constant threat of military conflict—for example, the 2008 war in South Ossetia—and the “frozen” atmosphere, which freezes both borders and men’s minds.
Physically “frozen” by the visible traces of armed conflict and by nature as it takes back what is rightly its own. “Frozen” into subordination to Russia, which replaced the USSR as a political and economic supra-authority. “Frozen” in the minds of people, who have difficulty making plans facing an uncertain future.
The concept of territory is ill-defined. The trappings of state—institutions, borders, money, flags—are not enough to make us ignore the feeling of crossing through fictitious states whose appearance is maintained by political power. Fear of a new war, corruption, illegal trafficking, high drug and alcohol consumption are the consequences of these territories that lie closer to the “Far East” than the rule of law.
How is everyday life in these territories in limbo? The international non-recognition, the absence of infrastructure, a flat economy, the near impossibility of travel, and the discrimination against minorities makes it hard to imagine a future for its people.
To varying degrees of visibility, Russia makes (geo-strategic) use of these territories to maintain its sphere of political and economic influence—as in the days of the USSR—over former Soviet States (Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) who are now looking towards Europe.
Twenty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the citizens of these “frozen” territories have yet to turn the page.
EXHIBITION
Conflits Gelés by Laurent Hazgui
September 25th – November 13th 2014
PCP Photographie
258, rue de Marcadet
75018 Paris
France
From Monday to Friday (9:00am-7:00pm)
Saturday (10:00am-2:00pm)
