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Following the Dayton Accord in 1996, a Pro Helvetia scholarship took Al-Ahram photographer Khaled El-Fiqi to three Bosnian cities -- Sarajevo, Mostar and Tuzla -- where he sought to capture the quality of daily life in the wake of the horrific ravages of war. Twisted remains of burnt-out cars in an abandoned parking lot, solemn faces of old men praying, a helpless family scampering around a derelict garden collecting firewood -- the 31 black-and-white images that El-Fiqi came back with are indeed records of everyday life in a time of peace, but the war is not yet over, tension prevails and there is danger at hand. What these pictures ultimately evoke is a delicate, paper-thin layer of serenity enveloping the rage and frustration of war-damaged individuals struggling to cope with their loss, the pathos and melancholy of a scarred landscape, and the efforts of a helpless society slowly and painfully coming to itself. Previously exhibited in Switzerland, these works are now on show at the Sony Gallery, AUC Main Campus, until 25 March.
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