Born: 2001, Serbia
Profession: Student of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad
Lives and works: Novi sad, Serbia
BLURRY MEMORIES
My project Blurry Memories documents the life of my 78-year-old grandmother, Mária, as she transitions from living independently to life in a nursing home due to dementia. After 49 years of marriage, my grandfather passed away suddenly. Living alone, my grandmother became increasingly dependent on us for her daily needs.
During this time, I began to notice changes in her behavior. She started arguing without reason, misplacing things, and talking about events that never happened. As art has always helped me cope with difficult situations, I began photographing her, bringing my camera every time we met. Not knowing what was causing her behavior, I turned to photography to try to understand what was happening.
After a family lunch, my grandmother went for a walk, got lost, and fell. Following this incident, her mental state rapidly declined. She became disoriented and could no longer recognize her family members. She was diagnosed with dementia shortly afterward. This diagnosis made me realize that her behavior over the years had not been driven by malice, but by illness.
After the accident, it became clear that she could no longer take care of herself, and she moved into a nursing home, marking the end of her independent life.
I have always been curious about how Mária sees the world, so I taught her how to use an analog point-and-shoot camera that requires only the press of a single button. This allowed the project to continue even when I wasn’t with her.
Through my images, I present how I perceive her situation and my attempt to come to terms with the reality of her illness. Through her perspective, in black-and-white photographs, we gain insight into how she sees the world in the nursing home while struggling with confusion in her mind.
With this project, I aim to raise awareness about dementia.
