Since 2018, Serbian-Austrian photographer Maša Stanić has been photographing the residents of a Roma settlement on the outskirts of Belgrade. What began as a brief first visit has grown into a close friendship and an eight-year long-term photographic project.
CALL IT “DUBAI” tells the story not only of a place beyond the city's formal structures, but above all of its people—their relationships, hopes, and personal histories.
In conversation with WestLicht, Maša Stanić reflects on the eight years behind the project, the trust she has built with the community, and how her photographic perspective on the settlement and its residents has evolved over time. The talk also explores the unique relationship between personal closeness and documentary photography that defines the series.
Accompanying the conversation, Stanić will present additional photographs from her long-term project that have not previously been included in the exhibition.
