44 | / The photoproject I’mdoingwithdirector Jan Fabre’s theatre show Mount Olympus led me to NewYork. My goal was to feel it, to traverse it without any kind of guide, without plans and guidelines. I was simply interested in feeling that other side. Iwent out onto the streets every day and tried to feel, frommy own perspective, what’s di erent about that city. I wanted to shoot photos fromearlymorning until seven in the evening, and then to just sit and observe the city. The most interesting buildings to me were those that represent some kind of fascination. They appeared very cold and slightly scary, but when the sun came out they turned into re ectors of light. Like in a theatre. A fascinating dance of light played out with the people on the streets. And they were closed, each telling their own story, imprisoned in their own world. Because this is still a city that o ers enormous opportunities, but can also swallow you whole. I actually experienced NewYork like two cities – upper and lower. The upper that represents the life that playsout aroundus, but also theother one inthesubway,whichwas themost interesting tomeas a city anda life for itself.That’s something that I could only see in lms, where everything is allowed and no one pays any attention. I could take pictures of whoever I wanted, as they’re accustomed to the presence of a camera. And perhaps thebiggest impressionwasnevertheless left on me by Times Square, where I made a full faceto-faceencounterwith today’s times andculture. I was surroundedby screens andpeople forwhom it was more important to have their picture taken than to be present. Those screens around and above me caused some kind of sorrow in me. I actually felt as though I’d fallen into some video game. I was in the centre of theworld, in themiddle of collective unconsciousness. And still people’s openness to communicate and towards foreigners accompanied me everywhere. I entered wherever I wanted and was welcome everywhere. The city gave itself to me like a huge theatre stage where life plays out and the showruns for 24hours. Behindeverycorner some frame awaitedme, free forme to record, and I had the privilege of being able to do precisely that – invisible to the NewYorkers, drawing borders betweenlightanddark, seekingdiagonalsandparallel shadows of the city, documenting the innumerable storiesof eternal bit-part characters. Imomentarily became a true NewYorker – invisible... ABOUT THE ARTIST Jelena Janković is a ne art photographer fromBelgradewhosework has been awarded internationally onmultiple occasions. She recently travelled toNew York as part of a photo project that she’s working on, utilising the days she spent in the city to record and relay the life of its streets through her photography. She has been engaged in theatre and dance photography for years. For the last three years she’s been photographing Serbia’s KOLO ensemble of folk dance and song and is an associate of the Belgrade International Theatre Festival, BITEF. You can check out Jelena’s works on Instagramand by visiting her website.
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