When Yugoslavia dissolved, new national identities were aggressively constructed. Flags changed. Narratives changed. Borders hardened.
And queer people had to navigate that.
Photography reflects this shift. In earlier images, you might see a kind of shared Yugoslav cultural space. Later, the imagery becomes more fragmented — shaped by different national politics.
Some states became slightly more open. Others became more conservative.
Queer photography had to adapt.
Borders don’t just divide land. They divide archives, funding, artistic networks. They shape which exhibitions happen and which don’t.
But queerness doesn’t respect borders so easily.
Photographs traveled. Artists collaborated across new nation-states. Underground scenes remained connected.
The breakup of Yugoslavia changed everything — but it didn’t erase queer creativity.
