From
Iowa Journalist, Fall 1996:
"Faces of Istria" Grace Cedar Rapids Museum
J-MC School Prof. Hardt's photo work depicts life in rural
Croatia
By Stacie Wilkening
Speaking with J-MC School Professor Hanno Hardt, you get the feeling
that he has seen a lot of faces, so it was no surprise that his photography
exhibit displayed Oct. 19-Dec. 1, 1996, at the Museum of Art in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, was titled "Faces of Istria".
The exhibit consisted of photographs taken to document rural life
in Istria, a northwest region of Croatia. Straddling three countries -
Italy, Slovenia and Croatia - this area of the world has been invaded many
times throughout history by Romans, the Austro-Hungarians and Italians.
Hardt began traveling to Istria in 1986 and generally returns once or twice
a year for a couple months at a time. Curiosity took him to Istria, he
said and the area has much to offer photographers. The incredible landscapes
and architecture are reminiscent of Italy and Ireland, respectively, Hardt
explained.
The region's people might be even more impressive than the architectural
designs and scenic shoreline. These people, though caught in political
turmoil, continue to lead their lives, Hardt said.
"They're survivors. They've been through a lot," Hardt said. "They
have a lot of patience and disregard for authority."
The photographs in the "Faces of Istria" exhibition have been
taken during the last five years. Though Hardt usually stays in Rovinj,
a seaside resort, he spends most of his time inland where a majority of
the photographs in his collection were taken.
"These photographs speak to the conditions of existence and the
difficult economic and social institutions," Hardt said.
"Looking at these pictures, you can really tell that these people
have lived a hard life," said Megan Carey, a visitor of the Museum of Art.
"They have a certain sadness that is conveyed because most of the people
are older and look very tired."
The people that inhabit the inland are generally older generations.
"Faces of Istria" captures both the young and old that have created a life
in rural Istria, though Hardt's photographs prominently feature the women
of this region.
"The women reflect part of the spirit of rural life," Hardt said.
"The women are strong and carry much of the burden of daily life."
Though the pictures of Istrian people in Hardt's collection may
seem like just another face to most people, Hardt said that each photograph
has a story he remembers and identifies with. All of the photographs capture
a particular moment in the lives of these people, Hardt said.
"People are very suspicious of having their picture taken. Very
few are posed photographs," said Hardt.
Hardt's preface to his "Faces of Istria" collection at the Cedar
Rapids Museum of Art sums up the power of his photographs.
"Photographs are a visual expression of time and as such a historical
moment in which life is held in a balance," he writes.
With his photographs, Hardt captured a life many of us will never
know.
"It's a tough life. We don't have many regions like that here,
at least none that we talk about," said Hardt.
Hardt is currently working on a book about the Istrian region
with his wife, Vida Zei. This book will be a compilation of both images
and text about life in Istria and will be finished in the next couple of
years, Hardt said.
Source:
- Stacie Wilkening, " "Faces of Istria" Grace Cedar
Rapids Museum", Iowa Journalist, Fall 1996 (original web
page no longer online: http://www.uiowa.edu/~iowajour/96-fall/articles/academics/hardt.html)
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