I have spent three months photographing the landscape of Blata and it’s surroundings. The project started in 2006 and continued in 2008. The goal was not to show the beauty of landscape. My focus was to re-visit certain spots which are now forgotten, covered with nature’s hand.

The oldest name for Blata is Pliskovo. The name can be found in almost every Slav province. It represents a place by the lake or a pond. The name for this Croatian town became known in the 17th century during the emigration of the Serbian population. Blata did not have a church or feudal goods. People lived a rent-free life but they often abandoned the town, moving south.

The history seems to be repeating itself. During the ethnic cleansing in 1995, known as Operation Storm, the Serbs were forced into exile. Bill Clinton signed the Dayton Agreement on December 14th 1995 and the Serbs started returning to their homeland. The young did not return. The town of Blata has fewer than fifty residents, according to a personal count done in 2008.