Sitting atop Cukur hill in Banovina, Croatia is a sculpture of a giant camera lens. Its clean, circular form is nearly flawless, but it has one subtle imperfection—there is a single bullet hole that fractures the crystal-clear glass. This crack is intentional, and its significance honors a fallen Croatian photographer named Gordan Lederer who lost his life in 1991. As he was standing on Cukur hill documenting the Croatian War of Independence, he was tragically shot and killed by a sniper.
The minimalist memorial was a collaboration between sculptor Petar Barišic and the Croatian architecture firm NFO. Together, they installed the stainless steel ring with 33 concrete slabs that lead to the tranquil site. Arranged in a curved pathway, the steps mimic the frames in a roll of film and each represent one year of Lederer’s short life. Visitors who approach the lens see the same view that the photographer did, making it a visually simple but emotionally powerful place.
The memorial was unveiled in August 2015 during the 24th anniversary of Lederer’s death, and it also remembers other Croatian photographers and cameramen who were killed during that time.
NFO: Website
via [PetaPixel, Dezeen]
All photographs by Ivan Dorotic and Maja Bosnic.
