These Days

These Days – Glimpses from the Time of the Epidemic

A photography series These Days by Bojan Golčar is a visual essay that takes us back to one of the most pivotal periods in modern history—the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns. This time, still etched in our collective memory, was marked by the sudden halt of everyday life, the closure of public spaces, alienation, and isolation. Yet, it was also a time of introspection, a period when many of us faced our own thoughts, silence, and the limitations of physical space for the first time. Golčar's work subtly and profoundly captures these contradictory aspects of a time that was surreal at moments, terrifying at others, and yet strangely beautiful.

The photographs in the series are not merely documentary; they delve into a personal and almost meditative exploration. Empty spaces—deserted streets, abandoned benches, vacant storefronts—are more than mere images of lockdown on Golčar’s photographs. They become symbols of a broader existential question: What happens when humanity comes to a standstill? When public spaces, once vibrant with life, transform into arenas of silence and reflection?

In These Days, light plays a crucial role. Golčar masterfully uses the interplay of shadows and reflections to create an impression of timelessness. At times, the photographs seem to exist in a liminal space—between the familiar and the unfamiliar, between the past and the future. It is precisely this sense of timelessness that gives the series its universality; it speaks not only of a specific moment in the pandemic but also of the fragility of human experience and our capacity to find meaning in uncertainty.

Particular attention is given to details, which Golčar captures with extraordinary sensitivity. Scenes that might have gone unnoticed in everyday life—such as a discarded mask on the ground, light refracting through a closed window, or the quiet presence of nature seeping through urban grayness—become carriers of deeper stories. These small moments allow us to rediscover the beauty in what we once took for granted.

An important aspect of Golčar's artistic expression is his use of digital techniques and filters, which subtly emphasize the atmosphere of individual scenes. Combining natural light with thoughtful post-processing, he creates a visual language that is both realistic and symbolic. The muted color tones further convey the melancholy and introspection of the period. Digital filters and texture manipulation enhance the sense of timelessness, but the artist never crosses the line where technique overshadows content.

Golčar’s work simultaneously reminds us of human vulnerability and adaptability. Empty spaces are not only a depiction of loss but also stages for quiet resilience. In silence and solitude, there is room for introspection, reevaluation, and even hope. The series thus raises important questions about our relationship to space, time, and one another.

In the context of the global experience of the pandemic, These Days serves as an invaluable visual archive that transcends the boundaries of time and place. It is a reminder of a period marked by uncertainty, but also an opportunity to reflect on how we move forward.

From today’s perspective, the series is more than just a visual diary of an extraordinary period; it raises questions about collective memory, the impact of crises on our perception of space and community, and the ways in which art illuminates what often remains unnoticed during unfolding events. Golčar’s photographs go beyond documentary value, becoming universal symbols of a time that reshaped our understanding of normalcy and forced us to confront our own fragility.

With masterful photographic sensitivity and a profound understanding of the human experience, Bojan Golčar creates a series that is not only a record of a historic moment but also a deeply reflective meditation on what it means to be human in times of trial.

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