On the outskirts of Belgrade there is a bridge that crosses the Danube river, it is one of the main arteries leading in/out of the city northwards into the flatlands of Vojvodina. Under the bridge, which was built after WW2 an informal settlement of cafes, shops, bars and workshops gradually built up over the years. It is a place of little or no regulation and it’s outward appearance can feel foreboding, guard dogs growl from under heavy metal gates, abandoned cars and makeshift housing and little public lighting at night create the effect of a kind of wasteland. There is even an abandoned train carriage that acts as a temporary accommodation for wanderers or homelsss folk.
Upon deeper inspection however, it’s not hard to see that the place functions as an organic, in anarchic whole. Patron of the small bars and Kafanas may stare for a little when a stranger walks in but that is simply curiosity and upon some kind of introduction the patrons are quick to welcome.
I spent a few weeks in January trying to get to understand and document the place with my camera the place a bit more than I usually would have time for. This was made possible by a very welcome “Culture Moves’ grant made available to me by the Goethe Institute.
'Under the Bridge'- Ana abandoned car lies in wasteland after the inhabited area as the bridge spans over the Danube river. 01/2025