Ten years ago, peaceful Arab Spring protests in Syria turned into an uprising when the regime brutally cracked down on large demonstrations in major cities. The uprising slowly descended into a multi-sided civil, sectarian and proxy war, fueled by weapons and money from Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, USA, and Russia. Over the past ten years, The International New York Times ran thousands of articles and photographs of the conflict. In a handful of these photographs, an individual looks directly into the camera: demonstrator, opposition fighter, ISIS member, government soldier, civilian; children, women, and men, seeking refuge from the violence. They look into the camera, skeptical, guarded, tired, hopeful, beaten. With their gazes they make the presence of the photographer and the news media visible. They know that they are to become an image in the Western news media. Nevertheless, their gazes connect us, the news audience in the West, on a very human level with the street in Syria. Their gazes remind us to look and take notice. They urge us not to forget the war in Syria and to intervene however possible.

From March 2021 to March 2022, Florian Göttke will hang posters in Amsterdam public space to remind that we don't forget the plight of the people caught up in the conflict and to intervene however possible.

About the project: www.gazesfromsyria.org