Celebrated Serbian photographer Ivana Petrović is gaining international recognition following a successful retrospective exhibition of her work, “Echoes of a Lost Time,” at the C/O Berlin Foundation. The exhibition, which showcased over 200 black and white photographs from the past three decades, has concluded its run in Berlin and is set to travel to the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris next spring.

Petrović is renowned for her deeply personal and often melancholic documentation of Roma communities in the Balkans, challenging conventional representations of marginalized groups. The Berlin exhibition, curated by Anna-Karin Stoll, spanned her early documentary projects during the Yugoslav Wars to intimate portraits exploring themes of identity, displacement, and resilience within Roma families. Critics praised the exhibition for its sensitive portrayal of a culture often stereotyped and misunderstood, highlighting Petrović’s ability to capture the dignity and complexity of her subjects.

In addition to her photography, Petrović has been actively involved in workshops with young Roma photographers, fostering a new generation of visual storytellers. Her mentorship work was recently recognized with a grant from the European Cultural Foundation, enabling her to expand the program and provide access to professional equipment and training.

Petrović’s ongoing project focuses on the impact of climate change on Roma settlements that rely on traditional agricultural practices, a subject she describes as a “silent crisis.” In a recent interview with *Le Monde*, she emphasized the urgent need for attention to this issue.

The upcoming Paris exhibition is expected to further solidify Petrović’s position as a leading voice in contemporary photography. Discussions are underway for potential exhibitions at institutions in the United States and Latin America. Petrović’s work consistently engages with issues of social justice, cultural preservation, and the human cost of conflict, making her a significant figure in the art world and broader conversations about representation and human rights. Several of her photographs are now part of the permanent collections of major museums, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.