The Buzzer is a long-term photographic project developed by Miguel Proença (PT) investigating shifting identities and geopolitical tensions in the post-Soviet space, with a focus on the Baltic states and their complex relationship with Russia. Set primarily in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, it examines how historical antagonisms between Russia and the West continue to play out in these former Soviet territories, now members of the EU and NATO.

Combining photography, archival imagery, and extensive research, Proença traces the transformation of these landscapes and societies under competing cultural and political influences. It documents military exercises, national celebrations, and everyday encounters across the region, while also delving into the parallel worlds of conspiracy theories, Russian propaganda, and echo chambers affecting public perception. A key aspect of the project is the integration of archival materials, sourced mainly from the Estonian National Archives, which reinforces the visual and historical ambiguities of the narrative. Images of statues raised and toppled, borders drawn and erased, sit alongside contemporary scenes, inviting reflection on the legitimacy of competing historical narratives and the construction of national identity. Woven through the sequence is a selection of transcripts from UVB-76 – a mysterious shortwave radio signal believed to be of Russian military origin – which functions as an unsettling refrain, a reminder of a continuous, ghostly interference.

The title, The Buzzer, draws from this same signal, symbolic of the lingering presence of a former empire and unresolved tensions. The project situates the Baltic region as a geopolitical buffer zone, both historically and today. With references ranging from the medieval Battle on the Ice to present-day NATO operations, it explores how spaces, myths, and power are contested and reshaped. Rather than offering a segmented or didactic narrative, Proença layers past and present, fiction and fact, nostalgia and fear – reflecting on the fragile, evolving nature of identity in a landscape marked by surveillance, occupation, and resilience.

A separate vinyl release accompanies the project, featuring soundscapes by Pedro Augusto (PT) composed from original UVB-76 recordings.