Ars Aevi in Sarajevo

ISTANBUL COLLECTION

Ars Aevi, or in the free meaning „Art of the epoch“, is the name of the Museum of contemporary art in Sarajevo.

When the idea for its foundation came in 1992, Sarajevo was under the brutal military seige, thus one such activity seemed like a symbolic act which needed to bring some optimism and humanity within the cruel reality, where the violent death was the only certain constant of a daily living.

To speak on foundation of the museum in such conditions, seemed like the utopia, although it had its covering, since behind it all there were the people of the enormous energy and faith in success of the project. One of them was Mr. Enver Hadziomerspahic, the founder and present general director of the Museum Ars Aevi. Besides, even in Yugoslavia, Sarajevo was an important fine arts center so the idea about a new museum seemed quite justified, especially as it was based on the experience of tragedy and the need that with the art, a voice would be raised against the terror and genocide.

Therefore, the idea of „the art of the epoch“ was necessary as to understand the art of survival and the expression of human dignity. This quite original and unusual concept tackled the attention of many world artists, galleries and museums, who reacted on time, pointing out the tragedy of Bosnia and the necesity that the artists, from all continents attempt through their medium explain all the specific things of modern transitions and temptations imposed upon a man, regardless of his location and in which socio-cultural context he had lived.

The art should react creating „the art of the epoch“, or the reflection of the world in which we live, and from which we can draw sufficient lessons, what we can do in time of global temptations. Thus, a large numbers of the works in this Museum has a strong social message and that makes it distinct from the others, considering the specific conditions under which this Museum was created.

The rest of the article you can read in the magazine.