Beyond the Mirror

Beyond the Mirror is the theme of the Second Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts-Sarajevo. A segment of the exhibition is an integral part of the Fourth Sarajevo Film Festival (the authors’ videos in the MADE IN BOSNIA program). Other segments of the exhibition are conducted simultaneously, although in terms of their program and concept, they are independent from the Festival.

Artist interventions in the space are set up in various locations connected to the Fourth Sarajevo Film Festival, such as: Obala Meeting Point, Open Air Cinema (Metalac), Academy of Fine Arts, Obala Art Center Gallery, part of the street Obala Kulina Bano (between the Skenderija and Drvenija bridges), part of the street Obala Maka Dizdara (between the Skenderija and Drvenija bridges), Čobanija Bridge, Internet Cafe (garden and interior space), the Miljacke riverbed, IPC Gallery, the space in front of the Notional Theater, the space in front of the Bosnian Cultural Center, the bookstore Buybook …

Authors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, currently living either in the country or abroad, will participate in the exhibition along with the video artists Marie Jose Burki (Switzerland / Belgium) and Dalibor Martinis (Croatia), invited as foreign guests to present their video installations. The International Jury will award two equal awards: one for best video and another for best installation. Following the Center’s policy to ad complementary to other art institutions, this year we have extended our activities to the production of authors’ video projects, making them the focal point of our annual exhibition entitled “Beyond the Mirror….

The title “Beyond the Mirror,’” borrowed from Lewis Carroll, offers extensive room for interpretation, our first objective being the attempt to investigate the nature of media and the nature of art. Going through the mirror, through that surface reflecting our own image, we are treading into a space of the interior, subjective world and its respective images-the eternal theme of all the arts. On the other hand, new technologies, particularly electronic media-that could be token as a new metaphor of the old “mirror” tale-raise a whole new set of issues: of the truthfulness of virtual images, simulacrum, shadow (specter). What we have at work, thus, is the creation of a parallel world of virtual reality. The boundary between the subjective and objective views of the world, the awareness of here and now-that fundamental psycho-social anchor of ours-is thus lost, confronting the authors creatively engaged in these media with enormous challenges. (Dunja Blažević)

Seventeen video works, seven video installations, twenty two site specific works/installations in the city and three performances.

Participating artists: Salim Obralić, Maja Bajević, Eldina Begić, Ajdin Bašić, Ademir Arapović, Šejla Kamerić, Jasmin Ferović, Gordana Anđelić-Galić, Zlatan Filipović, Adla Isanović, Larisa Hasanbegović, Marijana Ćurić, Almir Kurt, Samir Plasto, Dario Kavara, Nebojša Šerić Šoba, Edin Numankadić, Dejan Vekić, Alma Suljević, Izeta Građević, Lejla Hodžić, Ata Omerbašić, Nusret Pašić, Ljiljana Šaković, Damir Nikšić, Marie Jose Burki, Dalibor Martinis, Alma Fazlić, Danica Dakić, Mehmed Akšamija, Lejla Porobić, Lejla Begić, Mustafa Skopljak annd Jasminko Mulaomerović.

Curated by Dunja Blažević

Seventeen video works from the “Beyond the Mirror” exhibition, in the SCCA-Sarajevo production, were presented at the “MADE IN BOSNIA”, video section of the 4th Sarajevo Film Festival, Obala Meeting Point, August 28 1998.

International jury members: Andre Iten (Geneva), director of the St. Gervais Geneve, Lóránd Hegyi, director of Ludwig Museum of Modern Art (Vienna, Austria) and Bojana Pejić (Berlin), art critic and chief curator of the exhibition “After the Wall”, Moderna Musset, Stockholm.

The first award for the best video/video installation: Danica Dakić, “Wall”, video installation; Muhidin Tvico, “VM 14.50″.
The first award for the best installation/performance: Damir Nikšić, “What am I Doing Here?”, interactive installation.

Side program of the “Beyond the mirror” exhibition:

  • Dalibor Martinis (Zagreb), guest of the “Beyond the Mirror” exhibition, video installation, Obala Art Center Gallery, August 22 – September 20
  • Marie Jose Burki (Geneve/Bruxeless), guest of the “Beyond the Mirror” exhibition, video installation, Gallery at the Academy of Fine Arts, August 25 – September 20.
  • Lala Raščić (Zagreb), guest of the “Beyond the Mirror”‘exhibition, action, different sites in Sarajevo, August 22 – September 20.

The exhibition “Beyond the mirror” was realized with the help of the Ministry of culture and sport of the Canton Sarajevo and the Open society fund Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Realised on different sites in Sarajevo from the streets, Miljacka river, places to the Academy of Fine Arts, Obala Meeting Point, Internet Cafe, IPC Gallery …
August 22 – September 20