Balkan Konsulat

(Sarajevo)
September 26 – November 15, 2003

“Balkan Konsulat” is a project implemented by <rotor> association for contemporary art (Graz, Austria), that gathers young curators and artists from Belgrade, Ùstí nad Labem, Istanbul, Munich, Sarajevo, Budapest and St. Petersburg, and presents their art scenes in Graz during 2003, the year when Graz became Cultural Capital of Europe and emphasizes the importance of South-East European culture.

Every two months the Balkan Konsulat introduced one curator and artists of each participating cities.

The intention of the Sarajevo exhibition in the frame of the Balkan Konsulat project is to present the new art scene: Bosnian artists living in the country or abroad whose works are reflecting the social and political situation, and artists from the region who are in different ways connected with Sarajevo, both influencing the scene and influenced by it.

The works of the artists presented at the exhibition are dealing with different issues that are at the same time specific for the country with war experience and global, such as: problem of displacement and notion of a home (Šejla Kamerić, Sarajevo); consequences of the war (Nebojša Šerić Šoba, Sarajevo /New York and Vanda Vukičević, Sarajevo/ London); closeness and fear of death (Aleksandra Vajd, Maribor/ Prague); fears and feelings caused by living in urban surroundings (Lala Raščić, Sarajevo/ Zagreb); isolation and impossibility to integrate to domestic (Slaven Tolj, Dubrovnik) or foreign (Kristina Leko, Zagreb) society.

As a side project (but not less important), a group of young graphic designers represented the other characteristic of a new artistic practice in Sarajevo – going out from the art institutions to the public spaces creating a direct contact with the wider public.

Participating artists: Danica Dakić, Šejla Kamerić, Kristina Leko (Zagreb), Lala Raščić, Slaven Tolj (Dubrovnik), Aleksandra Vajd (Prague / Maribor), Vanda T. Vučičević, Nebojša Šerić Šoba

Designers participating in “Serve Design” are: Enes Huseinčehajić, Imelda Ramović, Vedran Mujagić, Ajdin Bašić, Ivan Hrkaš and Bojan Mustur.

Series of seven exhibitions, a film/video program and a music program from Belgrade, St. Petersburg, Prague, Istanbul, Budapest, Sarajevo and Vienna.

Organized and curated by Margarethe Makovec, Anton Lederer and Lejla Hodžić, (SCCA)

Timeline:
October 26  – December 21, 2002 (Belgrade)
January 10 – February 15, 2003 (St. Petersburg)
February 28 – April 19, 2003 (Prague)
April 26 – June 28, 2003 (Istanbul)
June 11 – September 6, 2003 (Budapest)
November 21, 2003 – January, 20 2004 (Vienna)