With the symbolic handover of the construction permit by the Mayor of the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, Hasan Tanović, the executive phase of the project to build the "Ars Aevi" Museum of Contemporary Art has begun. The event was organised by the City and Canton of Sarajevo in cooperation with the local European Delegation, UNESCO, and the Italian Embassy, confirming the important role played by Italy in relaunching and restarting a project of immense artistic value that until a few years ago seemed completely bogged down.
Designed by architect Renzo Piano in his capacity as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, the museum project Ars Aevi (Latin for "art of the time" but also a partial anagram of the word Sarajevo) was conceived to offer a modern exhibition venue for the works of art from the collection of the same name. It consists of around 150 pieces donated to Sarajevo already during the harsh years of the siege by prestigious international artists (including Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Marina Abramovic, Joseph Kosuth, Maja Bajevic and many others) in an evocative competition of solidarity intended to promote the civil, ethical and cultural rebirth of the city. At the moment, the works from the collection are mainly on display at the Vijećnica, the seat of the Municipality and former National Library.
Italy has always expressed a profound commitment to the project and, following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in November 2021 between the City and the Canton, has financed - through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) - the executive design study for the museum building, a fundamental junction for the construction of the work. Carried out by the architecture company "NonStop" in close coordination with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the study was presented in October last year on the occasion of the second Conference "A vision becomes reality", organised by the Italian Embassy in collaboration with the AICS itself. On that occasion, a multi-donor trust fund was also launched - by UNESCO - with the aim of facilitating the collection of resources necessary for the construction of the museum building and the maintenance of the works in the collection.
The event that virtually kick-started the construction of the museum was attended by, among others, the Prime Minister of the Canton of Sarajevo, Nihad Uk, the Mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, the Mayor of the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, Hasan Tanović, the Head of the European Delegation, Ambassador Johann Sattler, the Ambassador of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marco Di Ruzza, the UNESCO Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sinisa Šešum, the collection's founding historian, Enver Hadžiomerspahić, and the Director of the City Museum System, Senka Ibrišimbegović. It was clear from their respective speeches that the excellent teamwork between the local authorities and the international community had been instrumental in facilitating the project's rapid progress.
The ceremony saw the official handover of the building permit by Mayor Tanović to the Uk Prime Minister, whose cantonal government is formally responsible for commissioning the work. Immediately beforehand, a flag was hoisted in front of the ground with the museum's logo, which has long since been identified and is marked by a row of coloured banners to indicate the boundaries of the future structure. Finally, at the end of the speeches, the local authorities together with Amb. Di Ruzza, Amb. Sattler and Director Šešum symbolically signed the foundation stone that will be used in the construction of the building.
"It is a great emotion for me to be present at this event, which represents the culmination of the intense work we have carried out together with the local authorities and partners from the international community, especially the European Union and UNESCO, to revitalise the Ars Aevi project when it seemed to have lost its outlets," stated Ambassador Di Ruzza, also emphasising the strong idealistic component that has inspired Italy's action in continuing to believe in
an initiative not only of great artistic merit but also conceived with clear aims of reconciliation after the tragic years of war. "Only a month ago,' Di Ruzza continued, 'we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the reopening of the Old Bridge in Mostar, with Italy among the guests of honour as it was the first donor country for the reconstruction work; today we are starting the path that will transform the Ars Aevi dream into reality. All this testifies to the fact that Italian cultural diplomacy is an important instrument in support of pacification and stability in the Balkans, in full coherence with the action that Italy is taking in favour of the prospects of European integration of Bosnia Herzegovina and the entire region. We hope that Ars Aevi will become an open, dynamic and inclusive museum space, and the symbol of a cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina, firmly projected towards the common European home".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
