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Over the past twelve years with the help of the world artists and curators, the Project Biennial of Contemporary Art has transformed the Object D-0 – Atomic shelter into unique Hybrid Contemporary Art /Military Museum.
Atomic shelter is a massive underground structure covering 6.500 square meters. It is located in a small city of Konjic, and was built from 1953 to 1979 at a cost of $4.6 billion. The massive underground structure was constructed during the Cold War to protect then-Yugoslavia’s leadership cadre, led by President Josip Broz Tito. It was designed to accommodate and safeguard 350 people and ensure the effective management and leadership of the armed forces in the event of a nuclear war.
The purpose of the Project D-0 ARK Underground is to preserve this invaluable object and, give it new life through the energy that art brings along.
Alongside artworks that highlight its unique features, ambience and cultural significance, it has become a phenomenon that attracts two types of visitors to Konjic: those interested in military and political history and those inclined towards the arts.
The success of the project is evident, and it comes out from two different and unrelated sources. Firstly, military personnel are embracing and appreciating the site and the specific artworks. Secondly, artists are willingly lending their works to establish the hybrid museum. The artists are the true shareholders and founders of the museum, and thanks to them, Konjic is now recognized on the global cultural map.
The Project approaches the concept of a “biennial” only as a process. It redefines the relationship between contemporary art and institutions through simple and cross-cutting equations.
Project Biennial Directorate in cooperation with the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of B&H designated the Atomic War Command as a protected cultural and historical monument in June 2014. Atomic shelter in Konjic is a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a place where artists from around the world protect this significant military facility with their artworks preventing its decay and destruction.
The Project primarily focuses on the Cold War period, during which the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) played a specific role. It was a time of fear of nuclear disaster, but also a time of utopian ideas about world peace. The present time is characterized by an apocalyptic scenario of the end of the world.
Five editions of the Project have been held, along with several events included in the ” Cold War – past, present, future -” series of seminars. These seminars explore the Cold War, not only as a defining period of the second half of the 20th century, but also as a paradigm for understanding present and future of politics, culture, imagination, and history. The seminars also delve into the architecture and engineering of war and peace.
Directorate of the Project Biennial took a bold stance, believing that contemporary art can save the bunker from inevitable disappearance and preserve this extraordinary artifact of Yugoslavia’s socialist past, the Cold War era and global paranoia of nuclear war.
The project has been carried out with great enthusiasm and it has involved people from various fields of interest.
Through art and culture, we raise questions about a wide range of subjects related to our cultural heritage and create a path for discovering our cultural continuity and identity. We particularly focus on attracting students of art, architecture as well as students of philosophical studies in our region and abroad.
After five editions of the Project, there are now 159 artworks on permanent display in the Atomic shelter. There artworks were produced by 119 artists from 37 different countries worldwide. The D-0 ARK Collection captures an era, a world, a generation, and all the positive and negative aspects of the Cold War.
Artists, in turn, bring stories from the outside world – sometimes sombre or funny, sometimes provocative, prophetic or horrifying. By looking and listening to the messages of these artists’ we learn about our past and present, and gain insight into what awaits us in the future. They create a unique time machine. This is the essence of the Project D-0 ARK Underground.
The Project has been recognized as a promoter of the regional cultural values and was rightfully proclaimed as a Cultural Event of Europe in 2011 by the Council of Europe. Since 2009, the Project Biennial has continuously received support from UNESCO, the Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and its Antenna Office in Sarajevo. We had the honor of presenting the project at Palazzo Zorzi UNESCO during the 55th Venice Biennale. The first concrete support to the establishment of the Project Biennial was provided by UNESCO, and this support enabled its development as an important regional and international cooperation platform.
Also, Project Biennial had been organized under the UNESCO patronage in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. and was a part of the celebration of the 70 years of UNESCO in 2015.
During the period from 2009, eight countries joined the organization of this Project. Ministers for Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Austria, Republic of Italy, Federal Republic of Germany and Ministers of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina have signed the Declaration of support to the Project Biennial of Contemporary Art as the most important regional cultural project.
Project Biennial was presented 13 times abroad and in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
- UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Palazzo Zorzi during 55th Venice Biennial – June 2013.
- Florence – Villa Romana, July 2013.
- Istanbul Cultural Institution SALT, September 2013.
- Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, November 2013.
- Fine Art Academy in Trebinje, May 2014.
- Ministry for Culture of Republic of Albania, November 2014.
- Federal Ministry for Culture of Republic of Austria & Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK) in Vienna February 2015.
- Council of Europe Strasbourg – September 2015
- Museum of Contemporary art RS in Banja Luka November 2015
- Fine Art Gallery Split, December 2015.
- 21. Triennial of Design and Art Milano – April – November 2016
- Wurttembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart – May – August 2017
- “Magacin”- Belgrade – November 2018
- United Nations in New York – May 2019.