Saraybosna'da Ars Aevi Müzesi İnşaatı İtalya'nın Öncülüğünde Başladı

Work Begins on the Ars Aevi Museum in Sarajevo, with Italy Playing a Leading Role

(ANSA) - SARAJEVO, 30 GIU - Construction has officially begun in Sarajevo on the Ars Aevi Museum, the major cultural project conceived during the city’s siege and destined to become one of the region’s leading centers for contemporary art. Italy played a decisive role in the process leading up to the start of construction. In fact, the first galleries to donate works of art to the museum—which was still in the planning stages during the siege—were Italian; architect Renzo Piano later designed the museum, as well as the bridge over the city’s river in front of it. Italy, through funds from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), subsequently financed the detailed design of the museum building—a crucial step in the project’s construction phase. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of the Canton of Sarajevo, Nihad Uk; the Mayor of the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, the Italian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarah Eti Castellani, the French Ambassador, François Delmas, the UNESCO Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sinisa Šešum, the founder of the collection, Enver Hadžiomerspahić, and the Director of the city’s museum system, Senka Ibrišimbegović. During the speeches, it was emphasized that the synergy between Bosnian institutions and international partners was a decisive factor in bringing to fruition a project conceived over thirty years ago as a symbol of cultural resilience. “The start of construction on the Ars Aevi Museum represents a moment of great symbolic and cultural significance,” stated Ambassador Castellani. “Italy has believed in this project from the very beginning, steadfastly supporting its progress through Italian Cooperation and contributing concretely to its realization. Ars Aevi demonstrates how culture can become an extraordinary tool for dialogue, reconciliation, and development. We are proud to have supported an initiative that was conceived during the most difficult years in Sarajevo’s history, which today is finally set to become a permanent place of encounter, remembrance, and openness toward the future.” The museum’s detailed design was developed by the architectural firm NonStop in close coordination with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, which contributed its expertise and international prestige to the project’s realization. Ars Aevi was founded in 1992 based on an idea by Enver Hadžiomerspahić, conceived during the siege of Sarajevo as a cultural response to the war. From that initiative, an extraordinary network of international solidarity took shape, in which world-renowned artists—including Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Marina Abramović, Joseph Kosuth, Maja Bajević, and many others—donate their works to the city, creating a collection of exceptional artistic and symbolic value. The works, most of which are currently housed at the Vijećnica—the historic site of the former National Library and present-day City Hall of Sarajevo—will finally find a permanent home in the new museum. The name “Ars Aevi,” Latin for “art of the era,” also evokes, through an evocative anagram, the name of the city of Sarajevo. The start of construction marks a historic step toward the creation of a museum destined to house one of the most important collections of contemporary art born from an international solidarity project and represents yet another example of Italy’s concrete commitment to promoting culture and reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Read article...