In September 2012, an team of professionals from the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska started an initiative to discuss with their colleagues from relevant institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and finally develop a model for the country’s active participation in the Venice Biennale.
Following a series of successful meetings, in which all aspects of the process were analysed, representatives of the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska, the Project Biennial of Contemporary Art “D-0 АRК Underground” and the ICOM Bosnia and Herzegovina National Committee met in Sarajevo on 26 September 2012 and agreed upon a feasible model for the participation of the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Venice:
- The Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina will finance the lease of the space/building to be used as the venue of the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Depending on the home entity of the institution organising the Pavilion, the respective entity Ministry of Culture will finance the production and transport of the exhibition, insurance, the artist’s/artists’ stay in Venice, catalogue and other publications;
- The two main curators of all future Biennale pavilions will come from the two different entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure full agreement with and approval of the selected project/exhibition;
- The institution organising the project will finance the engagement of the curators accompanying the artist(s), the technical staff of the pavilion and the PR.
The agreement signatories agreed that for the year of 2013, the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be shown in the 55th Venice Biennale will be organised and produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska.
Dr.Sc. Sаritа Vujković (Republic of Srpskа) and Dr.Sc. Irfаn Hošić (Federation of B&H) were appointed the project curators, and they agreed that the artist Mlаden Miljаnović will present Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2013 Venice Biennale.
The agreement signatories agreed that the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015 will be organised and produced by the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The proposed model for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s participation in the Venice Biennale was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska, the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina for further approval.
Ministers Anton Kаsipović and Sаlmir Kаplаn accepted the Proposal and sent the approvals of their respective Ministries to the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sredoje Nović, Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, submitted all the documents to the Council of Ministers. On 11 December 2012, in its 31st session, the Council of Ministers reached the decision to adopt the proposed model for the participation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 55th Venice Biennale.
The adoption of the proposed model proved that the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Srpska indeed has the credibility, integrity and authority that enabled it to start this initiative and enjoy the privilege of being the first ever institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina to organise the country’s participation in the official programme of the International Art Exhibition in Venice.