EX-SITU
Artistic Positions on Endangered Biodiversity and the Coexistence
of Species
Exhibition opening: Thursday, 01.02.2024
Symposium: Friday, 02.02.2024
Location: National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo

Participating artists:
Darko Aleksovski • Lamija Čehajić • Danube Transformation Agency
for Agency • Anita Fuchs • Teuta Gatolin • Ernst Koslitsch •
Polonca Lovšin • Ralo Mayer • Edith Payer • Irena Lagator Pejović • Nada Prlja • Lala Raščić • Oliver Ressler • Ivan Šuković •
Adrienn Újházi / Nemanja Milenković • Anna Vasof • Driant Zeneli • Dardan Zhegrova

Curated by: Margarethe Makovec & Anton Lederer

Thanks are due for numerous references to artistic works: Irena Borić,
Adela Demetja, Irfan Hošić, Hristina Ivanoska / Yane Calovski / Jovanka Popova, Ajete Kërqeli / Nita Zeqiri, Andrea Palašti, Natalija Vujošević.

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In the Vranica Mountains in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina lives the Bosnian Mountain Newt / Bosanski planinski triton. It must be added that it still lives there right now. The amphibian is considered to be an endangered species. The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the process
of building a vivarium to protect the species ex situ. Its continued existence is intended to be secured within the walls of the museum, so that a later release into the wild is possible if the animal actually becomes extinct in its natural habitat.

It is high time for endeavours like this one. Looking back on his lifelong research and observations, biologist Edward O. Wilson states the following in Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life: “Unless humanity acquires much more knowledge about global biodiversity and decides quickly to protect it, we will soon irretrievably lose most of the species that make up life on Earth.”

The Bosnian Mountain Newt and the planned vivarium are the starting points for an exhibition of contemporary visual art in relation to the Natural History Department of the National Museum in Sarajevo. 18 artists and groups from Central and South-Eastern Europe present artworks which are situated in the field of tension between nature, human activity and (species) diversity versus endangered forms of life in the Anthropocene. References to science will be established directly in the Natural Sciences Department of the National Museum. Influences from multispecies discourse, other-than-human perspectives on living beings, and the changing conceptions of living beings in intellectual history and their appearances in mythologies of different cultural areas will play a role.

Another integral part of the project will be a one-day symposium with stakeholders from the field of visual arts, as well as some experts from the domain of natural sciences. This meeting of curators and cultural workers, artists and scientists is intended to promote the exchange in the context of the art exhibition topic as well as the National Museum’s engaged project to safe the Bosnian Mountain Newt and is aimed at a broad audience.

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Opening
Thursday, 1 February 2024
18:00: New permanent exhibition:
Amphibians and Reptiles of Bosnia and Herzegovina
19:00:
EX-SITU. Artistic Positions on Endangered Biodiversity and
the Coexistence of Species

Duration: 01.02. – 03.03.2024

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Location: National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zmaja od Bosne 3, Sarajevo
www.zemaljskimuzej.ba

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This project developed by < rotor > centre for contemporary art, Graz,
commissioned by the Cultural Department of the State of Styria following an initiative by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs is dedicated to the endangered Bosnian Mountain Newt.



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