CULT-

UR-
E FRO-
NT BI-
HA
#DefendGallery
Biha, 2017
Impressum
Original title: Kulturna fronta Biha. #NeDamoGaleriju
Editor: Irfan Hoi
Publisher: Udruenje Abc, Biha
For publisher: Armin Amidi
Reviewers of the Bosnian original: Amir Husak, Hrvoje Juri,
Adnan Dupanovi
English translation: Merima Zuli
Print: Grafiar, Biha
Circulation: 200

Printed in November 2017

Content
Culture Front Biha. #DefendGallery / Irfan Hoi ........... 5
Artifacts catalogue ........ 23
CULT-
UR-
E FRO-
NT BI-
HA
#DefendGallery

Irfan Hoi (ed.)

Irfan Hoi

Culture Front Biha

#DefendGallery

Introduction
The city of Biha, according to the 2013 census, is not among the five
most populated cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the period of
SFR of Yugoslavia, it was in the shadow of Banja Luka, and after the in-
dependence of the country, it became the center of Una-Sana Canton. The
bad territorial organization of the Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina has
made Biha the city on the margins and periphery. On the one side, the
Republic of Srpska as a separate entity with a pronounced national signs,
on the other Lika as the poorest region in neighboring Croatia, further
isolated and hampered its position. Before the break-up of Yugoslavia in
the 1990s, Biha was an industrial town with a strong urban middle class
the city in development and construction. After the war and signing of
the Dayton Agreement in 1995, Biha gained a new role of the cantonal
center. Although the citys industry was devastated and demographically
weakened, the new institutions have been founded such as University,
City Gallery and Culture Center. It seemed that the city was facing new
social challenges, but since the end of the war, many opportunities have

5
not been utilized enough. Continuously poor politics at the city, munic-
ipal and cantonal level, shattered education system, as well as radical
provincialization supported by changed demographic conditions, made
Biha a Bosnian province on the margins, isolated and closed. Pseu-
do-democracy, parliamentary travesty, corruption and clientelism, spiced
up with neoliberal tendencies of global character, served as a framework
for incompetent and unethical reflection on heritage and cultural identi-
ty. Due to such environment, pandemic infections of cultural institutions
with apathy, lack of propulsion and lack of ideas have occurred. Many of
them found themselves in a vicious cycle perpetuating the crisis. Lack of
public discourse on culture, lack of cultural strategies at the state, entity,
cantonal or municipal level and the lack of creative ideas have created the
ambient within which the established cultural practices of sub-mediocri-
ty, subjection to citizens and public with insufficiently critically toned
and entertaining contents, have been established. General ignorance has
passed the awareness that culture is an agent of social change, that it has
the power to identify and re-identify society on new models and mental-
ities, and that it has the power to redefine the individuals consciousness,
but also the collective toward something new.

Map of the Biha city centre

The devaluation of cultural values in Biha has been a long-term pro-
cess, involving a wide range of actors and institutions. At the moment of
writing this publication, this process can be followed by gentrification
of the narrow center of the city and increasing inflow of private capital.
A blatant example of inertia and powerlessness of cultural institutions
and participants was manifested as the sell-off of the Una Cinema, in the
city center right next to the medieval monument of the zero category.
There is even no awareness that this space is permanently lost or that the
square surface taken away from the culture needs to be compensated. In
this ambient, the official idea of the Mayor of Biha, Emdad Galijaevi
was created in April 2015 for the City Gallery to be moved from the strict
city center to another and less attractive location. Resistance to this idea
unfolded under the unofficial name #NeDamoGaleriju (#DefendGallery),
which also points to its viral character.

The attractive location of the City Gallery in Bosanska Street in the Biha city centre

Today, two years after that action, there is a solid time lag for analysis
and a more detailed view of the complexity of its implications. Given
that this is a civic activist initiative, partly supported and implemented
by the management of the City Gallery in Biha, it is useful to display
chronology and catalog artifacts that have created and channeled its flow.

7
From this time perspective, the defense of the City Gallery is observed
as a feat of evocative scale, deserving something as a monument, i.e. a
symbol of wider social significance. How to build memories of citizens
victories and what is the significance of this recollection are just some
of the issues that give certain legitimacy to this type of publication. Tak-
ing into account the fact of low awareness of independent civic initiatives
and cultural activism in our community at all, but also the importance of
their visibility in the sense of culture of resistance and independent civic
action, this publication itself is a necessity. The character of this publica-
tion responds to social engagement, and its goal is to train and educate,
but also to encourage action, to initiate action and strive to create a new
social environment in which space for direct-democratic processes, with-
out parliamentary mediators, will be numerous.

In a broader perspective, this publication attempts to detect key issues

and address some of the core topics that emerged from the action #NeDa-
moGaleriju. These problems deal with the local, but also state cultural
politics, cultural workers who generate cultural identity, civil conscious-
ness articulated in the language of visual art and something that could be
named a vision in the field of culture in the local center.

Politics in the service of capital

The social resistance to the initiative of the authorities of City of Biha
to move the City Gallery from the city center that reached its peak on 16
and 17 April 2015, from this perspective can be divided into several units.
The first one is connected to the very controversial initiative of the City of
Biha authorities to move the City Gallery; the other refers to aesthetics
of resistance; the third questions the present role and significance of the
City Gallery in the cultural life of the city. Although Emdad Galijaevi,
then Mayor of the City, was distracted from his idea of relocating the
City Gallery after public pressure, it seems extremely important to create
awareness of this event as something significant for the perception of
local cultural activism, cultural identity of Biha and the Bosnian-Herze-
govinian society in general.

According to the facts that have been preserved and are available today,
the initiative to relocate the City Gallery can surmount the day-to-day
events, because it does not represent the particular agenda of a particular
party it seems that this is a personal vision by Emdad Galijaevi.
The gallery was founded in 1998 by the Municipality of Biha, led by
the mayor Adnan Alagi (Party of Democratic Action) at the time. In
the early period of its activity, the City Gallery was positioned in the
cultural scene of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an institution of extreme-
ly propulsive content. During this period, some of the key exhibitions
of contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian artists were displayed, as well
as numerous other exhibitions that highlighted significant phenomena
of national history of art in the historical and artistic perspective. The
key turning point, the financial crisis that hit the Gallery and interrupted
the tradition of producing complex and demanding art contents, was the
radical cutback of the budget by the City of Biha, during 2012 and the
mayor Albin Musli (Social Democratic Party). Immediately before that,
the Gallery introduced the practice of domestic production of very high
demands and complex implementation, extending its significance beyond
the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The maintenance of the financial
crisis, by cutting the budget and delaying the payments up to half a year,
not paying current accounts and expenditures (phone, electricity, water),
as well as the lack of funds for the realization of projects, were continued
by the mayor Galijaevi (Party of Democratic Action). It was also done
with excuse of financial crisis and the general economic situation of lack
financial resources.

Even though the City Gallery in Biha from in its beginning was not a
part of typical Bosnian-Herzegovinian forms of crisis primarily because
of the possibility to define the culture in authentic way at the local level
and separate from the official centers opportunities provincialization,
criminal activities and personal interests of the responsible people turned
around the situation and brought culture to the edge of existence. Such
a turn is easier to perceive and understand in a somewhat broader per-
spective of traditional neglect by the state institutions when it comes to
culture and art. The most indicative case relates to the seven disregarded
and abandoned institutions of national significance (National Museum of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Historycal Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National and University
Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Film Archive of Bosnia and

9
Herzegovina, Museum of Literature and Performaing Arts of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Library for blind and partially sighted persons in Bosnia
and Herzegovina). After the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995, the
legal status of these institutions remained unresolved, and with transfer-
ring the issue of culture from the state to the entity level their role in the
collective cultural identity at the level of the country was questioned. In
practice this meant that a smaller Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity had no
interest in participating in the creation of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian cul-
tural identity and being an active co-creator of the common state cultural
policy that would return to these institutions the importance they had in
the second half of the 20th century and earlier. With such relationship
the awareness of the general importance of culture was weakened, and
the key institutions were marginalized to the extreme. It seems that the
opportunity for cantons and municipalities was missed to take over,
within legal and legitimate frameworks, what the state has not been able
to do regenerate the devastated cultural space. Culture has come to frui-
tion it has been recognized as useless, passive and an object of constant
nuisance, problems and unfinished processes.

Although there are funds at the levels of state, entity, canton and mu-
nicipality, which cover the needs of culture and art, it can be said that
their realization is characterized by nepotism, corruption, poor criteria
and constant reduction, i.e. by extorting the available funds. The exist-
ence of the Foundation for Music, Scenes and Fine Arts at the level of
the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a disguise, and the method
of evaluating the received applications and the allocation of funds takes
place in a non-transparent and clientelistic way. In the sister Foundation
for publishing the situation is no better. The national key, incompetence,
bureaucracy, and killer formalism are just some of the features of func-
tioning of the funds. A similar practice is also present in the cantonal,
municipal institutions and cultural offices. To speak about ministers and
officials, who occupy the positions of the above mentioned residences
and who carry out the supervision of the available financial resources,
is in vain. Their nomination is equal to sabotaging national and civic in-
terests, because with their competence they are unable to meet even the
lowest demands of modern society. In such a political reality fits in the
initiative of the City of Biha, led by Mayor Emdad Galijaevi, to dis-
locate the City Gallery to a less attractive location and to rent this space
to a commercial bank or other private investor. When Galijaevis plan
had already become public, on April 14 2015, then director of the City
Gallery, an art historian Nermin Deli stated: The first information that
came to me was gossip that I did not take too seriously. After that, there
were phone calls from the Mayors cabinet asking for the square meters
and surface of the Gallery, ground plan of the space, the condition of
the basement rooms, etc. Then we were invited to visit the eventual new
space where the Gallery would be dislocated, and this is the House of
the USAOJ, more precisely the space above the Gallery of Enver Krupi,
and it was explained to us that there were activities to rent out the present
space of the Gallery.1 This date can be considered as the beginning of a
short, but successful fight. The problem was intensified in the media, and
on social networks the avalanche of comments and criticism has been
launched against the Mayor. Galijaevi has been trying to pack his idea
from the very beginning into the packaging of so-called investment in
the development of culture, so that the rent from the rented space of the
City Gallery at 15 Bosanska Street, in the city center, would be invest-
ed in the construction of the theater. That this was scam, it was evident
from the fact that after the Una Cinema was sold, nothing was invested
in the development of local cultural infrastructure. For the news feature
on Federal Television, prepared by the journalist Aleksandra Vinar, Gal-
ijaevi stated: We can get a good 12-15 thousand of convertible marks
for the rent, maybe some bank will rent it, and use this rent to take a
loan worth 1.5-2 million of convertible marks, to invest in construction of
the theater hall and reconstruct the House of the USAOJ.2 This apparent
gentrification process of the rigid neoliberal-capitalist type, where eco-
nomically weaker public life actors are forced to leave attractive spaces
for the benefit of the more powerful, and packed up as a kind of help and

1
Da li e gradska galerija u Bihau biti izmjetena iz centra grada? / Will
the City Gallery in Biha be dislocated from the city center?, ABC.ba, 14 April 2015.
https://www.abc.ba/novost/29963/da-li-ce-gradska-galerija-u-bihacu-biti-izmjeste-
na-iz-centra-grada (Last opened 15 February 2017).
2
The media statement by Emdad Galijaevi in the video feature at the web
portal of Federal Television 16 April 2015 on the link: http://www.federalna.ba/bhs/vi-
jest/128037/video-atraktivna-lokacija-ponudit-ce-se-na-iznajmljivanje (Last opened on
15 February 2017).

11
support to fallen culture, was normal and without major moral questions
to Galijaevi. He did not at all consider it relevant that the location of
the City Gallery in the center of the city was a kind of collective cultural
identification articulated with the language of space and urbanism. The
location that needs to be upgraded and developed, not eliminating and
degrading it.

After the Mayors initiative, a number of questions began to be raised

aloud, such as: What is the cultural strategy of the City of Biha and does
it exist? Who are the cultural advisers of the City of Biha and what are
their goals? What is the role of culture and which are its possibilities?
Judging by the information available that followed the initiative for Gal-
lery dislocation, several statements by Mayor Galijaevi did not suggest
a clear strategy within the framework of the concrete program for the
culture of the City of Biha, and one speaks about the misinterpretation
of cultural policies at all: I might be happier if the ones who are protesting
and are employees of the Gallery, or those who are against a priori, and
do not know what it is all about, do something for financing the Gallery.3
When all the statements by Galijaevi are listed in the chronological
order, it remains clear that it is an ad hoc attempt of uncreative and urgent
monetization of public goods, which should offer an instant solution to
finance the current costs of the City of Biha that was on the verge of
official bankruptcy then.

Biha at the first defense line

The greatest merit for raising public awareness about the issue of relocat-
ing the Gallery deserve its employees, then director Nermin Deli and the
curator Adnan Dupanovi. Although exposed to mobbing by Galijaevi
and the majority in the City Council that consisted of the councilors of
the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), they initiated some of the key
activities of struggle and disobedience. Galijaevis plan became public
after being strategically provoked, followed by a ban on giving media
statements, as well as not-passing the Work Program and Financial Plan

3
The media statement by Emdad Galijaevi in the video at the web portal Bis-
cani.net 15 April 2015 on the link: http://www.biscani.net/fotovideo-veci-prioritet-ban-
ka-nego-gradska-galerija/ (Last opened on 19 April 2015).
of the City Gallery in the City Council.4 The circumstances of Gallerys
employees being responsible in protection and the public goods of the
citizens, with the risk of being degraded, were reflected by the fact that
somewhat later in the same year director Deli was removed from that
position.

An important role as a media ally played the web portal Abc.ba that
understood the importance of defending the public space from the thrust
of capital and suspicious buy-and-sell plans. Thanks to the interest of
journalists and media from the region, news on the Biha City Gallery
flooded the media space. Cultural workers and activists from across the
country and beyond understood the necessity of action and from some
institutions the messages of support were sent. The Association of Art-
ists of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ULUBiH) sent to the City Council of
Biha an alarming message pointing to the importance and significance
of the City Gallery for the cultural identity of Biha City. The signor of
the letter, the president of the Association of Artists of Bosnia and Her-
zegovina, Admir Mujki, pointed out: By moving this Gallery to another
location, artists will remain without the best exhibition space in Bosnia
and Herzegovina, and the citizens of Biha without the temple of culture
they were proud of.5 On the same day, the first visuals on social networks
were created and the official resistance began to gain on volume. The
whole action was realized with the hash tag #NeDamoGaleriju (#Defend-
Gallery), and the first jpg created visual was noted on designer from Bi-
ha Nermin Kasupovics FB account.6 His gesture can be regarded as the
initiation of a visual fight encoded in the language of graphic design, and
his example was followed by others. The next day, on April 16 2015, the
dean of the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Amela Hadimejli Keo,
announced the official letter of support from this institution. She stated,
among other things, in this letter that: The City Gallery in Biha is one
of the few Bosnian-Herzegovinian galleries, which in spite of the difficult
circumstances and the insufficient allocation of material resources man-
aged to preserve high professionalism, to elevate Biha City in the art
world with its program and work, at the very top of the eminent places
4
See p. 54 and 55.
5
See p. 25.
6
See illustration on p. 24.

13
for exhibition and presentation of domestic and foreign artists of different
vocations.7 At the same time, the Internet was already overwhelmed with
jpg-based solutions in the instant form created by the graphic designers
Damir Midi, Adnan Suljkanovi, Boris Stapi, Sead Muji, Nermin
Kasupovi, Edina Sipi, Ahmet Proi, Senad Beganovi and others. This
spontaneous reaction took place exclusively on social networks, and the
gallery of the works created is the testimony of socially-engaging aware-
ness and awareness of responsibility towards public and common values
of the society. Also, these works have managed to draw public attention
by sharing on social networks, and, among other topics, they were men-
tioned in the electronic and printed media.8 These works represent an
important segment of the action #NeDamoGaleriju and a rare example of
cultural activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina that has developed through
the expressive means of visual arts. It is useful to note that this part of the
action and its protagonists were accompanied by discomfort on a profes-
sional and personal level. The individuals were exposed to the mobbing
of their superiors because they dared to stand against the idea of corrup-
tion and nepotism in this way and stand on the side of justice, i.e. engage
themselves for general welfare of the society.

In that direction, one of the most important moves that has homogenized
and centralized the idea of resistance is an open letter compiled by an
informal group of citizens. Published on April 17 and addressed to the
Office of the Mayor of Biha, the City Council of Biha, the Ministry of
Culture and Sport of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Min-
istry of Science, Education, Culture and Sport of the Una-Sana Canton
and numerous media, this letter gave a new dimension of the whole ac-
tion and the fighting position in the defense of the Gallery of Bihac from
the City of Biha was further strengthened. The letter was compiled by
few intellectuals who originate but do not live in Biha, and were able to
assess the harmfulness of the Gallerys dislocation. With this move they
proved social loyalty to the environment they were emotionally connect-
ed with.

7
See p. 26.
8
See Evening News of RTVUSK 17 April 2015 and the article by the journalist
ore Krajinik Umjetnost je u likovima na novanicama / The art is in the monetary
characters? in weekly magazine Dani, 24 April 2015, pp. 24-25.
In addition to listing numerous arguments in the letter, it was pointed out
that the location of the City Gallery in the center of Biha reflects the
central place that culture has in Biha, i.e. the approach that the Biha
City has towards culture and cultural life of the city.9 This fact can be
considered even crucial in the time of devaluation of values regarding
issues of public and common spaces. What benefit do citizens have from
a bank, a market center or other private facility located in the city center?
Almost none. Moreover, there is a benefit to capital holders and private
entrepreneurs who are offered the opportunity to take over and privatize
public spaces in the city center under favorable conditions, thereby in-
creasing their profits. The public space, such as the City Gallery, belongs
in the very center of the city, and the role and meaning of the cultural in-
stitution gains importance, because the culture needs to train and educate,
and its power to change society sums up its potential when it is placed at
an attractive location. The letter was signed by numerous people from the
world of academic life, culture and art on the international level, and this
letter provoked disapproval by the Mayor of Biha, whereby he called
the signatories of the letter some university professors.10 From this time
perspective it seems that the open letter was of central importance for
Galijaevi to give up the idea of selling or renting the City Gallery.

On that day (April 17, 2015) some activists, without direct coordination
with the City Gallery management, launched several different platforms
only for the purposes of fighting for the location of the Gallery. The
Twitter account was opened (https://twitter.com/nedamogaleriju/), the
blog on the Wordpress platform (https://ggakcija.wordpress.com/about/)
was launched and the fan page on Facebook was created (https://www.
facebook.com/ggakcija/). All these moves suggested a synchronized and
elaborated action plan, although there was no direct coordination be-
tween its major actors. While one team perceived the importance of the
open letter, the other team initiated discussion and generated awareness
of social networks for several days. The third team, with the help of the
general public, has used these platforms for quick action.

9
See p. 36.

10
Galijaevi odustao od izmjetanja Gradske galerija u Bihau / Galijaevi
gave up on dislocation of the City Gallery in Biha, ABC.ba, 17 April 2015. http://
www.abc.ba/novost/30107/galijasevic-odustao-od-izmjestanja-gradske-galerije-u-bi-
hacu (Last opened 15 February 2017).
15
It is important to emphasize that the motive of the whole action was
pervaded by a clearly shaped awareness of the importance of the public
space of the City Gallery, and not the trivial solidarity with the staff of
the Gallery. At a later time, after the Gallery had been defended by good
coordination of the mentioned actors, there was no support from the City
Gallery because its employees were not ready to spread the battlefield.
There have been initiatives to occupy the Gallery space at 15 Bosans-
ka Street, to undertake additional subversion and overcome the limited
expectations of its management. It became important that the City Gal-
lery took advantage of the opportune moment and to reposition itself in
relation to the City of Biha to strengthen its role in the field of inde-
pendence, i.e. to articulate awareness of the importance of independent
activity in the field of culture. There were talks about squatting, occupy-
ing, taking over, radical opening up to the public and some new ways of
action and interaction, but because of the swift and successful defense of
the Gallery, enthusiasm has weakened every day.

Upon the invitation of the City Gallery director to open the exhibition A
onda, odjeknuo je onaj hitac u Sarajevu / And then, in Sarajevo, the shot
was fired on April 22, Emdad Galijaevi sent the message through his
adviser Elmedin Mehadi that he would never enter the Gallery again.11

The journalist of the Sarajevo magazine Dani, ore Krajinik started

his article in this Sarajevos weekly magazine with the following state-
ment: Biha has recently demonstrated in a very successful way how to
preserve the survival of cultural institutions if there is a clear view of the
importance of culture and art in the life of a city.12 That fact seemed suf-
ficient at a given moment to stop further action.

The action #NeDamoGaleriju managed to arouse interest in certain ac-

tors beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina and involve them in somewhat larg-
er scale. The German artist Mischa Kuball and professor for public art at
the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne and Karlsruhe actively engaged
in the story through German curator of Bosnian origin Jasmina Merz at

11
Adnan Dupanovi in email, 21 April 2015.

12
ore Krajinik, Umjetnost je u likovima na novanicama / The art is in the
monetary characters?, Dani, 24 April 2015, pp. 24-25.
that time the deputy director of the famous Museum Ludwig in Cologne.
Their initiative to perform the art piece Save the Space in the City Gallery
was not implemented at the moment of resistance due to technical rea-
sons, but the final performance took place in April 2016 in the scope of
the project Curating the City. The German critic Jari Ortwig wrote down
on that occasion: As a reaction to attempt of dislocating the City Gallery
in Bihac from the city center, the action oscillates between performance,
resistance demonstration and space squatting.13

Some relatives from the local context

The defense of the City Gallery in Biha from the attacks of individual
politicians or the entire parliamentary system is not isolated and lonely. It
can be easily contextualized, i.e. placed among the similar activist actions
in the country, because activism in the field of culture in Bosnia and Her-
zegovina over the last few years has achieved certain results that deserve
attention. The bad political and economic situation has allowed devalu-
ation of social values that is particularly evident in the field of culture.
In such an environment, civic actions take on the responsibility of social
correction directed at the bad moves of state institutions. These sporadic
actions tried to make the raise wider public awareness of the perils of
certain phenomena for the whole society in a universal and sophisticated
language of art. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most obvious and most
significant problem of chronic character is the systematic non-resolution
of the seven state cultural institutions. Their troublesome work, numer-
ous problems in functioning and shutting down, represent the reality of
the state of culture in the country.

The list of activist initiatives overlapping with the issues of art and cul-
ture is not extensive, but it is significant and deserves valorization from
several different perspectives. At the same time, this list can serve as a
kind of context within which it is easier to understand the action in Biha
#NeDamoGaleriju. The Bihas action in this respect is not lonely, but as
such has its relatives in other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most
important one to highlight is the occupation of the National Gallery of

13
Jari Ortwig, http://www.public-preposition.net/projects/bihac/ (Last opened 8
March 2017).

17
Bosnia and Herzegovina by the artist Damir Niki in 2011 and the action
#JaSamMuzej (#IamMuseum) by the Association Action in Sarajevo,
led by the activist in the field of culture Aida Kalender in 2015.

Namely, the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina closed its doors
on 1 September 2011 due to accumulation of debts and numerous prob-
lems in its functioning, and Damir Niki occupied its space for 83 days
starting from 6 September. Niki set up the crisis office that started pro-
duction of discursive content, and in his official statement Niki noted:
Someone organized the protest in front of the Gallery on August 26 2011
via Facebook. I entered the Gallery and appeared on the window. I invit-
ed my colleagues to join me and to address the group of demonstrators.
We set up the Bosnian-Herzegovinian flag and speakers and I proposed
the occupation of the Gallery. After the Gallery employees closed the
National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the public on 1 Sep-
tember, I moved in the Gallery where I installed my YouTube Studio on 6
September. Also, I have established the alternative and only Ministry of
Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina and proclaimed myself the Mini-Star
of culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I stayed there for 83 days. I agreed
to cooperate with Radio Sarajevo to give them reports every day for their
web portal.14 During his stay in the National Gallery of Bosnia and Her-
zegovina, Niki produced a series of interviews with artists, curators,
art theoreticians and culture workers. What is interesting, Niki occu-
pied the National Gallery, as a strategy of showing dissatisfaction with
the complex state apparatus, systematic mistakes and unresolved issues
of culture, several days before the official start of the global movement
Occupy. Nikis action occupies a significant place in the history of con-
temporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian art and can be considered the first ac-
tion of that type, which encompassed the layered processes of subversion,
social engagement and multimedia artistic expression.

Another event of similar intent deserves a separate professional valoriza-

tion, and it is considered by its scale and outcome as extremely complex
and successful activist performance. It is about the mentioned project

14
Information available in English on the link: http://www.niksic.co/occupation.
htm (Last opened 16 February 2017).
#JaSamMuzej. In this project, Aida Kalender cooperated with the Sara-
jevo photographer Zijah Gafi with the aim of raising awareness of the
local and global public for the controversial case of the famous National
Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What has given importance to this
project is the fact that the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
carried out its museum activity for 124 years in continuity since its
establishment in 1888 until the closing its doors for public in 2012. The
project #JaSamMuzej is a response to the crisis in the Museum that was
created in 2012 by its closure. In the introductory text of the publication
that followed the project, it is written: Although for years the Museum
has survived from the grants intended for maintenance of the museum
collections, due radical reduction of its amounts, the Museums collegiate
remained on funds that did not represent the fifth of the budget necessary
for the normal functioning of this institution. For this reason, the man-
agement and the staff of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
decided to close the doors of the Museum for public in 2012.15 The per-
formance act of closure was presented through the media of photograph
by Zijah Gafi, who for a few months photographed the workers of the
Museum in their efforts to preserve the Museums collection in difficult
circumstances. He created the series of photographs called Guards of the
Museum, and the whole project lasted more than six months.

Raising awareness of the international public for the case of the Nation-
al Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina was preceded by the art-activist
action Culture Shut Down in 2012, which was designed and coordinated
by the Austrian artist of Bosnian origin Azra Akamija, in the framework
of her project Museum Solidarity Lobby, in cooperation with other col-
leagues. Culture Shut Down is a virtual platform designed to point to the
endangered world heritage through the participation of a local communi-
ty and a wide array of activists, artists, curators and others.16

Conclusion
The action #NeDamoGaleriju is a very important segment in understand-
ing cultural awareness, independent civil action and engaging artistic

15
Guards of the Museum, in: #JaSamMuzej, Action, Sarajevo 2015, p. 4.

16
http://www.cultureshutdown.net (Last opened 26 February 2017).

19
production on the territory of Biha and Bosnia and Herzegovina today.
The publication Culture Front Biha. #DefendGallery and the catalogue
of created works is a kind of testimony to the enviable responsibility of
individuals and contemporaries who have opposed the local politics of
the compromised and now even convicted and former Mayor of Biha,
Emdad Galijaevi. Awareness of the importance of cataloging men-
tioned artifacts and publishing in the form of a publication occurs two
years later, at the time of starting the new phase of civil wake-up within
similar and related activities occurring in some institutions such as the
City Gallery, Textile Department of the University of Biha, Association
Abc.ba, the Foundation Revizor and some other related independent
initiatives. There is hope for a better tomorrow in the devastated Bos-
nian-Herzegovinian society, and the active citizens, as well as direct dem-
ocratic processes, are the necessity to keep up with. Emdad Galijaevi
and his initiative are the dark past of this city, but the well-designed and
organized civic initiative is a pledge to foster permanent values of mature
and modern civil society in line with the best experiences and practices
of this part of Europe.
Artifacts catalogue
Nermin Kasupovi, #NeDamoGaleriju, 15.04.2015.
 City of Biha
Biha City Council

Dear Sir,
We are writing you this letter, shocked by your decision to relocate the City Gallery in Biha from the
current location. Even though this treatment of cultural institutions in BiH has become settled practice,
we ask you to reconsider your decision, in the name of 430 members of BiH Association of Artists,
because the consequences of implementing this decision will deprive Biha City from that which makes
it the European city City Gallery of Biha. The undeniable quality and scope of work of the Biha City
Gallery is well-known to all members of BiH Association of Artists and in art circles of our country
and region it is mentioned as an example of quality and professional work. By relocating this Gallery
to another location, the artists will lack the best exhibition space in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the
citizens of Biha of the culture temple they are proud of. In consideration of all mentioned we hope that
you will consider this problem from another point of view, meaning if its relocation will bring temporary
or long-term profit. To follow the current unjust politics on cultural institutions would be an easy job
for you. But to try to preserve the importance and merits of Biha City Gallery is also an easy job which
would provide for Biha City the long-term European cultural identity.

Sarajevo, 15 April 2015

With respect,
Amir Mujki president of Bosnia and Herzegovina assosiation of visual arts

Honorary members of the Association: Halil Tikvea, Devad Hozo, Boko Kuanski, Afan Rami,
Mustafa Skopljak, Seid Hasanefendi, Fra Petar Vidi, Hazim ii, Tomislav Perazi
Governing Board: Alija Balta, Devdet Nikoevi, Mensur Verlaevi, Ilhana Latifovi
Governing Assembly: Stijepo Gavri, Hasan akar, Avdo iga, Boris Hodak, Emir Osmi

Letter from the president of Bosnia and Herzegovina assosiation of visual arts
Admir Mujki, 15.04.2015. (Original in Bosnian language)

25
 Dear Sir,

Hearing the information that city authorities want to dislocate Biha City Gallery from its cur-
rent location in the city centre, I want to express my personal and my colleagues deep sorrow
upon this decision and point out the following facts;
Biha City Gallery is one of the rare BiH galleries which in spite of difficult circumstances and
insufficient allocation of financial resources has succeeded to preserve high level of profes-
sionalism and with its program and work promoted Biha in the arts world at the very top of
eminent places for exhibition and presentation of BiH and international artists of different
vocations.
Along museums, theatres, concert and sport halls, the inevitable symbol of a city is, of course,
city gallery. For city gallery to make the city what it should be has to be located in the heart of
the city, in the busiest zone. The Biha City Gallery has become the landmark of your city. Not
only because visitors and tourists, but because citizens of Biha, especially young people and
children should live in an environment that will educate them and foster culture and education.
The Biha City Gallery is located exactly at the place like this, where you can visit exhibition,
find out or learn something new or become aware of something different and without intention.
I suppose that you are also aware of these mentioned arguments. Therefore, I am asking you to
reconsider whether you are making large and long-term, almost irreparable mistake to you City
with relocation of the City Gallery. Why do you want to destroy the positive image of Biha
City (that you are maybe not aware of) which this Gallery created, with its many years of highly
professional work and at the exactly current location.
I hope that I inspired you rethink and change your decision and that artists will continue to
come and exhibit in Biha, visitors and citizens have their place for culture in the city centre
and that we will continue to point out and mention Biha City as a bright spot at the map of
BiH culture.

Heartily,

Letter by Dean of Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,

Amela Hadimejli Keo, 16.04.2015. (Original in Bosnian language)
Damir Midi, 16.04.2015.

27
Ahmet Proi, 16.04.2015.
Damir Midi, 16.04.2015.

29
Senad Beganovi, 16.04.2015.
Adnan Suljkanovi, 16.04.2015.
Cultural strategy of Biha City 2015

31
Adnan Suljkanovi, 16.04.2015.
Cultural strategy of Biha City 2015
Blog activated on 17.04.2015. https://ggakcija.wordpress.com/about/

33
Twitter account activated on 17.04.2015. https://twitter.com/nedamogaleriju/
kabinet@bihac.org

Dear Mr. Galijaevi, Mayor of Biha,

We are unpleasantly surprised by the announcement of Biha City Gallery dislocation from its current
space, which you confirmed and explained in media.

We sternly protest against relocation of the Gallery and appeal to you to stop it. In relation to that, we
are sending attached Open letter upon the announcement of Biha City Gallery dislocation, to you the
Biha City Mayor, Biha City Council, Ministry of education, science, culture and sports of Una-Sana
Canton, Ministry of culture and sports of Federation BiH, media, to BiH and international public.

The Open letter was signed by over sixty respectable citizens and friends of Biha (artists, scientists,
university professors, cultural workers, etc.) living and working in Bosnia and Herzegovina, France,
Croatia, Germany, United States of America and Great Britain.

We are convinced that dislocation of the Gallery would bring only long-term, far reaching and
unforeseeable damage for Bihac and its citizens, and are ready to continue our engagement against this
initiative.

Kind regards,

Signatories of the Open letter upon announcement

of dislocation of the Biha City Gallery

bihac@bihac.org

Dear members of Biha City Council,

We are unpleasantly surprised by the announcement of Biha City Gallery dislocation from its current
space, which you confirmed and explained in media.

We sternly protest against relocation of the Gallery and appeal to you to stop it. In relation to that, we
are sending attached Open letter upon the announcement of Biha City Gallery dislocation, to you the
Biha City Mayor, Biha City Council, Ministry of education, science, culture and sports of Una-Sana
Canton, Ministry of culture and sports of Federation BiH, media, to BiH and international public.

The Open letter was signed by over sixty respectable citizens and friends of Biha (artists, scientists,
university professors, cultural workers, etc.) living and working in Bosnia and Herzegovina, France,
Croatia, Germany, United States of America and Great Britain.

We are convinced that dislocation of the Gallery would bring only long-term, far reaching and
unforeseeable damage for Bihac and its citizens, and are ready to continue our engagement against this
initiative.

Kind regards,

Signatories of the Open letter upon announcement

of dislocation of the Biha City Gallery

35
 OPEN LETTER UPON ANNOUNCEMENT OF
BIHA CITY GALLERY DISLOCATION

Biha City Gallery was founded in 1998 as the public institution of Biha Municipal-
ity, and from that day until now is located at a prestigious location of 220 square meters in the city
centre. To list all exhibitions and other artistic, cultural, scientific and public events that took place
in the City Gallery in the last seventeen years, we would need all pages in a book. It is enough to
point out that, beside 187 exhibitions, 160 book promotions, concert, art performances, literary
nights, scientific and public discussions were organized and it is done throughout the year. The
City Gallery has indispensable role in traditional cultural and art events such as Bihas Sum-
mer and On the streets of Biha, and it also organizer of the international art colony by which
financial support has been provided for 13 years to the Center for children without parental care
Duga in Kulen Vakuf.
Importance of the City Gallery for the artistic, scientific and educational, cultural
and social life of the City, shown in number of visitors at the events and presence in media, is and
should be unquestionable. Connected to capacity of the exhibition space which makes the rich
cultural history of the City and its art scene publicly visible, but also in sense of space enabling
presentation of work of artists from this region and living abroad, as well as being an incubator for
new art practice continually being created here, the City Gallery is not just one part of the cultural
scene of Biha City and Biha as the city of culture, but also one of the central institutions that
constitute Biha as the city.
For all these reasons, we are unpleasantly surprised by the announcement of Biha
City Gallery dislocation from its current space.
Location of the City Gallery in the city centre of Biha reflects the central place that
culture has got in Biha, meaning the attitude the Biha City has on culture and cultural life of
the city. Position of the City Gallery in the city centre, i.e. its presence and visibility at the busiest
promenade in the city, popular among citizens of Biha of all ages, also enables the Gallery to
function as a space of public gatherings and social reflection, which fulfills its primary public and
social function. It has to be pointed out once again that Biha City Gallery is not just an exhibition
space where art invisible to public happens, but just the opposite it profiles the public of Biha
City as culturally sensible and socially aware public.
The function of the Gallery, as an incubator for cultural life of the City, its wider pub-
lic and social function, and its spatial position are strictly connected categories functioning only
in symbiosis representing the essential connection of the city with its cultural and artistic heritage
and its urban future.
We hope that the planned dislocation of the City Gallery would be stopped on time
and that it will continue its work at this location, firstly in favor of citizens of Biha, but also of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, region and beyond, because mission and program of the Gallery certain-
ly do not have only local importance.
Whatever the reasons for dislocation the Gallery may be, they are incomprehensible
and unacceptable. It can be guessed that those are calculations on the attractive, commercially
usable location of the Gallery. With regard to that, as citizens of Biha and its friends, we protest
and warn that satisfying short-term and short-sighted business interests can lead to long-term,
far reaching and irreparable cultural and social damage for Biha City and its citizens.

Open letter from 17.04.2015.

(Original in Bosnian language)
Signatories of the Open letter:

1. Prof. Dr. Sulejman Bosto, philosopher, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, Bos-
nia and Herzegovina
2. Hasan akar, academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bos-
nia and Herzegovina
3. Prof. Dr. Ekrem auevi, Turkologist and literary translator, Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
4. Dr. Meho auevi, teacher and artist, Faculty of Pedagogy, University of Biha, Bosnia
and Herzegovina
5. Dr. Vanja elebi, anthropologist, University of Durham, Great Britain
6. Prof. Asim Djelilovi, M. A. product designer, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
7. Danis Fejzi, M. A. academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Prof. Marina Finci, M. A. academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
9. Prof. Zoja Finci, M. A. academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sara-
jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
10. Dr. Kristina Grgi, comparative literature expert and Anglicist, Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Croatia
11. Amer Hadi, M. A. academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
12. Prof. Bojan Hadihalilovi, M. A. academic designer, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
13. Prof. Dr. Amela Hadimejli, academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
14. Nela Hasanbegovi, M. A. academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
15. Prof. Seid Hasanefendic, academic painter, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
16. Nihad Hasanovi, writer, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
17. Refik Hodi, journalist and activist, International Center for Transitional Justice, New
York, USA
18. Doc. Dr. Irfan Hoi, art historian and art critic, Faculty for Technical Engineering, Uni-
versity of Biha, Bosnia and Herzegovina
19. Academic Devad Hozo, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herze-
govina
20. Prof. Sra Hrisafovi, M. A., architect, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bos-
nia and Herzegovina
21. Doc. Dr. Azra Hromadi, assistant professor, anthropologist, Maxwell School of Citizen-
ship, Syracuse University, USA
22. Doc. Dr. Hajrudin Hromadi, media and culture theoretician, Faculty of Philosophy,
University of Rijeka, Croatia
23. Prof. Amir Husak, teacher and independent artist, The New School, New York, USA
24. prof. dr. Hrvoje Juric, philosopher and poet, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences,
University of Zagreb, Croatia
25. Prof. Dr. Nevad Kahteran, philosopher and theologian, Faculty of Philosophy, University
of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

37
26. Prof. Metka Kraigher Hozo, M. A., academic painter, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
27. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Krzovi, art historian, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
28. Prof. Mischa Kuball, artist and teacher, Kunsthochschule fr Medien, Kln, Germany
29. Prof. Fikret Libovac, M. A. academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
30. Kruno Lokotar, literary editor and cultural activist, Zagreb, Croatia
31. Jasminka Ljubijanki, DDM, specialist in jaw orthopedics and orthodontics, House of
Health Biha, Bosnia and Herzegovina
32. Prof. Dr. Danijela Majstorovi, linguist and culture theoretician, Faculty of Philosophy,
University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
33. Jasmina Merz, M. A., curator of modern arts and culture historian, Museum Ludwig,
Kln, Germany
34. Davor Mikovi, sociologist and cultural activist, Association Other Sea/Drugo more,
Rijeka, Croatia
35. Admir Mujki, M. A., academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sara-
jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
36. Doc. Jasna Mujki, M. A., academic product designer, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
37. Prof. Salim Obrali, M. A., academic painter, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
38. Renata Papita, M. A., academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sara-
jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
39. Ivana Percl, culture manager, Zagreb, Croatia
40. Dr. Nikola Petkovi, culture theoretician, writer and president of Croatian Writers Asso-
ciation, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rijeka, Croatia
41. Doc. Sanda Popovac, M. A., architect, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bos-
nia and Herzegovina
42. Doc. Dr. Helena Popovi, sociologist, Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb,
Croatia
43. Doc. Dr. Dubravka Pozderac Lejli, specialist in philosophical aesthetics, Academy of Fine
Arts, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
44. Danijel Premec, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
45. Dr. Jaka Primorac, sociologist, Institute for development and international relations, Za-
greb, Croatia
46. Claire Richard, M. A., writer and journalist, Paris, France
47. Doc. Enes Sivac, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
48. Prof. Mustafa Skopljak, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
49. Prof. dr. Besim Spahic, specialist in communication studies, Academy of Fine Arts, Uni-
versity of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
50. Samir Sueska, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
51. Doc. Alma Suljevi, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Saraje-
vo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
52. Faruk ehi, writer and journalist, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
53. Ana Siranovi, pedagogue, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Za-
greb, Croatia
54. Darko obot, M. A., academic sculptor, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
55. Predrag Tapaviki, political scientist and manager in university education, Jacobs Univer-
sity, Bremen, Germany
56. Dr. efik Tatli, sociologist and independent culture theoretician, Zagreb, Croatia/Biha,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
57. Prof. Salih Teskeredi, M. A., architect, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
58. Frauke Veldkamp, artist, art pedagogue and independent management educator, Bremen,
Germany
59. Dr. Dea Vidovi, culture theoretician and cultural activist, Foundation New Culture/Kul-
tura nova, Zagreb, Croatia
60. Emina Vini, culture manager, Pogon Zagrebs Center for Independent Culture and
Youth, Zagreb, Croatia
61. Dr. Aaron Vlasak, philosopher and Master in environmental sciences and forestry, Syra-
cuse, USA
62. Prof. Amra Zulfikarpai, M. A., academic designer, Academy of Fine Arts, University of
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
63. Prof. Avdo Ziga, M. A., academic graphic artist, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sara-
jevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
64. Ana Janevski, M. A., art historian and curator, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New
York, USA
65. Dr. Dijana Jelaa, specialist in communication and culture studies, St. Johns University,
New York, USA

39
Alen Anadolac, 17.04.2015.
Nermin Kasupovi, 17.04.2015.
Art is worth more

41
Adnan Suljkanovi, 17.04.2015.
Cultural strategy of Biha City 2015
Adnan Suljkanovi, 17.04.2015.
Cultural strategy of Biha City 2015

43
Adnan Suljkanovi, 17.04.2015.
Cultural strategy of Biha City 2015
Nermin Kasupovi, 17.04.2015.
Money has no value

45
Ahmet Proi, 17.04.2015.
Ahmet Proi, 17.04.2015.

47
Edina Sipi, 17.04.2015.
Edina Sipi, 17.04.2015.

49
Admir avki, 17.04.2015.
Artists, who are you banking with?
Sead Muji, 17.04.2015.
Tourist guide/Biha 2015 / sponsored by City Government

51
Boris Stapi, 17.04.2015.
Damir Midi, 18.04.2015.

53
 To public institutions and public companies of Biha City

SUBJECT: Media appearances

It has been noticed lately that there are unauthorized media appearances.
Therefore, you are ordered to obtain oral or written approval by the Mayor before
giving any statement to any type of media.

Respectfully,

Media appearances, 28.04.2015.

 CONCLUSION

Biha City Council did not adopt the Work and Financial Plan of the Public Institution City
Gallery Biha for 2015.

II

This Conclusion shall enter into force on the date of its adoption and will be published in the
Official Gazette of Biha City.

Withholding the adoption, 30.04.2015.

55
Mischa Kuball, The sketch for the action Save the Space, 2.05.2015.
Mischa Kuball, The sketch for the action Save the Space, 2.05.2015.

57
Mischa Kuball, Public preposition/Save the Space,
intervention in the public space. Biha City Gallery, April 2016.
59
This publication is made possible by the generous support of the
Open Society Fund Bosnia and Herzegovina

CIP - Katalogizacija u publikaciji

Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka
Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo

069(497.6-21 Biha)

CULTURE front Biha : # defend gallery /

Irfan Hoi (ed.) ; [English translation Merima Zuli]. -
Biha : Udruenje Abc, 2017. - 59 str. : ilustr. ; 23 cm

Prijevod djela: Kulturna fronta Biha.

ISBN 978-9926-8215-0-0

COBISS.BH-ID 24541958
About Publication Editor

Irfan Hoi received his PhD degree from the

Art History Department of the Faculty of Hu-
manities and Social Sciences, University of
Zagreb. The field of his research is the art of
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 20th century. He
received the award for journalism from BIRN
(Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Bel-
grade) in 2012. Irfan Hoi is co-curator of the
BiH pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013)
titled Garden of Delights by the artist Mladen
Miljanovi. In the academic year 2013/2014
he was a visiting teacher at Stamps School of
Art and Design, University of Michigan, USA.
He also received the Basileus scholarship for
post-doctoral research visit at University of
Ghent, Belgium in 2014. He received Weisers
scholarship for residence at University of Mich-
igan in September 2015 and Green Tech schol-
arship for research visit at University of Pader-
born (Germany) in 2017. His course Design and
Crisis was awarded Patterns Lectures award in
2016 by Erste Stiftung and WUS Austria. Hoi
is an assistant professor at the Textile Depart-
ment of Faculty for Technical Engineering, Uni-
versity of Biha, where he teaches Art History
and Modern Art and Design. He is engaged in
art criticism and curator work.
ISBN 978-9926-8215-0-0