SPACE OF RESISTANCE

The exhibition is part of the commemorations marking the thirtieth anniversary of the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the siege of Sarajevo (14 December 1995), and the Srebrenica genocide (11 July 1995). Spaces of Resistance does not limit itself to a historical reading of those conflicts, but offers a broader and deeply current reflection on the post-war present. Interweaving art and memory, Spaces of Resistance unfolds as a poetic and political journey through trauma and healing, conveyed by the artistic practices of six women artists from diverse cultural, geographic, and generational backgrounds: Simona Barzaghi, Gea Casolaro, Romina De Novellis, Šejla Kamerić, Smirna Kulenović, and Mila Panić. The works - ranging from video, photography, installation to performance - address themes from geopolitical analysis to generative ritual, placing at the center the connection with the Earth as a living, political, and spiritual body.
 

Simona Barzaghi’s artistic path is rooted in listening and relational practices, marked by a constant tension between body and territory. Through the act of walking along the Drina River, she activates a process that transforms the landscape into a shared narrative. In contrast yet in complement, Romina De Novellis kneels on the ground and performs a persistent, repetitive act of cleaning a section of the exhibition space, evoking the impossibility of erasing the memory of past wounds. Bosnian artist Šejla Kamerić, whose work stems from the experience of conflict, engages with memory and power dynamics, reclaiming the body as a site of political and subversive action. Smirna Kulenović entrusts nature with an active role in collective healing, using organic elements capable of preserving and reworking the scars of history. Gea Casolaro constructs an emotional geography of Sarajevo through the image of grass: while symbolizing rebirth and fertility, grass simultaneously alludes to the minefields left behind after the war, evoking a double tension between life and threat. Similarly, Mila Panić guides us through an intimate and autobiographical landscape, where the archaic act of burning an agricultural field - part of her future inheritance - becomes a reflection on destruction and the possibility of transformation.
 

Through the works of these artists, Spaces of Resistance opens up the potential to return a generative future to the present, inviting us to imagine new forms of survival and reconciliation, where art becomes a concrete act of care and resistance.

Simona Barzaghi, graduated from the Accademia di Brera, works on participatory practices in contemporary art in Bosnia – Republika Srpska, developing cultural projects with museums, schools, vulnerable communities, and refugee camps. She collaborates on the creation of Irvin Muicic’s Ekometa eco-village and promotes artistic interventions and residencies. She gives lectures on cinema, contemporary art, and participatory practices related to her work at academies and cinemas/theaters.
 

Gea Casolaro, a visual artist active since 1994, uses photography, video, and writing to shed light on often overlooked realities. Her work seeks to create dialogue between different experiences and people. Notable works include Maybe in Sarajevo (1998), Still Here (2009), Forever Monte-Carlo (2013), Send Me a Postcard (2013), and the public art monument for Parco Eternot (2016). Her practice reflects on memory, identity, and collective responsibility.
 

Romina De Novellis is a performance artist living and working in Paris since 2008. After studying dance, theater, and anthropology, she centered her artistic research on the gesture. Her works reflect on the cultural transformations of the Mediterranean and have been presented in prestigious international venues, including the Venice Biennale, Palais de Tokyo, MADRE Museum, Artissima, Fondation Cerasi, and Romaeuropa Festival.
 

Šejla Kamerić is a multidisciplinary visual artist working with photography, objects, drawings, and installations. Her works combine emotional depth with social commentary, exploring themes such as memory, resistance, and gender struggles. Empathy is central to her artistic practice. She has exhibited internationally, and her works are part of major collections, including TATE Modern, Musée d’Art Moderne, MACBA, MMCA, and many others.
 

Smirna Kulenović is a Bosnian artist, director, and researcher whose work explores the intersection of art, ecology, and memory through performance, theater, and film. Among her most recognized projects are Our Family Garden and The Test of Maturity, both awarded at international festivals. She collaborates with MIT and Venezia 2024 and teaches at institutions such as Yale, Oxford, and Stockholm, integrating ecology, media art, and transgenerational knowledge.
 

Mila Panić is a Bosnian artist and stand-up comedian based in Berlin. Her poetic research combines drawings, found-footage, photography, and performance to explore narratives related to migration. She examined bilingualism in the podcast Broken English and is the co-founder of Fully Funded Residencies e.V., a platform that maps artist residencies and funding opportunities, fostering the exchange of experiences among artists.