Project D-O Ark 1-2-3-4-5

The book Project D-O Ark 1-2-3-4-5 is published in English and Bosnian by the Association Biennial of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo. The D-0Ark Underground Contemporary Art Biennial was initially programmed to be completed in 5 editions and designed to become an amalgamation of a military and contemporary art museum after completing its cycle in 2019. The project, directed by Edo Hozić, took place at Tito’s atomic shelter, stationed in Konjic, 45km south of Sarajevo. The CODE name is “Istanbul”. The shelter occupies a space of 6,500 square metres and consists of 12 connected blocks. The construction and existence of this bunker was kept secret until the 1990s. The Council of Europe proclaimed this project as a Cultural Event of Europe. The project also has strong support from UNESCO. The project is a unique example of how contemporary art —whilst in a situation of insufficient financial resources, intermittent professional opportunities, and lack of political or social stability to maintain any of the art institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina— saved a military museum, thus preserving the archives from the past for the future. The five editions were curated by Branislav Dimitrijevic, Petar Cukovic, Basak Senova, Branko Franceschi, Margarethe Makovec, Anton Lederer, Adela Demetja, Hans D. Christ, Iris Dressler, and Jonatan Habib Engqvist. Project D-O Ark 1-2-3-4-5, edited by Basak Senova and Sandra Miljević Hozić, analyses, reads, and records the venture of the project with texts by the director and curators Alec Balasescu, Cosmina Goagea, Edo Hozić, Ješa Dengri, Levent Soysal, Simina Neagu, and Srdjan Jovanović Weiss, including detailed sections about the artists, produced works, and the activities of the project since 2011.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Basak Senova, Visiting Professor at Art and Communication Practices, University of Applied Arts Vienna, runs the “Octopus Programme” and has edited two extensive publications that have recently been published.