Participants: Basak Senova - Curator from Istanbul, Curator of the second edition of the Project Biennial and Council Member of the Project Biennale), Branko Franceschi - Director of the Museum of Fine Arts Split, Art Historian, Curator of the second edition of the Project Biennial and Council Member of the Project Biennale) and Edo Hozić - Director and Founder of the Project Biennial of Contemporary Art D-0 ARK Underground.
Project Biennial of Contemporary Art D-0 ARK Underground is unique project in the field of contemporary art. It is located in the Atomic War Command, one of the most fascinating underground military facilities in the world, which was built in Konjic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) during the 1953 - 1979 period in times of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The function of the bunker was to enable survival of Marshall Tito and 350 members of the political and military elite without any contact with the outside world and their rule of the country in case of the nuclear attack. Since 2014 the bunker is listed as the Cultural Heritage Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Final goal of the Project Biennial is its transformation in hybrid institution: Military and Contemporary Art Museum.
During last four years the D-0 ARK Underground Project has been recognized as a regional promoter of cultural values and, thus, in 2011 the Council of Europe proclaimed it a Cultural Event of Europe. In 2013 and 2015 Project was organized under the UNESCO patronage, and UNESCO proclaimed it a part of its official 70th year celebration program.
First edition of the Project Biennial was organised in 2011 in partnership with Republic of Serbia and Montenegro. Second edition was organized in 2013 in partnership with Republic of Turkey and Republic of Croatia. Third edition was organized in 2015 in partnership with Republic of Austria and Republic of Albania.
After three editions, the Project Biennial within Nuclear War Command (ARK) permanently displays 125 artworks of 90 artists from 32 countries. Today ARK represents some kind of time machine.
Presentations of the Project Biennial so far were held in Venice - UNESCO Palazzo Zorzi during 55th Venice Biennial, in SALT Istanbul, Berlin, Florence, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, MUMOK -Vienna, Ministry of Culture of Republic of Albania and Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
International electronic and TV (HRT, Al Jazeera Balkans, CNN, RAI UNO, TRT, FOX News, TVRS…) as well as numerous daily newspapers and magazines, such as: The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Huriet Daily, Associated Press, Washington Post etc; have extensively broadcasted or disseminating information on the Project. Especially important is attention and space given to project in leading global art magazines such as: ART FORUM, MetropolisM, Flash ART….
With Presentation of the Project Biennale and promotion of Project Book D-0 ARK, Project Biennial Directorate, fulfills its obligations towards the Croatian Ministry of Culture, which co-financed Project Biennial in 2013 and 2015.
1st edition
Partner countries were Republic of Serbia and republic of Montenegro. Selectors/curators were Branislav Dimitrijević and Petar Ćuković.
Artists: Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin (Istanbul), Caner Aslan (Ankara), Maja Bajević (Sarajevo), Blue Noses (Novosibirsk/Moscow), Veronica Brovall (Berlin), Bunker Research Group (Helsinki, Istanbul, Karlstad), Petr Bystrov (Moskow), Braco Dimitrijević (Paris), Jim Finn (New York), Igor Grubić & Lana Čmajčanin (Zagreb/Sarajevo), Tina Gverović & Siniša Ilić (Zagreb/Belgrade), Allard Van Der Hoek (Amsterdam), Vlatka Horvat & Tim Etchells (New York/ Sheffield), Pravdoljub Ivanov (Sofia), Villu Jaanisoo (Pirrkala), Bojan Jovanović & Smilja Ignjatović (Belgrade), Šejla Kamerić (Sarajevo), Karsten Konrad (Berlin), Marko Lulić (Vienna), Basim Magdy (Cairo/Geneve), David Maljković (Zagreb), Radenko Milak (Banja Luka), Mladen Miljanović (Banja Luka), Museum Of American Art (Berlin), Ioana Nemes (Bucharest), Ahmet Öğüt (Istanbul), Milija Pavićević (Podgorica), Marko Peljhan (Santa Barbara/Ljubljana), Monument Group (Belgrade/Tuzla/Ljubljana), Ivan Petrović (Belgrade), Tobias Putrih (New York), Lisi Raskin (New York), Lala Raščić (Sarajevo/New Orleans/Zagreb), Römer + Römer (Berlin), Erzen Shkololli (Prishtina), Sz. Berlin (London), Nebojša Šerić Shoba (New York), Škart Group (Belgrade), Wolfgang Thaler (Vienna), Dragoljub Raša Todosijević (Belgrade), Jelena Tomašević (Podgorica), Natalija Vujošević (Podgorica), XYZ Matej Gavula & XYZ Milan Tittel (Bratislava/Senec).
2nd edition
Partner countries were Republic of Croatia and Republic of Turkey. Selectors / curators were Basak Senova and Branko Franceschi.
Artists: Adel Abidin (Helsinki/Bagdad), Alban Muja (Priština), Alfredo Pirri (Rim), Almin Zrno (Sarajevo), Apparatus 22 and Studio Basar (Bukurešt), Armin Linke (Berlin/Milano), AutopsiA (Prag/Novi Sad), Banu Cennetoglu & Yasemin Ozcan (Istanbul), Brian Dailey (Wašington), Carl Michael von Hausswolff (Stokholm), Carlo Crovato (London/Berlin), Conor McGrady (Burren/New York), Cynthia Zaven (Beirut), Dalibor Martinis (Zagreb), Danica Dakić (Sarajevo/Dusseldorf), Daniel Garcia Andujar (Barcelona), Dario Šolman (Split /New York), Edin Numankadić (Sarajevo), Edo Murtić (Zagreb), Emre Erkal (Ankara), Ibro Hasanović (Brussels/Sarajevo), Igor Bošnjak (Trebinje), Janos Sugar (Budimpešta), Kim Cascone (San Francisco), Laibach (Ljubljana), Luchezar Boyadjiev (Sofia), Miroslaw Balka (Varšava), Nenad Malešević (Banja Luka/Beograd), Nemanja Cvijanović (Rijeka), Paul Devens (Maastricht), Renata Poljak (Zagreb/Split), Saeri Kiritani (Kanazawa/New York), Simona Dumitriu (Bukurešt), STEALTH.unlimited (Beograd/Amsterdam) Yane Calovski (Skopje).
3rd edition
Partner Countries were Republic of Albania and Republic of Austria. Selectors / curators were Maragarethe Makovec & Anton Lederer (AU) i Adela Demetja (AL).
Artists: Leone Contini (Florence), Dante Buu (Rožaj/Sarajevo), Documentary Embroidery (Vahida Ramujkić & Dejan Došljak) (Belgrade), Effi & Amir (Brussels), Helidon Gjergji (New York/Tirana), G.R.A.M. (Graz), Tue Greenfort (Berlin), Wiebke Grösch / Frank Metzger (Frankfurt/Main), Flaka Haliti (Munich/Vienna), Marlene Hausegger (Vienna), Dritan Hyska (Tirana), Adela Jušić (Sarajevo), Johanna Kirsch (Vienna), Elvedin Klačar (Vienna/Sarajevo), Damian Le Bas (Worthing), Delaine Le Bas (Worthing), Ralo Mayer & Oliver Gemballa (Vienna/Hamburg), Anna McCarthy (Munich), Damir Očko (Zagreb), Nikolay Oleynikov (St. Petersburg), Alketa Ramaj (Tirana), Selma Selman (Bihać), Mladen Stilinović (Zagreb), Sylvia Winkler / Stephan Köperl (Stuttgart).