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World fine arts artists on the beauties of BiH: An unbreakable spirit and cheerful people, a country where a stranger feels at home

Bosnia and Herzegovina, a small country in Southeast Europe, is the pearl of the area. A heart-shaped country, and in the heart of Europe, with its incredible beauties, it forces visitors to come again. Rich in culture, history, extraordinary scenery, it is an inspiration to many. Its beauties have been described in books, poems, reportages, films, songs … Today there are almost no major media that have not selected BiH as their destination to visit.

Artists have made the beauties of Bosnia and Herzegovina through sevdah, on canvases, eternal from ten world countries – Turkey, S. Cyprus, S. Macedonia, Greece, France, Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, who at the end of August stayed in Sarajevo within the seventh International Colony.

It was an opportunity to find out how they experienced our homeland …

Birsen Ceken (Turkey)

Sarajevo and Mostar have captured my heart a long time ago, and are often the motifs of my artwork. In BiH, I feel at home. I have been to the Sarajevo colony before, but always with new experiences and emotions. With the architectural material and atmosphere that prevails, different cultures and religions intersect, and this is particularly inspiring to me. It also has a positive effect on me that people are very cordial and hospitable.

Pinar Koc (Turkey)

Bosnia and Herzegovina holds a very special place in the hearts of the Turkish people because of our strong historical, cultural and social ties. The common characteristics of our societies are particularly reflected in the fields of art and culture. An international art colony brought together artists from different countries in the region with the same spirit of affection that is “sevdah”. Throughout this wonderful event, our artistic pieces expressed a positive sense of love, harmony and friendship. The success of this colony largely depends on the lovely people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, known for the hospitality that inspired us all in the creation of our artwork.

Gian Luca Palazzolo (Italy)

I came to Sarajevo for a vacation three years ago and simply fell in love with the city. Since then, I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to come back, and now I am back. I got the opportunity to meet the beautiful people who live here and the wonderful landscapes of Bosnia. I think Sarajevo has just become my “percent dell’anima” (place of the soul)!

Selver Kadrovic (Montenegro)

I waited a long time to travel through Bosnia and Herzegovina, just as in Safet Isović’s song “prođem Bosnom kroz gradove/across Bosnia through the Cities”. Sarajevo has a soul and we are always happy to come. What especially left a mark on me is Počitelj. Very special story that thrilled me.

Nehat Beqiri (S. Macedonia)

Unbreakable spirit and cheerful people. Lots of humor and sevdah. Where even a stranger feels at home. The beautiful country of Bosnia.

Azra Hamzagić (Serbia)

A short stay in BiH was more than interesting. Each city speaks for itself. The land between tradition and fashion, and in it a blend of both. It has always represented, still represents, the bridge of these two opposite cultural poles. Carrying such a burden of a bridge, a crossing, it was further transferred to the interior of the country, so now it has so many bridges. One of the most famous is the one in Mostar where after visiting Sarajevo, Počitelj, Blagaj and other destinations, we had the opportunity to see the leaps of the brave, as they get closer to eternal duration.

Berk Kaya (Turkey)

Everything I experienced in BiH in a short time resembled a fairy tale. The places and cities we visited are a reflection of the people who live there. Staying in the colony is the most wonderful experience I have had, and meeting different cultures in one place has helped me understand art globally. Sarajevo is a city that you can easily feel, if you can feel what happened earlier, which has led to the mixing of different cultures. It seems like a very happy city, but when you walk the streets, you are awakened by different feelings, deep and sad. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to see and feel it all, and I will definitely be back again.

Fatih Başbuğ (Turkey)

Sarajevo is a geography for the Turks, which has historical roots of deep and important examples of our cultural heritage. The Turks have a different sympathy and love for the Bosnian people. This event is an activity that integrates cultural communication, brings together artists from different countries and serves a universality that combines the language of communication with the language of art. I hope that the process that continues this goal and ideals will continue, and that artists will produce many works of art for Bosnia.

Idriz Eskil (Turkey)

I first met the warm but overwhelming atmosphere of my Sarajevo culture. Ancestors welcomed me as a photo album, as an old friend who would embrace warm, sincere and detached sadness. No matter how long they tried to change, there was a defiant resistance. I asked myself, “where have you been?” Yes, it’s a late meeting, but I’m here and I’ll take care of you and myself. I’ll recognize myself when I understand you. We will talk about our mutual loves like two different tree branches. I was invited to the Art Colony and I knew that different languages ​​and other artists would not be able to separate us and that we would agree on our own language of art. I had great memories with my new friends. The language of art is universal. Hundreds of words in the text that try to express an image, a photo, a sculpture in every language are repeated every day.

Hasan Zeybek (S. Cyprus)

I am glad that we were part of an international colony, which is a very significant cultural and artistic perspective for us. Honestly, we felt at home in the colony and I am grateful to everyone for that. Sarajevo is a multicultural and unique city in Europe, and at this fine arts colony, we had the opportunity to see our similarity and cultural connection through painting and the arts.

Nilufer Inandin (S. Cyprus)

I’m happy to be in Sarajevo again, but this time with my little son Mustafa. I believe that this international colony is very important in the cultural sense. It offers a chance to raise awareness of cultural and artistic impact, with all the beauty that BiH has.

Nora Lefa (Greece)

Bosnia and Herzegovina is complex and that is why it is difficult to define it, and that is precisely its charm. This complexity is felt more than is seen or can be felt by our senses. It is that rich experience, a strong impression from which we can draw stories, poems, paint pictures but we can never describe it to the end, never drain it completely. Bosnia and Herzegovina is between reality and unreality. It is made up of representational and invisible abstract features in the broader concept of the phenomenon. Bosnia is recognized in its people who carry and represent the complexity of the area. The scene of space includes elements and events that are untouchable and invisible, which are recognized through a sense of admiration, through aesthetics that overwhelms us, through memory, through indefiniteness, that is through its multiplicity. These are mythical dimensions that depart from material qualities of space, and which, as such, can only become the motif of creation, mimicry and representation. These powerful places express the need for people to seize these places, neglecting their intangible part, its soul.

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