Umjetnost, kultura i opsada / Art, Culture and Siege

This paper by Hana Bajrović Čardaković and Nihad Kreševljaković analyzes the cultural resistance in Sarajevo during the siege, with a particular emphasis on the role of theatre. The Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996), the longest in modern history, resulted in widespread suffering and destruction. However, art remained a vital form of what is termed cultural resistance. Through various means of expression, particularly theatre, artists endeavored to preserve humanity and a semblance of normalcy amidst the brutality of war. The Sarajevo War Theatre, established in 1992, became a symbol of resistance and provided a space for confronting the harsh realities of conflict. Engaged art, as articulated by Jean-Paul Sartre, reflects the social and political challenges of the time, and Sarajevo's artists conveyed narratives of survival and hope through their works. During the siege, Sarajevo hosted thousands of cultural events, including 57 premier performances by theatrical institutions. The theatrical landscape's internationalization, bolstered by the arrival of notable artists such as Susan Sontag, further strengthened cultural resistance. The paper underscores the significance of art as an essential human necessity, one that cannot be stifled even under the most arduous conditions, and emphasizes the importance of art as a synthesis of the aesthetic and the ethical.