-024 Kemil Bektesi
If there is one thing that you can change in a previous project of yours, what would it be?
Photo by Mia Hrustemović
I really like this question. I believe this is the first time someone has asked me in this format,
aside from my own reflections on my past projects and what I could have done differently.
About four years ago, I presented a multimedia installation in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), titled "Dear Santa Claus." Interestingly, Sarajevo is the only capital city in Europe without a contemporary art museum. Although there's no building itself, there is an art collection that was displayed in an art depot Ars Aevi, which was open to the public, before the artworks were moved. (now displayed in the City Hall — waiting for a museum building which began to be built this year.)
In 2021, however, the depot was relocated, and the space was repurposed to store the city’s holiday decorations and ornaments. My installation aimed to reopen the doors of this space, revealing the current state of what was once an art depot, while in the background you could hear conversations between myself and random passersby answering a simple question: Where is the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo?
Looking back, I would present that project differently today. The one-night event generated interest among an audience already aware of the contemporary art scene in the city. If I had the chance to do it again, I would consider creating a publication that includes documentary photos of the space and the reactions of passers-by. The publication acts as a form of archive, as a document of a time. It lasts more than one event and can easily be transferred from hand to hand.
Maybe it's not too late to go back to it and revive it in this format.
About Kemil Bektesi
Kemil Bekteši (b. 1997) is a Bosnian-Kosovar visual artist of Gorani origin whose work explores food and migration. His work is often underpinned by themes of identity, geopolitics and cultural memory through a personal history marked by borders and migration. His artistic practice spans a range of media, including food, installation and sculpture, with a particular emphasis on site- and time-specific works. His art often reflects the cultural and political overlaps between the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as he has been personally connected to the region throughout his life. Bekteši’s research into social issues often focuses on the complex relationships between nations, cultures and histories and how these are expressed in contemporary visual forms.
His work examines both interpersonal and geopolitical dynamics, positioning him as a reflective voice in the ongoing discourse on regional identity. He received his MA (2021) and BA (2020) from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, where he was awarded the Golden Badge for Outstanding Academic Achievement. In 2018/19 he studied contemporary art at the Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto (Portugal), and in 2023 he participated in the WHW Academy in Zagreb, Croatia. Winner of several awards, including the Zvono (YVAA) Award for Young Visual Artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, and was a finalist for the Mangelos (YVAA) Award in 2022 in Belgrade.
He lives and works in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
All images courtesy of the artist, photos by Ajla Salkić.
www.kemil.govsble.com