UNESCO and the University of Sarajevo discussed the preservation of the art collection and the development of restoration capacities
The Head of the Sarajevo Office of the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Siniša Šešum, held a meeting with the University of Sarajevo Rector, Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, and the Vice-Rector for Art, Artistic Research, Culture and Sport, Prof. M.A. Arma Tanović Branković, at which they discussed the possibilities of future cooperation in the field of cultural heritage preservation, restoration of works of art and the development of institutional capacities of the University of Sarajevo in this area.
The meeting was also attended by M.Sc. Adela Nurković Kulenović from the Center for Research and Development of the University of Sarajevo, whom Vice-Rector Tanović Branković presented through her previous activities in the preservation, documentation and valorization of the Art Collection of the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo, including work on the collection monograph and future project activities that will be implemented in cooperation with the Center for Research and Development of the University of Sarajevo. The discussions were also joined by Đenita Kuštrić-Kurtić from the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Sarajevo, as well as Prof. Ajla Alijagić, who, together with students, participates in the process of expert analysis and preparation of documentation for the restoration of works of art from the Art Collection of the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo.
During the meeting, the possibilities of UNESCO support were discussed in terms of improving the spatial, technical and material capacities necessary for the further development of conservation and restoration activities of works of art. Representatives of the Academy of Fine Arts particularly emphasized the need for adequate space, professional staff, equipment and materials necessary for continuous work in the field of restoration and conservation of works of art.
The possibilities of establishing conditions for the development of a center for conservation and restoration at the University of Sarajevo were also discussed, which, through professional training of personnel, advanced training of students and conservators-restorers, as well as the development of specialist workshops and laboratories, could represent an important regional center in the field of cultural heritage protection. It was emphasized that such a center would enable the development of new international projects, strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, and create a network of professional and academic cooperation of wider regional importance.
During the conversation, the University of Sarajevo Rector , Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, emphasized that in the future the University could also offer space within the new university library, which could be used to develop activities related to the restoration, conservation and preservation of the University's art collection.
Activities that are currently being implemented within the framework of the expert analysis of works of art from the Art Collection of the Rectorate of the University of Sarajevo were presented in particular, and which represent the first step in the process of preparing documentation for their future restoration. The process is being implemented in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Sarajevo and includes students of the Interdisciplinary Study of Conservation and Restoration.
The interlocutors emphasized that this type of cooperation contributes to the strengthening of the institutional capacities of the University of Sarajevo in the field of cultural heritage preservation, and represents an important step towards further valorization of the University's art collection, its greater international visibility, as well as the development of new forms of cooperation in the fields of art, research and cultural diplomacy.
At the end of the meeting, the University of Sarajevo Rector, Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, presented the guests with a print by Arijana Hodžić, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Sarajevo, as a symbolic sign of support for young artists, art education and the preservation of cultural heritage.
