Current Exhibition:

From the Ashes: Cultural Identity and National Security in the Age of Conflict

On display January 30 – March 01, 2025

The MSC Visual Arts Committee announces the opening of From the Ashes: Cultural Identity and National Security in the Age of Conflict! The exhibition is on display in the Reynolds Gallery from January 30 – March 01, 2025.

About the Exhibition: 

From the Ashes features work from eight individual artists on loan from the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art. These artists have created powerful works that draw attention to the atrocities committed during the war as well as the local and international peacebuilding efforts that followed. The intent of bringing these works to Texas A&M University is to convey the immense importance of art as a means of expression and healing; preserving cultural heritage; raising awareness and advocacy; and ultimately revitalizing a nation. By harnessing the power of art, communities can navigate the challenges of conflict and work towards a more peaceful and cohesive future.

Message from the Curator: 

“The Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995) lasted 1,425 days. During this period 13,952 people were killed. 79,000 wounded and 35,000 residential buildings, religious sites, and significant cultural items and places were damaged or destroyed. Their destruction left deep scars on the identity and history of the Bosnian people that will last for generations.

Art becomes History when it is wielded to denounce the horrors of war and to promote peace.

Between 1992 and 2003 museums and centers of contemporary art formed the nucleus of the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art in response to the atrocities of war. More than 120 major international artists donated works of art and organized promotional exhibitions, in Sarajevo, Milan, Venice, and Vienna, to create dialog, find hope, and revitalize the city of Sarajevo. From 2003 to 2005 new collections were formed with Ars Aevi partners from Istanbul, Zagreb, Athens, Frankfurt, Bonn, and Rovereto. The process of enriching the collection is ongoing in an effort to share its message with the world.

It has been my honor to work with the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art to bring a portion of their collection to the United States. In the process of designing this exhibit with the MSC Visual Arts Committee and International Arts & Artists, my intent was to make this exhibit a strong and vivid experience for visitors—to show how art can be used to express the pain of war, but also the hope, that comes after.”

Professor Renato Miracco

How does NATO impact the art world?

Under NATO international law, member nations are committed to Cultural Property Protection (CPP). Cultural property is defined as artifacts, monuments, works of art, books, historical sites, or other materials valued by a society or community. The treaty says, “[the nations of this treaty] are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage, and civilization of their peoples.” Today, NATO includes 32 countries, including the United States.

All of the artwork in this exhibit is loaned from the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina which was initiated in response to the loss of life and destruction of cultural heritage during the Bosnian War (1992 – 1995). The Dayton Accords are widely accepted as the end of the Bosnian War, but the road to peace and rebuilding the damaged cultural property was not easy. NATO forces remained stationed in Bosnia and the surrounding areas for the next decade to create a secure environment and to allow cultural institutions, artists, and local communities to begin the work of preserving and restoring Bosnian art in the aftermath of conflict.

Exhibition Partners:

The From the Ashes exhibition was curated by students of the MSC Visual Arts Committee in coordination with art critic and curator, Professor Renato Miracco, Trustees of International Arts & Artists, and the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo. Partial funding support from NATO.