From the Ashes

On display January 17 – March 1, 2025

Art plays a crucial role in areas of conflict, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, by serving as a powerful medium for expression, healing, and reconciliation. During and after conflicts, art can help communities process trauma, preserve cultural heritage, foster dialogue and understanding, and ultimately help revitalize a nation.

Through painting, sculpture, music, and other forms of artistic expression, people can find a safe and constructive outlet for expressing intense feelings of trauma and loss. This process of creation can be painful, but therapeutic, helping individuals to process their trauma and begin the journey toward healing.

Significant cultural items and places are often targeted by the opposing side during warfare. As seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where numerous historical buildings, religious sites, and artifacts were damaged or completely destroyed. Their destruction threatens the cultural traditions and history of generations of people.

Art can play a vital role in preserving and restoring the history and collective memory of a community. Artists can actively work to document and interpret cultural traditions, ensuring that they are not lost even in the face of conflict. They also use art to create dialog, find empathy and hope, and rebuild after conflict.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethnic tensions remain high, art initiatives have brought together people from different backgrounds to collaborate on creative projects and share perspectives. One example is the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo, which established a collection of more than 130 works from international artists, curators, and museums around the world. Built in the historic Vijećnica (city hall building in Sarajevo) UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization)describes the Ars Aevi as “a physical and symbolic space in which inspiration may be found … [it] is the epitome of the resilience of culture and a strong symbol of international solidarity”.

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.