A former nuclear bomb shelter near the town of Konjic, Bosnia, is to be host to the Biennale of Contemporary Art, D-O ARK Underground.
The underground bunker, built between 1953-1979 for the then leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Tito, was intended to house around 350 people who could live there for up to six months without returning to the surface. With its entrance hidden by several houses, the well preserved shelter is U-shaped, occupies a space of around 6,500sq m (70,000sq ft) and consists of 12 connected blocks. It is located inside a 280m-high hill.
Organised by the Association for the promotion of Visual Arts 'Kult Zone' Sarajevo, Collegium Artisticum from Sarajevo and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republic of Srpska, with the partnership of the Centre for Cultural Decontamination from Belgrade, the Biennale was named the cultural event of the year 2009/2010 by the Council of Europe.
However, funding difficulties led to the opening of the Biennale being postponed a number of times, with May next year being the latest option.
Biennale director, Edin Hozic said: "Our plan is to transform this atomic shelter into a museum of art in the next ten years with the basic assumption that the atomic shelter is kept in the condition it is in now."
He added that the general concept of the whole project was led by the three main brands: the name of Josip Broz Tito; the name of the atomic shelter that represents the region's joint heritage and was one of the best kept military and state secrets until it was revealed recently; and the idea of the Balkans and its art in the context of the events that happened during the last two decades.
It is expected that 30-40 artists will take part in the first Biennale exhibition. If there is sufficient interest, plans to make the site a permanent gallery will then be taken forward.
