The 8th edition of the Kuma International Summer School—our unique program dedicated to exploring contemporary art practices created in the context of conflict and trauma—brought together participants, artists, and scholars from across the world to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide and the end of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Curated this year by Professor Stephenie Young from Salem State University, the program examined the impact of Bosnia’s violent past alongside its current social and political landscape, with a particular focus on local artistic aesthetics, visual narratives, and cultural discourse—while also drawing connections to similar dynamics in other regions affected by war.
Building on the experience of the previous seven editions, the school explored how personal and collective memories shape narratives of war, exile, survival, and reconciliation.
Throughout the week, the program featured lectures, conversations, mentorship, and artistic interventions by scholars and practitioners including Lauren Walsh, Velibor Božović, Giulia Casartelli, Emina Zoletić, Velma Babić, Ana Čvorović, Hariz Halilovich, Isak, Ado Hasanović, Vladimir Miladinović, Mladen Miljanović, Camilla De Maffei, among others. Their contributions opened space to reflect on intergenerational trauma, migration and identity, women’s overlooked role in war, memory embodied in objects, and the politics of monuments and archives.
The Summer School concluded with powerful sessions that underscored how art can hold space for grief, remembrance, and transformation. Alongside the lectures, collective moments—from music and film screenings to collaborative performances—reinforced the sense of connection that grew among participants. In the symbolic setting of the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, artists, researchers, and participants from different countries came together not only to study memory, but to build a community of listening, care, and resistance.
Find all the details about the 8th edition of the Kuma International Summer School 2025 here. Also, meet our team and guest lecturers and artists who shaped this year’s program.
