Kuma International was founded in 2018 in Sarajevo by Dr. Claudia Zini, a socially engaged scholar, art historian, and curator with a Ph.D. from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London on contemporary art from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the impact of war and genocide on its contemporary art production.

Founded as a non-profit organization, Kuma International is dedicated to teaching the next generations how to utilize the arts to explore and address the profound impact of the Bosnian war and genocide on individuals, with a central focus on reconciliation and healing. Kuma’s team of educators includes war and genocide survivors as well as former refugees who bring first-hand experience of conflict processed through various artistic mediums, including exhibitions, films, and performances. These activities have inspired hundreds of participants in Kuma’s educational programs, encouraging them to share their war memories, confront trauma, and embark on their artistic initiatives.

In addition to local engagement, Kuma has welcomed youth from over 20 different countries, fostering meaningful cross-cultural exchange. Leveraging its extensive network both locally and internationally, Kuma has developed a range of programs and initiatives—including workshops, field trips, exhibitions, three publications, and two documentary films—across several cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Bihać, Goražde, Zenica, Stolac, and Srebrenica.

One of Kuma’s most enduring and successful initiatives is its Summer School.

Established in 2018, the Kuma International Summer School is a unique program dedicated to contemporary art practices produced in the context of conflict and trauma. It aims to provide a platform for artists and scholars to explore and reflect on the role of art in times of crisis. The school mainly focuses on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the work artists in the region and the diaspora have been making in response to the political turmoil of the 1990s, which began with the fall of Yugoslavia and ended with war and genocide. More than 115 participants from 20 different countries have participated in the program over the past six editions (2018-2023): the Western Balkans, Europe, North America, and Australia. Participants from the Bosnian diaspora have also shown a keen interest in reconnecting with their homeland and learning more about its artistic scene.

Studying the war and post-war Bosnian cultural production can offer valuable insights into the nature of conflicts, particularly in the aftermath of genocide. It also raises important questions, such as: what role can artists play in the memorialization of the past in a country where there is an ongoing struggle to curate memory about the war and its aftermath, and where the three main ethnic groups support different narratives? What can art contribute to our understanding of war and conflict? Can the production as well as the viewing of art inspire non-verbal reconciliation of past atrocities?