Sarajevo's Artist-Run Gallery Brodac Invited to Supermarket Art Fair in Stockholm

Gallery Brodac, an artist-run space in Sarajevo founded by Mak Hubjer (b. 1993), has been invited to participate in the Supermarket Art Fair in Stockholm, a fair that exclusively selects galleries run by artists. Since opening in May 2016, Brodac has organized over six exhibitions with local and international artists at minimal cost, countering the chronic lack of state funding for culture in Bosnia. During the summer tourist season, the gallery managed to develop a small art market by educating potential collectors. However, participation in the fair, scheduled for March 23–26, 2017, is jeopardized by financial constraints: Brodac needs €1,500 (3,000 Bosnian marks, nearly six months of average salary in Bosnia) for travel, accommodation, and fees. To raise the funds, Hubjer plans to sell his own graphic works. The fair would feature two young Sarajevo artists, Adela Jusic and Nardina Zubanovic. Any profits from the fair would be used to continue renovating the gallery space, a former kafana (Bosnian bar), and to support the 2017 exhibition program. Hubjer has until March 1, 2017, to sell his work and secure the funds. The gallery's participation is seen as vital for a generation of young Bosnian artists who rely on international exposure to pursue their ambitions.