100,000 bones exhibit to mark Srebrenica anniversary

An artwork consisting of 100,000 ceramic bones will be installed in Srebrenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to mark the 20th anniversary of the massacre that took place there.

The installation will commemorate the victims of the Srebrenica massacre, the killing of more than 7,000 Bosniaks by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995, whose remains were found in mass graves.

Originally part of the One Million Bones project in Washington DC that aimed at raising awareness of genocide and mass atrocities around the world, the artwork will become a permanent part of the Srebrenica memorial.

According to the president of the Post-Conflict Research Centre NGO in Sarajevo, Velma Šarić, the installation is “a vital educational tool and a great symbol”. She stressed the significance of such an artwork for her country: “We have a tragic history in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially in Srebrenica. Bones are part of our everyday life.”

The exhibit will be installed by 100 volunteers from around the region. Šarić described the cooperation of volunteers from “Bosnia, Serbia, and some from Republika Srpska” as “a great thing”.

Srebrenica mayor Ćamil Duraković, who is a survivor of the killings in Srebrenica, also highlighted that the exhibition of the bones would make a powerful statement.

“Many projects related to the Srebrenica genocide have been done, but very rarely do initiatives come along that have long-lasting impact and plans for future sustainability. This is a historical project that has the power to visually present the consequences of genocide, not only during the commemoration, but also in the years to come,” Duraković said.

On Saturday, 136 victims of the Srebrenica massacres will be laid to rest at the Srebrenica- Potočari Memorial, where more than 6,000 Bosniak victims are already buried.