Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Written by Strajo Krsmanović

Do you believe in Santa Claus? Do you believe in Golden Fish?

Of course I do!

Is it possible to live life without dreams?

I never stopped believing! At the end of the working life, I believe even more! I know that there is no world without hope. There is no world without dream! For believers there is hope embodied in God, for the rest of us in everything else. We wake up in the morning, we go through our day with fate and hope da we will experience joy. Meeting, socializing, communicating, creating.

We are facing our possibilities with the challenges that are ahead of us. Burdened with experience, but carried by faith, we think we can somehow achieve more than what our reality determines. Sometimes we succeed.

Because of that „sometimes“ we live, we believe, we hope.

I am not ashamed to admit that I am writing a letter to Santa Claus. And I wonder what could I possibly wish from Golden Fish.

In this age, wishes are very humble. Besides for health and happiness for the loved ones, there is a place for one more wish.

To experience the morning when I will see the construction site at the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina! Our home that brought me so much unexpected joy. To begin with realization of the project shaped with Adnan and his students, with Ivana, Maja, Ana, Micko, Muha… and all the others employees of the National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which all of us have put so much love, patience and enthusiasm

So that Sarajevo will finally get an exhibition space fit for the city with such artists and such a passion for artistic living. So that we can be proud, as are the cities in the region which have cultural facilities proper for civilized communities.

So that we can apply for European Capitals of Culture. After we were a capital of suffering, we deserve to be able to fill this modest desire.

So that we do not have to refuse great exhibitions offered to us by out artist and artist from all over the world who wish to come to Sarajevo.

So that we do not have to carry the exhibits in our hands or by the rope through the balcony and roofs to the third floor of our current building, which we now often do. So that we do not have to remind the Minister of Culture of Italy to take care of his head while he climbs the fire escape stairs to the exhibition space. So that in summer we do not have to „cook“ without air conditioning. So that the people with disabilities can visit our exhibitions.

Are those big and unrealistic wishes?

I know that somewhere out there exist Golden Fish and Santa Claus.

I will write to them. They will understand my wish.

Strajo Krsmanović, temporary and transient director