The exhibition Srebrenica Flower by Sarajevo artist Mensur Bektić has opened for the first time in Croatia at the Jastrebarsko City Museum. The exhibition was opened by the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Republic of Croatia, H.E. Elma Kovačević Bajtal.
By purchasing the Srebrenica Flower, the City of Jastrebarsko secured funds for an annual scholarship for a pupil or student from Srebrenica. The "Srebrenica Flower" Foundation has so far awarded 283 scholarships to pupils and students from Srebrenica and surrounding areas. Jastrebarsko Mayor Zvonimir Novosel emphasised that it is an exceptional honour for Jastrebarsko to be the first Croatian city to host this exhibition and secure funds for a scholarship, reminding attendees that the city has been sponsoring students from Vukovar for years.
Exhibition author Mensur Bektić highlighted that he had long felt the need to contribute to preserving the memory of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica through his artistic work. The flower he designed and crafted is carried by numerous humanitarian promoters, and it has been gifted to Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. The eleven petals symbolise 11 July, the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica, while the seven decorative elements in the petals represent the eyes of innocent victims and a warning to future generations that such a crime must never be repeated. The white colour of silver symbolises innocence, and the green glass in the centre of the flower represents meadows and hope for a better future.
The exhibition was installed by the author alongside curator Jelena Škrabe of the Jastrebarsko City Museum. Visitors can also learn about the tradition of filigree, an old goldsmithing technique for making jewellery and decorative items from thin metal wires and small beads, which are shaped into lace-like patterns. This skill has been passed down and refined in the Bektić family for more than 450 years, making it one of the most recognisable family craft traditions of Sarajevo.
Croatia was one of the co-sponsors of the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica. The Srebrenica Flower exhibition can be viewed at the Jastrebarsko City Museum until 24 October, and admission is free.
