In the period from October 14 – 16, the sixth edition of the Festival of Literature and Culture Poligon was held in Mostar. As in previous years, the audience was introduced to the most important names of the regional literary scene, talking about their latest editions and giving an insight into the new manuscripts they are working on. In addition, the guests and Tina Laco touched on the stories of future perspectives in the context of European trends and the reality in which we live, since this year’s theme of the Poligon Festival was Europe – the promise of the future.
The festival was opened by Monika Herceg and Namik Kabil on Thursday in the Coco Loco bar. On Friday, after an art workshop with Maja Rubinić in front of the Alfa bookstore, a performance by Ante Jelinić and Matko Abramović followed, where they wrote poetry for the visitors, after which the well-known Herzegovinian writers Adnan Žetica and Adnan Repeša presented their work at the National Theater. The festival was closed on Saturday on the small stage of the Croatian National Theater by Radmila Petrović and Ivana Maksić.
Apart from the official program, which took place this year at several locations in the city on both sides of the Neretva, the hosts tried to introduce the guests to the beauties and sights of Herzegovina and Mostar, returning the city to the reference point of meeting, art and culture, not just political disagreements.
I am extremely pleased with the sixth Poligon festival. I am glad that the guests left happy and brought a beautiful story and experiences from Herzegovina and the festival. Seeing the reactions of the audience to our guests this year, I immediately forgot all the organizational problems we faced, as we are still living in a pandemic and the funds for culture and art have been relocated elsewhere. I hope to see you again next year with a happier festival theme that will no longer problematize anything related to the pandemic – says writer Mirko Božić, festival director.
This year’s theme, the Europe – the promise of the future dealt with everything we face in this time of pandemic and its effects on art and literature. Even under normal conditions, many projects, authors, artists have problems obtaining funding or support for their work, which affects the entire cultural ecosystem. And now it’s even more pronounced, because it’s not just department stores and restaurants that are closing because of the inability to reactivate after a pandemic, but something we take for granted: people and places that give our communities a solid identity concept.
Art production has come to a sudden pause in the last year, with postponed festivals, canceled readings, concerts or performances. The system on which creative individuals rely on their income and work is endangered, and many are forced to reach for their savings, provided they have it at … All of this was mentioned by our guests this year at the Poligon, and we hope to see you next year with a topic that no longer has anything to do with the pandemic.
