Ten years have passed since Zanat was launched as an international design brand on the foundations of a now 106-year old woodcarving business of the Niksic family.
Zanat has been marking its 10th anniversary with a number of activities with the ultimate being a three-day event titled “The Zanat Ten.” For the first time, with two exceptions, all Zanat’s collaborating designers gathered in Bosnia and Herzegovina to celebrate a decade of achievements, launch a new anniversary collection, as well as to engage in conversations about the future of design and cultural heritage. Zanat’s design family includes 12 internationally acclaimed names such as Yves Behar, Ilse Crawford, Monica Förster, Sebastian Herkner, Naoto Fukasawa, Harri Koskinen, Michele De Lucchi, Jean-Marie Massaud, Jasna Mujkić, Patrick Norguet, Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, and Wingårdhs.
The anniversary was much more than a celebration—it was conceived as a cultural and intellectual journey. Guests experienced Bosnia’s rich cultural heritage, from the medieval village of Počitelj with its mesmerizing natural and architectural beauty, where the guests were welcomed in the atelier of the most renown living Bosnian artist, Safet Zec, who lives and works between Venice, Sarajevo and his native Počitelj. The atelier is an irresistable lyrical sanctuary, built in wood and stone, with Zec’s art and old furniture, green terraces with grapes and pomegranate trees and views of the emerald green Neretva river. From Počitelj, the guests traveled to Mostar with its iconic Ottoman-era bridge, which was destroyed during the war of 1990s and rebuilt again to stand as a symbol of Bosnia’s layered history and most picturesque landmarks. The guests then traveled the scenic Neretva river canyon train route to Sarajevo. The Zanat Ten gathering culminated with a number of notable events on October 9 in Sarajevo:
• The Zanat 10 Collection launch: an exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina presenting twelve small objects designed by Zanat’s partners to mark the brand’s 10th anniversary. Each object is a poetic reflection on the themes of craft, time, and transformation—unique collector’s pieces that embody the dialogue between tradition and innovation. The exhibition was realized in cooperation with the National Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Embassy of Italy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Vision Session – Zanat’s Next 10 Years: a collaborative exploration of the company’s future, with designers and Zanat’s leadership at Home of Zanat, the brand’s recently opened flagship store and exhibition space in the building of the National Art Gallery located in Sarajevo’s historical center.
• Panel discussions on Design, Heritage & Sustainability: held at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina with support of the European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina. These discussions focused on the role of design in preserving crafts and cultural heritage and in sustainability with conclusions presented publicly. The discussions were moderated by professor Amra Hadzimuhamedovic, a notable cultural heritage expert and Sabina Cudic, political scientist and member of the Bosnian parliament.
• Cultural Evenings: including a cocktail and music performance hosted by the Swedish Ambassador in Sarajevo’s historic Svrzo’s House, a museum which is a rare jewel of preserved Ottoman period architecture in Bosnia.
Orhan Nikšić, CEO of Zanat, comments: “Zanat was born out of a centuries-old craft, and in ten years we have shown how design can give new life to cultural heritage. This gathering is not only a celebration of what we’ve achieved but also a commitment to building a future where craft and design continue to enrich one another.”
The Zanat Ten event is organized in partnership with:
Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe House, the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
