Europe House, in collaboration with the Slovenian Varuhinje rek initiative, welcomed a timely and engaging exhibition Guardians of Rivers presenting works of renowned Slovenian art and documentary photographers. The exhibition showcases powerful portraits of individuals and collectives protecting rivers across Slovenia with the aim to raise awareness and include local communities.
Adebayo Babajide, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to BiH welcomed the audience at the opening and underlined the importance of preservation of natural heritage, across the European Union and the region. “Guardians of Rivers initiative demonstrates the vital role of culture and visual storytelling in policy implementation, shifting the focus from technical documents to participatory action. Protecting these rivers is fundamentally a social and human rights imperative. Their pollution threatens public health and deepens inequalities, making their safeguarding inseparable from our commitment to fundamental rights. The EU is dedicated to this shared transformation. Let the stories, photographs and dialogues within this exhibition inspire us to act decisively, ensuring that Europe’s waters, and the communities they sustain are protected to generations to come”, said Babajide.
Guardians of Rivers, a travelling exhibition, has so far been presented in 25 locations across Slovenia with its Sarajevo opening marking its first international presentation while the initiative has been active also in Ireland, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The event also signals the launch of the Balkan edition of the Guardians of Rivers project, aiming to put a spotlight on the natural beauties of rivers and their unifying powers. In the upcoming period, female guardians from eight countries of the region will be photographed with the exhibition planned for 2028.
“Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina share great pride in their rivers and mountains. You have beautiful rivers in BiH. With this exhibition of Slovenian rivers and the ladies protecting them and this overall initiative Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are presenting their attitude towards rivers. It reminds us how to treat the rivers and the people and that us, citizens, are their guardians,” remarked Damijan Sedar, Ambassador of Slovenia in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alja Bulič and Erik Valenčić, artists and producers of the exhibition noted that the inspiration behind the movement was the unsatisfactory situation in Slovenia concerning river protection and the efforts arising to combat it. “Guardians of Rivers was born from our so called water referendum held in 2021 and a collective photography exhibition formed the central artistic part of the project. Through it, we wanted to show that people, mostly women, from many different backgrounds and professions are engaged in protecting rivers – artists, biologists, environmental activists, local women and schoolgirls. We exhibited in different locations and met with local initiatives and realized that all of them need support,” underlined Bulič.
The exhibition Guardians of Rivers is open for the public from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 at Europe House, Maršala Tita 62 in Sarajevo until 3 December 2025.
