Paris is hosting the Summer Olympic Games for the third time, 124 years after the first Games in 1900 and 100 years after the second hosting of the Games in 1924. Exactly 124 years have passed since the World Exhibition in Paris, where the first pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina was set up. Although at that time Bosnia and Herzegovina was a young and unknown country to the world, it showcased its diverse culture and history.

Thanks to the initiative of the Olympic Museum and the Office for Creative Export, along with financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to the same location, by the Seine River, where cultural and artistic programs (Olympiad Culturelle) are being held this year at several locations (Olympic Houses) where participating countries present their traditions and cultures.

This time, in our country's pavilion, located at the first floating urban art center, Fluctuart, in Paris, the rich history and Olympic heritage were presented, as well as all that connects our country to France: culture, sports, and art. The Olympic Games have sent messages of unity and peace, symbolizing diversity and tolerance, influencing our societies, and communicating in a universal language that transcends borders.

On the other hand, the Showcase event on the Seine promoted cultural heritage and presented the historical connection between BiH and France in various areas: from architecture, economics, and successful sports figures to current projects and planned visions for the future.

Among the program highlights, the premiere of a short documentary film featuring Markus Osterwalder, the founder of the Olympic Circle and a historian recognized by the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland, was announced. At noon in the garden of the Swiss Embassy in Paris, within the pavilion of Maison Suisse, the film was presented to an inquisitive audience. The film was created during Markus's stay in Sarajevo as the first official guest of the Olympic Museum to mark the 40th anniversary of the Winter Olympics and followed his visit to the Olympic facilities and lectures at the Museum.

In addition to the film, a special postage stamp created in collaboration with the French Institute for the 40th anniversary of the '84 Winter Olympics was also presented. The event gathered a large number of visitors, including numerous representatives of the diplomatic corps who attended a very successful presentation and exhibition. Athletes and coaches from the BiH team were also present, and the leaders of the Olympic Committee of BiH attended alongside representatives of the Olympic committees from the region at this significant event for Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which the Olympic Committee of BiH is a special partner.

The combination of sports and culture contributes to the development of the image of society and its positioning in the world. Through international cultural and sports relations, countries establish connections, share cultural values and customs, and influence mutual understanding and perception, which plays a key role in international politics that shapes the identities, values, and interests of nations.

Symbolically, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, an area of significant intellectual and cultural importance, at the location where the Pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina was present 124 years ago, the program prepared by the Office for Creative Industry Export was presented under the message: "Heritage, Relevance, and Resilience," and included a mixed version of Olympic heritage, and the intercultural historical connection between France and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Director of the Olympic Museum in Sarajevo, Senka Ibrišimbegović, stated on this occasion: “I want to greet all the guests in the house of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a house of culture and art that we organized on this day, August 6, 2024, on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Paris. It has been an honor for us to include an exhibition of everything that represents the Olympic heritage of Sarajevo and the 1984 Olympics, along with all the significant cultural activities of the City of Sarajevo that promote it around the world. Among us are distinguished individuals linked to Paris, such as Safet Sušić, artists like Agnes B., who designed the Heart of Sarajevo for the Sarajevo Film Festival and lives in Paris, Milomir Kovačević Strašni, a phenomenal photographer who lives in Paris and promotes our culture and art, and of course Renco Pjano, who established the first Museum of Contemporary Art in Paris with Richard Rogers, and whose dream of building a Museum of Contemporary Art in Sarajevo is now set to begin construction. We have gathered all the friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina who live in Paris and, of course, those who are currently here for the Olympic Games, meaning all international guests involved in various cultural institutions like the French Cultural Center, with whom we created a special stamp this year to connect the 40 years since the Sarajevo Olympics and this year's in Paris. We are very proud to host you here in the beautiful, urban cultural center Fluctuart on the Seine, in an excellent location right in the center of the Olympic Games opening events. Fluctuart is the host center for today’s event, which sends an important message that Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside its sporting champions, also has top-notch art, architecture, and a culture that we can be proud of worldwide. I would like to thank everyone who supported this initiative, including the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton along with the Minister and all his associates, the team at the Olympic Museum in Sarajevo along with the founder, the City of Sarajevo, and the Mayor, as well as all the Councilors who support the work of the Olympic Museum. Of course, the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina always provides great support for all our activities related to the promotion of culture at our Museum, which has a unique approach to presenting the Sarajevo Olympics, emphasizing the connection between sports and art. Welcome to Sarajevo to visit us and experience the magic of Olympic Sarajevo.”

Text partially adapted from the Klix.ba