Визуелно кодирање идентитета: павиљони Босне и Херцеговине на Миленијумској изложби у Будимпешти
Visual Coding of Identity: the Pavilions of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Millennium Exhibition in Budapest in 1896

Summary/Abstract: The intricacies of identity policies within the late 19th-century Kingdom of Hungary became apparent at the Millennium Exhibition in Budapest, notably through the visual representation and conceptualization of the Bosnian pavilions. These pavilions, dedicated to showcasing Bosnia and Herzegovina, were curated to exhibit achievements in art (architecture, painting, crafts, and design), culture, education, and economics. Embedded within these spaces were living pictures and exhibits saturated with the poetics of Orientalism, mirroring the prevailing imperial imagination of Europe during that era. The Bosnian pavilions, strategically positioned within the Dual Monarchy, served a dual role. On the one hand, they aimed to portray the Kingdom of Hungary as an imperial force engaged in a civilizing mission to enlighten the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the other hand, they sought to shape and influence the emergence of a Bosniak identity in the periphery. This paper delves into verbal and visual sources gleaned from press publications in Budapest and Sarajevo, contextualizing these pavilions within the imperialistic modes of presentation characteristic of the 19th-century world fairs in European centres. Beyond the of­fi­cial narrative of liberating Bosnia and Herzegovina from Ottoman rule, there were the pragmatic interests of the Dual Monarchy, fueled by political-strategic, economic, and territorial expansion motives. The Austro- -Hungarian occupation commenced in 1878 with the aim to quell pan-Slavism, secure access to resources, and extend market influence. Under the leadership of Benjamin Kállay, the civilizing mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina encompassed modernization and the preservation of local heritage, adhering to the occupier’s standards. The orientalist discourse and poetics embedded in the Bosnian pavilions were the instruments for fostering imperialistic perspectives on the Bosnian Orient. Bearing witness to essentialist dichotomies between the so-called East and West, as articulated in contemporaneous literary sources, the representational patterns visible at the Millennial Exhibition in Budapest reflected and reinforced these prevailing notions. This paper endeavours to provide a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political and cultural complexities that defined this transformative period in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly through the lens of representation and discourses concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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