On a steamy July evening in 2012, I arrived at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo for an independently organized event entitled “Culture Shutdown.” While this museum’s name leads one to anticipate a place of grand stature to chronicle Sarajevo’s and Bosnia’s position in world history—from the outbreak of World War I to the city siege at the epicenter of the 1990s Bosnian war—what one finds is a crumbling façade juxtaposed next to a gleaming shopping center. The museum building itself is intentionally its own exhibit, left with its battle scars from nearly 20 years prior.

I happened on this event somewhat accidentally, while conducting research on a different subject. It was collaboratively organized by young professionals who work in the arts, including Dr. Azra Akšamija, Assistant Professor in Art, Culture and Technology at M.I.T., originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Joining her were members of the New York-based artist and on-line magazine collective, Triple Canopy, one of whom, Molly Kleiman, had lived and worked in Sarajevo.

Too hot to meet inside, the group garnered folding chairs and convened in a small circle under the trees. Having grown up in a country with no ministry of culture, where the arts are under assault whenever fiscal resources are tight (the United States), I was accustomed to the ongoing struggle for support for the arts and museums. But my country’s problems dimmed in comparison to what unfolded in this meeting: in a matter of weeks or months, seven of Bosnia’s top national cultural institutions were likely to close their doors.

As we talked, the stakes involved became clearer. This means major works of art with no storage oversight to protect them from summer heat or winter cold. It means national archeological treasures locked away with no guards to keep thieves and vandals at bay. It means no exhibits or cultural events for public education or tourism. It means the deterioration of shelves and shelves of books. It means buildings left to crumble. And it means . . .

Read more: Culture Shutdown? A Plea for Museums, Galleries, and Libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina