On the first weekend of October, the KÉK curatorial team participated in the LINA conference, where we had the opportunity to meet the partners and the newly selected LINA Fellows, including two Hungarian teams: the girlscanscan collective and the szabadonbalaton x gubahamori team. Since 2023, KÉK has been a member of the LINA Architecture Platform network, which connects European architectural offices, civil organizations, and universities that are experts and active practitioners in architecture and environmental culture.

We arrived in Sarajevo the evening before the three-day conference, where our official LINA representative, János Klaniczay, immediately attended a networking event organized for the partnership. This evening was all about connecting and getting to know the place, with the official program starting on Thursday morning. The organizers put together a very dense schedule to ensure everyone could become familiar with as many projects as possible, thereby initiating the search for future project partners (which is the essence of LINA). The newly elected fellows had the opportunity to introduce themselves, presenting their projects in 5-minute slots and participating in brief roundtable discussions. In the second half of the day, the local organizers talked about Sarajevo and their aims to engage local communities. Naturally, the evening concluded with a communal dinner, where members began to identify the most ideal partners for their next proposals.

On Friday, we broke out from the lecture hall and continued exploring Sarajevo and getting to know each other in the mountains. We ascended the city via a cable car rebuilt on the former Olympic ski lift site, then descended along the bobsleigh and luge track built for the 1984 Winter Olympics. The program provided an excellent opportunity to converse on the way with people whose activities align with KÉK's profile. We made several contacts with whom we could collaborate in the future on topics such as community gardens, sustainability, late modern architecture, film festivals, engaging communities, or as potential new study trip destinations.

During the trip, we learned about the Olympics' history, enjoyed local desserts during breaks, and also heard about the forest's terrible, bloody past. After a long hike, we were hosted at the Slovenian Embassy (as LINA's base is in Slovenia), where the ambassador welcomed us with a reception. We had the optional opportunity to explore the exciting housing examples of local modern architecture during an impromptu walk. To conclude the day, the partnership attended an exhibition opening, then moved to a restaurant where collaborative planning continued in an informal setting. Here, we gathered new ideas for the Budapest Architecture Film Days and discussed our experiences about the operations of similar civil organizations.

The program did not end on the last day either, so we hurried straight to the Olympic Museum in the morning, where a guided tour provided a detailed account of every significant moment of the Winter Olympics. From there, we went straight to a local furniture manufacturer to view the sponsor company's products.

Afterward, before heading home, it was KÉK's turn, and we presented our most significant projects, including Budapest100, Urban Walks, Landscape Theatre, Community Gardens, and several other programs. The foreign organizations watched with interest the wide range of activities KÉK engages in, as most operate with only one focus area. We also listened to an inspiring story about how a local organization embraced our screening venue, reviving it with new life. As the program concluded, we quickly purchased our daily burek supply and headed home.

During our stay, southern Bosnia-Herzegovina experienced the largest amount of rainfall in decades, resulting in flash floods, washed-away roads, and even fatalities in several towns. Our condolences to those affected by the tragedy!

Over the three days, we met many new people and potential partners. This was also due to our large representation at the conference, with nine members from the partnership. The participants were all curators and leaders of different projects, so in addition to successfully showcasing our activities, we benefited from the newly acquired knowledge.

We would also like to thank the local organizers, who manage DANI Arhitekture (Sarajevo Architecture Days), and the LINA partnership for these four days, which were truly enriching and educational!