[6] In 1953, as the Cold War was heating up, President Tito directed the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) to begin work on the ARK bunker.

In the event of nuclear war, the complex was designed to function as a centre of military operations and a shelter for both the Supreme Command staff and Tito, along with his family and close associates.

As with Željava Air Base, it was prepped for destruction and rigged with explosives, but two military personnel sabotaged the plan by breaking the wires during evacuation.

[3] All construction workers were carefully vetted, signing a confidentiality contract, and all staff members held the highest security clearance.

[3] The houses consist of a control residence, a building containing secure communication links, and a facility for technical support personnel.

Today the facility is under the authority of the Bosnian Ministry of Defense and is managed by the country's military, guarded by a five-soldier detachment,[3] and preserved intact with all its symbols of the social, economic, political and ideological system of Socialist Yugoslavia.

The Project Biennial of Contemporary Art aims to transform a site still officially under military control into a prestigious regional cultural institution at the forefront of emerging artistic trends.