AW: [syndicate] fwd: EXCEPTION, EXHIBITION attacked by violent nationalists IN BELGRADE

Sat Feb 9 15:03:10 CET 2008

I just found that there is a catalogue on the KONTEKST Galerie's web site
available for download

http://www.kontekstgalerija.org/pdf_08/odstupanje.pdf

text from the catalogue:

-
Dren Maliqi’s “Face to Face” diptych explores the effects of the paintings
of the national heroes who are conquering public spaces and overlapping with
the visual contents of pop culture. These two prints in the form of pop art
are facing each other. In one print there is the famous Warhol’s serigraphy
of Elvis Presley with a gun, while in the other, in the same Warhol manner,
there is a reproduction of the famous painting by Adem Jashari in his
uniform (he was a famous national Albanian hero from Kosovo during the last
war) which is originally set on a façade of one of the greatest buildings of
the sports centre in Prishtina. Through multiplying the image of the heroes
and by posting them opposite the famous pop icon Dren Maliqi alludes to the
forming of the cult of new heroes of today. This cult goes through the same
production and distributive processes as the cult contents from
the domain of pop culture, which says that their economies overlap.

-
There are images of the work in the catalogue too.

Looking through the catalogue
I can't help but think that the fact that 'Adem Jashari' was depicted may
have served just as an excuse for the protest in order to prevent the
opening of this exhibition for other reasons (not officially mentioned). It
seems to me that some other works are much more 'dangerous' in a way to a
nationalistic viewpoint. Dren Maliqi’s work looks to me like a very critical
work in regards to what a 'hero' is.

What I mean is
there may have been not truly a confusion between art and political poster.

Dear Andrej,

Unfortunately I cannot read Serbian.

Reading your message

> There were 
> not any "forces" but a group of very young people from the patriotic, 
> nationalist "Obraz" organization, who were holding banners protesting 
> against exhibiting Adem Jashatri's image in Belgrade, who is still 
> considered in Serbia as former leader of UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army) 
> terrorist movement of Kosovo.

I think 'holding banners' is something completely different from endangering
people, destroying a work and throwing stones.

If Marina is correct that there was major violence involved which led the
police to declare that the exhibition should not be opened because they
cannot guarantee for the safety of the visitors and artists then in fact you
are trivializing the events.

I am really wondering ...

-
Claudia

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Sympa Owner [mailto:sympa at eglin.copyleft.no] Im Auftrag von Andrej
Tisma
Gesendet: Samstag, 09. Februar 2008 00:00
An: syndicate at anart.no
Betreff: Re: [syndicate] fwd: EXCEPTION, EXHIBITION attacked by violent
nationalists IN BELGRADE

Dear Syndicate members, I really regret the events in Belgrade about the 
show of young Albanian artists from Pristina. The show was really good. It 
was previously held in Novi Sad, Serbia, the town where I am living and it 
caused no problems at all. I reviewed that show in the main daily newspaper 
Dnevnik - those who understand Serbian can read it here 
http://www.dnevnik.co.yu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=35423

The only thing that provoked reaction and violence in Belgrade, same as some

verbal protests by a group of Serb refugees from Kosovo in Novi Sad, was the

big poster of Adem Jashari at the show. He is presented in the Warholian 
pop-art style, with Kalashnikov in his hand (opposite to the Presley's 
portrait with gun). Of course that art work is an irony of making a Kosovo 
famous warrior a pop-star. But ordinary people in Belgrade reacted to the 
image of Jashari, in the same way people in Sarajevo could react to posters 
of Ratko Mladic exhibited in an official art gallery. I am blaming those 
people for not making difference between art and political poster, but in 
the same time I can understand their reaction. In any case the show should 
have been better protected by police, because such reactions were expected.

Also I do not agree with qualification in Marina's text who says it was a 
"group of Serbian nationalist  forces" who attacked the gallery. There were 
not any "forces" but a group of very young people from the patriotic, 
nationalist "Obraz" organization, who were holding banners protesting 
against exhibiting Adem Jashatri's image in Belgrade, who is still 
considered in Serbia as former leader of UCK (Kosovo Liberation Army) 
terrorist movement of Kosovo.

I hope the show will be held in Belgrade soon, with better measures of 
protection, because the wounds of recent wars are still alive, irritated 
recently by strong aim of Kosovo secession.

Best,
Andrej

>
>
>  _____
>
> Von: Marina Grzinic
> Gesendet: Freitag, 08. Februar 2008 17:48
> An: 'claudia westermann'
> Betreff: grz: pls fwd EXCEPTION, EXHIBITION attacked by violent 
> nationalists
> IN BELGRADE
>
>
>
>
>
> IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT
>
>
>
> EXCEPTION
>
> Contemporary art scene from Prishtina
>
>
>
> ARTISTS: Artan Baljaj, Jakup Feri, Driton Hajredini, Fljaka Haljiti, 
> Fitore
> Isufi Koja, Dren Maljici, Aljban Muja, Vigan Nimani, Nurhan Cehaja, 
> Aljketa
> Dzafa and  Ljuljzim Zeciri
>
>
>
> CURATORS:
>
> Vida Knezevic, Kristian Lukic, Ivana Marjanovic and Gordana Nikolic
>
>
>
> The Exhibition EXCEPTION, Contemporary art scene from  Prishtina (Kosova)
> that  has  been scheduled to open on the 7 of February 2008 in Belgrade at
> KONTEKST Gallery  (to be on display until 15. February 2008) was forced to
> CLOSE just before the opening.
>
>
>
> The Serbian police that had to intervene just before the opening estimated
> that it can not guarantee safety to the  artists, curators and the public,
> after an organized  group of Serbian nationalist  forces attacked the
> gallery space and even destroyed the work Face to face by Dren Maljici.
>
>
>
> The curators:  Vida Knezevic, Kristian Lukic, Ivana Marjanovic and Gordana
> Nikolic have asked PUBLICLY today (8 of February 2008) the Ministry of
> culture of Serbia and the city of Belgrade to react firmly against such
> nationalist forces in order to protect the artists and the exhibition in 
> the
> future. The curators insist on the right to present the project in 
> Belgrade
> in the near future.
>
>
>
> The exhibition was presented previously at the Museum of Contemporary Art
> Vojvodina, Novi Sad (22.01 - 05.02.2008.  The exhibition is a joint effort
> of two organization Kontekst, Belgrade and Napon, Novi Sad.
>
>
>
> SUPPORT and inquiry:
>
>
>
> KONTEKST galerija
>
> Centar za kulturu "Stari Grad"
>
> Kapetan Misina 6a
>
> 11 000 Beograd
>
>
>
> www.kontekstgalerija.org <http://www.kontekstgalerija.org/>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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