Pristina, January 24 - At first glance, a birch fence in Albanian society is associated with a yard fence or part of a field. But when one is placed in the middle of the gallery, it takes on a different meaning. The space surrounded on all four sides by a fence in the exhibition of the artist Mentor Berisha, contains many messages. The sculptures themselves inside it give the feeling of a small museum. A museum that carries history and tradition.
He does this with the sculpture of Skanderbeg's helmet and his sword. While the tradition is presented through national clothing. Actors Afrim Muçaj together with Rajmonda Ahmetaj remain silent inside the fence at the beginning of the performance. Then they recite passages from the Canon in a low voice. Their performance in a dark environment, lit only slightly by green lamps, creates an intimate atmosphere inside the gallery.
You have to move and bend over to see over the fence. While outside it, the visitor is faced with small paintings, which are characterized by the play of colors and the composition of the figures, which in this case are people dressed in national clothes. They have jubilation in common. All of these are presented in the exhibition that Berisha has titled "Breathing on the fence", which opened on Tuesday night in the Gallery of the Ministry of Culture, "Qafa".
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With this exhibition, the artist tries to touch the past and the present by combining them in a contemporary environment. It's kind of a juxtaposition between the old and the contemporary and that screams for the audience as well. In this case, the walls of the gallery remained empty without serving what they were intended for. And this was the artist's goal. "Breathing on the fence" is a call to protect tradition, past and national value. It challenges the concept of "so-called primitive citizenship", as the director Fadil Hysaj, also curator of the exhibition, refers to.
According to Hysaj, "Breath in the fence" is a type of installation that has the element and scenography.
The performance closes with "The head of the country is given to the friend". "Breathing on the fence" in the "Qafa" gallery is waiting for art lovers from Tuesday (in general, today in "Kohën Ditore").
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