Skopje biennale; Albania represented by eight artists

The European and Mediterranean Young artists’ biennale is back in the Balkans. The XIV edition, took place from September 3 to September 12th in Skopje, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). There were 700 artists and 46 countries from across Europe and the Mediterranean exposing their works for 10 days. This year’s theme was “Seven gates” and there were eight participants from Albania. Eftjona Isufi in the literature section, Onorina Jata, Dorina Kulla, Endri Teta, visual arts, Kled Kapexhiu, Eva Leka, Irvin Mu袪, mobile-space images, and Tirana Show Dance in the spectacle section in this important event cultural. As an important crossroad of different people and cultures, FYROM hosts this important event, dedicated to the young artists that have been creating independent art since the fall of communism in the Balkan countries. The artists have a lot of areas where they can show their talents such as visual arts, music, cinema, literature, spectacle and even gastronomy. Biennale of Skopje, considered to be one of the most important in the Mediterranean area, is a significant meeting point between artists and a more simple way to be part of the international market, thanks to the space in which this event gives young people the opportunity to show off their talents. This is the second time this activity has taken place in a country of former Yugoslavia, after 2001 Biennale held in Sarajevo. Sponsored by the EU, this activity came as a support to the political commitments that countries such as Croatia, FYROM, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania are taking to be part of the Union. There were 354 products of visual and applied arts with more than 1,000 works of art, of which 262 were urban products and performance. There were also musical, theater and dance shows. Forty five feature-length films were shown. Through participation in the Biennale, 708 young artists between the ages of 18 and 30 years old from 39 different countries had the opportunity to experiment their roles as professionals of culture, exposing their works in an international context. In this way they were given the opportunity to face many young artists living in Europe and the Mediterranean. The aim of this cultural event is that these young people can build a really solid culture and be the protagonists of the new generation of international culture. Young artists were selected by a local jury consisting of a curator, contemporary art critics, artists and cultural operators. The theme of the XIV edition of the Youth Biennale was “Seven gates. It derives from an ancient legend that has to do with the birth of the city of Skopje. The legend says that seven roads pass through a large stone block on which stood the city of Skopje. It was thought that this stone was the head of a giant, victim of a curse that had blocked him forever. But one day a hero goes there first and with his spear, opens the eyes, ears, nose and mouth of this giant. Thus, once the city begins to see, hear, to breathe and speak and by these seven points, were born seven gates of Skopje. The “Gates” of this biennale represented a more open movement which never ends.
What was special about Skopje’s Biennale was the fact that it was held at various locations downtown. The public relished the Biennale simply walking through the main streets of Skopje. During those ten days, Skopje was filled in this way with exhibitions, concerts, dance and theater show, literature, public readings and performances gastronomic works of visual art among others will remain on display until October 9.