The 24th edition of the national arts exhibition ‘Onufri’ seems to have been cancelled. The exhibition was supposed to conduct an open competition on April, announce the winners on May, and then display the chosen works at the National Arts Gallery (NAG) in the end of the corresponding year, respectively in November or December 2018. However, no such competition was declared this year and neither NAG director Erzen Shkololli, nor Minister of Culture Mirela Kumbaro have said anything regarding the case.
‘’The National Arts Gallery will soon announce an explanatory account’’ is the response both the Ministry of Culture and NAG were able to say.
This exhibition was decided from a Council of Ministers decision on Dec. 1993, and the first article of the ruling foresees that this exhibition be fulfilled annually by NAG under the care of the Ministry of Culture. The procedure happens as mentioned above, the NAG declares the opening of the competition and expects various curatorial proposals. Then the winner is declared no longer than a month later, and by June an open call for the artists is announced, so the workings of the exhibition can begin. Any changes in the rule should be approved by Kumbaro beforehand.
The exhibition, which holds the name of 16th century renowned orthodox icon painter of Elbasan, Onufri, is according to University of Arts professor and painter Gazmend Leka, an activity of the artists.
‘’In the mentality of the artists was the highest point, the artists saved a piece specifically for Onufri,’’ said Leka.
This exhibition was a good national exhibition as it gave the chance to the artists to see one-another in a special work for this special annual event. However, the event started taking a more international perspective lately and according to the professor, this made the exhibition to lose its purpose. He also said that this event was supposed to be part of the Culture Ministry, however it seems that it slowly became part of NAG, the gallery itself funding the event, which Leka calls it a mistake of the director.
Dean of Fine Arts at the University of Arts, Ardian Isufi, calls this phenomenon a national tragedy, as the exhibition for him was the most important guide for the citizens to Albanian contemporary art. According to him this comes from the institutional incompetence to manage this activity that was supposed to be considered as elite, but which has slowly faded.
This sort of situation is not the first time that it happens. According to curator Andi Tepelena, who is also a representative of the Independent Cultural Stage, three years ago it was said that the national exhibition ‘Onufri’ would be closing, however the artists denounced this decision and the Ministry decided to continue it after all. Yet, the story repeats itself and numerous renowned Albanian artists and art lovers have decided to appeal this decision not only to the Ministry and NAG, but also to the Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose previous career was that of a painter and who has also publicly boasted about this.
Curator Tepelena said that Onufri is quite beloved for the artists and art lovers, not only as part of the tradition, but because it offered a platform for Albanian contemporary art to make itself visible to the Albanian and international public. He said that this situation is a deliberate confinement against the alternative art.
‘’All artists that are internationally renowned today have passed through it,’’ said Tepelena. ‘’I don’t understand this arrogance, this hermetic shutdown to the artistic community.’’
However concerning the issue raised by the artists, the real question that should be raised is what is happening with the National Arts Gallery. Tirana counts tens of private art galleries whose spaces are constantly used by artists or curators for exhibitions, but NAG seems to have turned a bit dysfunctional and not submitting to its real purpose.
It seems that the national gallery has been closed to the visual art community, and artists are displaying their works elsewhere. According to art critic Ben Andoni, the gallery has represented its own interests, and only those artists who had a sort of political connection with Kumbaro would be able to exhibit there.
Andoni claims a bigger concern however. He said that if the gallery failed to raise itself as a proper arts institution during the Rama ruling, who has publicly boasted about his artistic career, then perhaps the national gallery might never be successful to its full potential, and be thus a failure.
This is interesting, as even though the PM is not directly linked to the institution, he has raised the Center for Openness and Discussion in which various exhibitions are held, both for Albanian artists, but also from international ones. But COD isn’t exactly the proper place Albanian artists are looking for.
The artists, but also Tirana itself, are looking for a proper institution to exhibit, a tangible arts gallery, which director Shkololli has failed to reciprocate, according to Andoni. He hasn’t achieved any real plans for the gallery, and isn’t holding up to citizens expectations for a cultural institution. Added to that the anticipated ‘Onufri’ exhibition is most probably canceled.
Andoni appeals the raising the building of the National Arts Gallery as a proper cultural institution that allows a safe space for artists to show themselves, and which thus allows a vast creative spectrum for Albanian contemporary art to develop. On the other hand, artists are appealing for ‘Onufri’ to continue as an artistic tradition.
