Kontrapunkt

What is confluent | Archive of events | Graphic materials |

Prilep, exhibitions and promotions

In close and fruitful cooperation with NGO Agtis from Prilep who gave their whole logistical support we opened the exhibitions by Ismet Ramicevic, Metodi Angelov and we projected the video At this bottom by Irena Paskali in Prilep on 19.04.2004.

We also made a huge presentation of our project with the dynamic LCD projection of the web site and the promo materials. We also once again stressed the key aims and functions of the magazine Margina.
Ismet Ramicevic is one of the most creative artists in Macedonia which belongs to the Bosniak ethnic community. Ismet Ramicevic's works from the cycle "Info-textile" are logical continuation and supplement of his previous cycle "Labyrinth". If, in the significant series "Labyrinth", the author realized monumental ambient presentations and interventions in the gallery space, his newest interests move towards changing of dimensions and forms of expressions. The idea in this case is realized trough painting-objects with relatively small dimensions.
Works are made of newspapers and have complex meaning. The intensive and unstoppable influence with which information make constant influence on men, is represented, and also the work has conceptual references to everyday life. Again we can notice the spiral line as universal image, and newspapers "form" textile which metaphorically presents the endless psychedelic net of information.
Creation of the works is at the same time simple and complicated. The simplicity is due to the use of one kind of material (newspapers), but the embroidery work needs patience, and offers meditative cleansing from the hyper production of information and using of sense. The constant disorientation which is due to often senseless information, as well as the engaged attitude and critical approach towards certain appearances, justifies the constant and bigger actuality of Ismet Ramicevic's work.
Irena Paskali is born 1969 in Ohrid, and is one of the most provocative female artist in the recent times especially concerning issues with socio-political background. Until now she has realized 13 solo exhibitions (Skopje/Macedonia, Vassa/Finland, Veimar/Germany, Belgrade/Serbia & Montenegro, Mostar/Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sofia/Bulgarija). Participated at many group exhibitions, festivals and artist in residence programs in Macedonia and abroad. Irena Paskali's project "At this bottom" is short documentary story about the way on which the representatives of the two biggest religions - Christians and Muslims - live together. That is a story about absurdity of mutual (in)tolerance and (un)acceptability of two religions that are geographically determinate and sentenced on together existence on a turbulent small region, place for living that the author describes as "at this bottom". The eternal conflict of culturological differences is shown on the video, but, most of all, the accent is put on the absurdity of similarities, which, for biggest optimists can signify moments of approaching. Similarities are shown trough documentary recordings of events in (and around) 2001: similarities in rituals, in celebration of big religious celebrations, in the desire for believing, but also similarities in mutual destruction and suffering.
In the case of "At this bottom", the story marks the actual social changes and its influence on the subjects of this society. Accidental participants are chosen to demonstrate the dark atmosphere, and Paskali puts her self in the role of the narrator present in all segments of the video. These "performing elements", in which the author is a central figure, are presented in almost all of Paskali's videos (which is rarity in Macedonian art); but the author is not a critic or a judge; trough her presence she (un)intentionally points on and elaborates psychological and sociological problems of "everyday" people.