Suites des Balkan’s Bridges

THE COLOURS OF THE BALKANS, THE GATES OF EUROPE
Owing to the participation in an art colony, which took place last year for the fifth time in Kragujevac (Serbia) within the Bridges of the Balkans Project, communication was established between twenty artists invited from almost all Balkan countries. Apart from them, the guest from Western Europe, Mr. Franck Vacheron participated in the work of the colony. Franck Vacheron, known as Franck NA within the art circles, is an artist whose creative engagement and enthusiasm are well known in Southern France and in Switzerland, more precisely in Saint Montan (Ardeche) – Geneva, which does not signify that his work is limited to this region only, since he is a participant in numerous projects outside of Europe’s frontiers.
This versatile author realize his artistic practice through creative experimentation with intermedial unused forms of expression which lie between various areas of artistic expression, thus destroying the boundaries which strictly define the status of an art work. The significance of an art work for Franck lies in e much broader context that the estetic value itself, since it can be initiated by an ordinary usable object in the meaning of ready-made and developed into an art work of complex structure. Thus the scope of his work does not only include studio and gallery practice, such as drawing, painting, design, construction, but also the completion of ideas connected to exterior, interventions in space, land-art, decoration of public spaces etc. Additionally, the entire working process is completed by video and film recordings, as well as written comments on the margins and the blank space of the painted or printed areas. His work mandatorily contains a dose of irony and humour, which bring it closer to the spirit of Dada and Neodada, especially the Fluxus in the manner in which he urges the continuation of the artistic activist tradition and direct action in identifying life and art through a non-conformistic and unconventional behavior. This model of behavior is typical of Franck because, by practicing his own artistic ideas, he permanently creates space for creation of his own existence, thus establishing a high degree of connection between art and life.
Enthusiasm, as another important characteristic of this agile artist, inspires wide communication which initiates and realizes different projects around which Franck gathers artists from various parts of the world, thus building new, much needed bridges of friendship and cooperation, common familiarization and bringing together of different cultures whose messages become understandable only through the language of art.
Apart from participating as a co-author in the Balkan bridges manifestation, Franck NA is also the carrier of the project which, among other, includes ideas for better familiarization with the Balkans and affirmation of its values to the people of Western Europe, which in years have been offered a different ugly image of this region. This resulted in Franck’s invitation for organizing an exhibition in Southern France of the artists he met at the Kragujevac Art Colony. These artists were: Matej Bogdanovski from Skopje ( Macedonia) and Marieta Konova from Veliko Trnovo (Bulgaria), painters with different author expression and thematic determination, but common affinity toward colour and colour values, which are main carriers of the action in their paintings.
The works of Matej belong to the genre of painting fantasy, whose sense for the miraculous existed in all time periods and in all regions of the world. He draws the ideas for his paintings from the archetypal treasury of myts and fairytales. The spirit of the fantasy gives his paintings a mysterious and unusual form, timeless dimension and is a typical area for escapism of the artist’s spirit from the everyday unification and banality of reality.

Marieta Konova is a painter of landscapes inspired by motives of her native region. Apart from the strong colouring noticeable at first glance, her paintings are recognizable in the manner they treat composition. Through it the painting develops in two direction. In the background there is a landscape the elements of which are distributed in an expressive manner by use of intensive colours, red and green being dominant. The foreground is composed of largely painted details stylized in farmiliar motives of her native region: roses, dandelions, embroidery and rugs ornaments. The element of decoration ties both directions of the painting in a harmonious relation which is established with the aim of expressing strong emotion readable through expressive figurative speech. With this visit to South France, Matej and Marieta were given the Opportunity to present their work in three galleries, which invaluably enriched their display experience. The first exhibition was realized in a gallery working within the “ Avec vue sur la mer” Association. Owing to Franck NA it represents a cult point for authors devoted to alternative expression and experimenting. Owing to a group of American architects, led by ecological motivation, a former factory on the Bourg Saint Andeol Road, near Sant Montan was transformed into a creative special complex containing ateliers, studios, film projecting halls, theatre and music performance halls and area for residing of the artists who have a work in the process of realization.
“ Avec vue sur la mer”, as a large artistic workshop where artstic ideas with unconventional and unformal position towards the art work are initiated, accepted and realized, has been existing for about ten years owing to lovers of art and freedom, as is Gerard Montel, who can be said to be a contemporary maecenas. His support in the realization of Franck’s art projects enabled “Avec vue sur la mer” become a desirable place for creative people of independent spirit and original view of the world. Staying there, in the heart of Ardech, a person is permanently linked to the scent and the blue of the immense fields of lavender and sounds of the crickets coming from the green vineyards and grass of this beautiful region in the valley of Rhone.
Simultaneously with the exhibition in Franck’s gallery “Avec vue sur la mer”, a day later second exhibition of these young Balkan artists was opened, this time in the gallery of Mr. Terry, called “ Terre d’Ombre”, in the feudal part of the old village of Saint Montan, where the centuries have left their mark in the stones. Apart from the attractive location of this gallery, the numerous visitors are attracted by the appearance of parts of the space, everything being adapted according to the needs of the contemporary display concept. In such an ambience Matej’s paintings seemed to be an inherent part of the premis, time neither taking away nor adding to their figurative values, while Marieta’s painting radiated even more intensively with their bold colours and “Matisse”- like serenity which urges the visitors to a spontaneous communication with the artist.
The third exhibition was opened in the Drom region, in the town of Dieulefit. There, in the town’s main street is the Atelier Luca, a gallery which offered a great hospitality to the artists from Macedonia and Bulgaria. Its owner, Mr Luca and Susan gave their besting presenting the two young Balkan painters within the tradition of their gallery experience. The gallery is situated in the wonderful family house, which offered the artists a complete hospitality and support, the communication being in several European languages. And people understood each other, as in Dieulefit, as in Saint Montan, as in Kragujevac. Because the language of art overcomes boundaries of all kinds and gives meaning to everything in which creative people give the best of themselves in order to make this world a more beautiful and better place.

Zorica Lojpur Bogdanovski
Art historian
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Expositions en France :à Saint Montan du jeudi 10 aout au mercredi 16 aout 2006 et à Dieulefit à partir du samedi 19 aout 2006

Matej Bogdanovski & Marieta Konova

in Ardèche: Austellung EXPOSITION in Saint Montan:
Donnerstag 10 08 2006 jeudi
Jusqu’à // bis Mittwoch 16 08 2006 mercredi
Drôme: Austellung in Dieulefit Samstag 19 08 2006 LIEUX : Saint MONTAN en Ardèche du Sud (entre Viviers et Bourg Saint Andéol)

Ateliers "avec vue sur la mer" 04 75 52 5101 ou 04 75 52 55 59.

AVEC VUE SUR LA MER ets un ensemble d’ateliers d’artistes et de chercheurs qui permet à des compagnies ou des individus de concevoir et fabriquer des projets. Des tournages, des créations, des entraînements, des stages, des résidences artistiques ont depuis une dizaine d’années habités dans ses murs. Expositions, concerts, projections de films, conférences,expériences diverses……. Atelier LUCA, à Dieulefit dans la Drôme. Galerie d’art placée dans la rue principale de Dieulefit qui est une charmante ville, très fréquentée en été.

Marieta Konova Ivanova

Born on 28 Dec 1968 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. She has received her secondary education at the Applied Arts School in Sofia, and a Master of Arts degree in painting /1992/ in the class of Prof. Nikolai Ruschukliev at the Faculty of Fine Arts from Veliko Turnovo St.st.Cyril and Methodius University. Since the year 1999 Konova has been working as an assistant professor in decoration and painting in the Iconography department to the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at Veliko Turnovo University. Member of the Bulgarian Artists’ Union – at the department in Veliko Turnovo.

Marieta Konova meet Franck NA at “The Balkan Bridges”Kragujevac 2005, Serbia and Montenegro

An entrant in 40 group international, national and regional exhibitions. One-artist shows of hers have been put on in Veliko Turnovo, Sofia and Gabrovo. Marieta Konova is a regular participant in national and international ceramics and painting symposia. Took part in five painting symposia in Serbia and Montenegro.

Matej Bogdanovski

Born 19 December 1979 in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Graduated at the School for Applied Art “Lazar Licenovski” Skopje in 1998. In 2003 graduated at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje at the painting department in the class of prof. Rubens Korubin.

Solo exhibitions

• 2003, Youth Cultural Center- Skopje
• 2004, galery Urania-Ohrid
• 2005, Euro galleria- Belgrade

Les BalkansBridges furent un échange artistique qui provoqua d'autres échanges.

Les nouvelles les plus récentes sont au début.

Les textes sont en Serbes, Anglias et Français. Suites des Balkans'Bridges;

• Mariet Ivanova Konova,
• Matej Bogdanovski,

GALERIE ATELIER LUCA, 21 rue du Bourg, 26220 Dieulefit / Drome / France.

The gallery in Drôme is situated in the main street of the village. Dieulefit is situated about 25 km from Montelimar. The atelier "Avec Vue Sur la Mer" in Ardèche is out a village :"Saint Montan".  Saint Montan is situated about 25 km. from Montelimar. But not the same side of the river"the Rhône". Two beautiful regions.

The gallery provides 2 exhibition rooms, about 50 m square in total.The exibition is free of charge for the artists. They will install thei pieces themselves. The gallery preserves the right to choose among the pieces to be exhibited and decides the mode of installatio

A second exhibitionis possible in Ardèche (not a long way from Drame) In a place : "AVEC vue Sur La Mer , in village: Saint MONTAN , where iti is possible to you to work paintings (atelier) ,live a week (no charge, invitation of franck NA for two or 32 people) and make an exihbition (of 8 days) just before Dieulefit or after ? It is a very nice place  (nature, medieval village,  french sun...) but tne logement hebergement is very simple.(minimal but good)

The téléphone of this place is 04 75 52 55 59
04 75 52 55 49  (from outside of France 00 33 4 75 52 55 59, 00 33 4 75 52 55 49 or Franck NA cellulaire:077 409 75 64 - 0041(0)22 344 73 63 gevona@freesurf.ch

Mostovi Balkana:

tekst napisao Franck Na

Mostovi Balkana.

Mali mostovi preko Balkana

Svetla preko reka.

Duga_ka i _iroka, ne_no duboka. Ljudi i stvari prelaze granice. Poku_avaju. Umetnost previ svoje male mostove. I prelaze vreme. Slikarska kolonija "Mostovi Balkana" se nalazila u Kragujevcu (Srbija, oko 150 km ju_no od Beograda) od 2. do 9. oktobra 2005. godine, sa namerom da se formiraju ti mali mostovi; na na_ na_in. Oko dvadeset savremenih slikara i vajara je stiglo iz svi zemalja Balkana da bi _iveli i radili zajedno tokom te jedne nedelje, dokazuju_i na taj na_in da gnev savremene istorije mora biti potisnut i da umesto njega dolaze dijalozi i kulturna razmena. Svaki od njih je imao jednu nedelju za istra_ivanje i stvaranje najpovoljnijeg projekta (slike ili sklupture) za izlaganje. Izlo_ba ovih dostignu_a je trajala do kraja meseca oktobra u prelepoj galeriji u Kragujevcu, koju finansira ACDI/VOCA u Kragujevcu.

Grad je ina_e poznat po velikom masakru civila, koji se dogodio 21. oktobra 1941. godine od strane nacista, a i Nato snage su ga bombradovale 1999. godine.

Katalog slikarske kolonije "Mostovi Balkana" Kragujevac 2005. – tako_e je izdat.

Projekti koji nastavljaju Mostove Balkana 2005

Ovi projekti su trenutno u smeru potvr_ivanja. Umetnici _e biti kontaktirani kada umetni_ki kriti_ari budu dali svoj kona_an pristanak. Ve_ su napravljeni razni kontakti da umetnici _vajcarske i Francuske upoznaju umetnike Balkana:

1 - Jugoslovenski kulturni centar u _vajcarskoj zainteresovan je da predstavi izlo_bu Miodraga Zubca u Bernu i mo_da Neuchâtel-u (datum _e naknadno biti dogovoren). Kontakt: g_a. Damijanovi_ 0331 331 46 66 i G_a. Ili_, telefon: 031/ 382 67 39, mobilni: 079/ 594 73 43, e-mail: maaki@bluewin.ch. G_a. Ili_ ve_ ima katalog Miodraga Zubca i jedan katalog Mostova Balkana.

2 – Izlo_ba dve slikarske kolonije u galerijama u Drôme-u (Dieulefit) i Ardèche-u (Saint Montan), Francuska, u avgustu 2006. Kontakt: Marietta Ivanova Konava.

3 – Zajedni_ka izlo_ba na zvani_nom mestu u _enevi za 5 do 6 umetnika iz Mosotva Balkana (i dva bugarska umetnika su ve_ kontaktirana) u februaru 2007. godine (posle praznika). Kontakt: Renée Furrer 0041(0)22 733 05 75, Villa Dutoit, Geneva; Ure_iva_ izlo_be: Franck Vacheron. Umetnici o kojima se razmi_lja: Obrad Jovanovi_, Matej Bogdanovski, izabrani umetnici Mostova Balkana 2006. godine. Zamisao izlo_be da se upotpuni radi "Mostova Balkana", da se napravi mogu_nost odre_enim umetnicima da izla_u u _enevi, zadr_avaju_i poruku kolonije koja ve_ 5 godina egzistira u Srbiji, a to je: povezati umetnike svih zemalja Balkana u duhu kulturne razmene i zajedni_kog mira. Udru_enje u Dutoit Villa _e svoje uslove za u_estvovanje postaviti 2006. godine

4 – Iz udru_enja za kulturnu animaciju bi _eleli da naprave kontakte sa ljudima koji organizuju predstave, pozori_ne komade, male festivalske animacije i koncerte koji su povezani sa Balkanom, da bi se planirao Balkanski festival 2007. godine (u saradnji sa association.pre-art). Po_eljno je da se po_alje demo CD. Kontakt: Franck Vacheron NA, Chemin des Ouches 14, 1203 Geneva, Switzerland, e-mail: gevona@freesurf.ch.Neobjavljen tekst koji se ti_e Miodraga Zubca:

Miodrag Zubac je u_esnik kolonije Mostovi Balkana 2005. Pod okriljem nadrealizma prikazuje:

- poetsku fantastiku
- minerale u levitaciji
- natpise na spomenicima izmi_ljenih etni_kih grupa
- izmi_ljeni jezik koji navodno pripada nestalim civilizacijama
- i miran i detaljan stil

Mirno_a uprkos uznemirenosti koja je povezana sa prete_im prirodnim fenomenima (ali da li su oni zaista prirodni ili neko pore_enje sa nasilni_kom ljudskom snagom?):
- oblaci prekrivaju grad, ali koliko im treba da se transformi_u i da iz njih po_ne da pada ki_a?
- Gr_ki manastir Meteori, koji je sme_ten na visoku stenu i _iban olujnim bujicama, ali da li _e erozija stene do_i do samog kraja i svojim prstom ga potopiti u more?
Zubac tako_e opisuje, u svojoj poslednjoj slici, pravu situaciju i ose_aj kao umetnika Balkana, tako_e i situaciju u zemlji: izolaciju, prisilne granice, nesigurnost i nestabilnost, stalnu izlo_enost silama rizika koje _ele da razbiju taj usamljeni svet u haos. To je tvrdi pla_.
Predstavljanje Zub_eve izlo_be izvan Srbije je poku_aj probijanja izolacije i razbijanje granica. Ako se nekom slikaru koji ima svoj stav, svoju nameru i svoje geografsko poreklo omogu_i saradnja preko granica, kao povratnu informaciju imamo da taj prelazak pozitivno uti_e na njegov umetni_ki rad, koji je zasnovan na me_usobnom poverenju _irom sveta.
Razdvojiti marginalne slikare po njihovom statusu, nameri i situaciji u zemlji je put ka stvaranju barijere njegovoj umetni_koj praksi, koja je postavljenja unutar tog umetni_kog svemira i otvorena je ka svetu. Izlaganje njegovog tvr_enja od isklju_enja je paradoksalno i mo_e ohrabriti _to se ti_e glavnog teme koju on opisuje, tako da ona postaje sme_na i zastarela. _ta _e postati od onog koji izla_e svoju usamljenost kada postane javna li_nost? Takav patos treba da nestane. Ali _ta ostaviti na tom mestu? To je iznena_enje koje on dr_i za nas u svojim slede_im slikama. Slikama koje _e imati pote_ko_e da same odvoje istorijski nagove_taj: da u njoj prebiva usamljeni slikar, i da je dr_ava jo_ uvek u nekoj formi kulturnog embarga. Dozvolite mi da se ovde zahvalim organizatorima koji znaju kako da spoje sastojke za dobar recept _ove_nosti. Svako od nas je dao svoj prilog tom bratstvu. Zidovi, granice, tuga jer napu_tamo mesto na kome smo u_ivali u zajedni_kom slikanju, pevanju i ljubavi prema _ivotu. Zubac nije odstupao. To je razlog _to sam ga preporu_io jugoslovenskom kulturnom centru u Bernu.
Mala paradoksalna analogija: da li je _vajcarska malo ostrvo u Evropi? A zar nije isto tako i internacionalna?

NA

Franck VACHERON

"Znakovi pokraj puta"

Mo_ete prona_i ceo tekst na "Mostovima balkana", kao i na internet stranici: www.mise-a-jour.net. U cilju podr_ke razmene slikara, predla_em razmenu dokumentacije i projekata, koja bi pospe_ila razvoj ove internt strane. Naravno, mo_e se napraviti i internet strana u Kragujevcu koja bi bila potpuno ravnopravna, a koju bi mo_da ACDI/VOCA finansijski podr_ala. Ali u me_uvremenu predla_em da po_nemo sa www.mise-a-jour.net - "notes of course".
Pet do _est hiljada knjiga u biblioteci u Opovu. Uglavnom pisanih na _irilici. Za_to to da ne bude obelodanjeno? Dugoro_na razmi_ljanja za vreme raznih politi_kih pravaca idu samo na _tetu narodnog blaga. Ponekad super sile _ele da uslobode svoje magacine municije na kulturne mete. Tako su napravile "muzej" u Bagdadu. Ali Bagdad, Beograd, isto zvu_e za te tehnokrate, koji zajedno sa svojim ministrima za odbranu imaju interese samo u pogledu akcija na berzi. Ali ne_e se jo_ dugo smiriti ti stratezi, koji, po moralnom ratnom lukavstvu, povre_uju ljude; koji, prema svojim planovima za karijeru, _e poru_iti hiljade ljudskih _ivota. Ovi stratezi stvaraju pravila _ivota: prave luda_ke ma_ine koje se proizvode, uni_tavaju, prodaju, upotrebljavaju, prodaju da bi se uni_tile, prave da bi se prodavale i  daju ljudima da ih ponovo prodaju. _ivele perece.
Ovde, u Srbiji, koliko puta sam samo _uo “rat (onaj 1999, tri mesece nas je NATO bombardovao), jo_ uvek ne razumemo za_to…” (a sada je 2005.). Rad Karle Del Ponte je veoma bitan. Dobila je _ak i pozitivan pubilcitet kod ljudi koje sam upoznao. Jedan je mo_e _ak videti kako ple_e valcer sa sada_njim predsednikom Srbije u popularnim novinama.
Ali ko treba da pati zbog ovih ratnih doga_anja i koliko? Da li su to „ve_ti majstori za udobnost“, _lanovi razli_itih crkava,  _lanovi fanati_nog rukovodstva, istori_ari koji idu do vremena starih Grka da bi opravdali svoju okupaciju? Naravno ne. _rtve su ljudi. Samo stanari pod suncem. Uve_e, pre nego _to sam napustio Kragujevac, obojio sam moje cipele u _uto. Da im zahvalim _to su me nosile tako dugo vremena i svuda. Tako dugo i svuda. Protest protiv inercije i sile zemljine te_e.
Dok sam stizao u Kragujevac na koloniju Mostovi Balkana primetio sam da glavna ulica koja prolazi kroz grad te_i prema Memorijalnom muzeju: deset ogromnih cevi od orgulja, znak uzvika, znak uzvika na orgulje, tako su jake da se ne mogu ignorisati. Va_no podsje_anje: da se zna _ta okrunost u uniformi mo_e da uradi, jednog davnog 21-og oktobra 1941. godine, i svaki put se re_aju zverstva.  Scenografija unutar Memorijalnog muzeja je vrlo dobro ura_ena, vrlo pokretljivo. U velikom parku, nalazi se oko 10 monumentalnih skulptura, mo_emo na_i hotel “_umarice”, na vrhu samog grada, na brdu koji je poynat po ovom tu_nom doga_aju – masakru koji se dogodio 21-og oktobra 1941. godine. To je hotel iz perioda dok je vladao Tito, koji je imao sopstveni apartman u hotelu, kao i u mnogim drugim hotelskim kompleksima _irom zemlje. Svi ovi hoteli su u skorije vreme pre_li u privatni kapital, a kupovali su ih _pekulatori (koje ovde nazivaju – Mafija), koji su se bacili na nacionalno dobro dok je zemlja u delirijumu, pokazuju_i na taj na_in da se ne mo_e izmeriti va_nost tog dobra. Vlasni_tvo dr_ave u vreme komunista. To je trebalo da pripada narodu.
Prijem je bio srda_an. Svako je dobio:
- _etke i _etkice
- akrilne ili uljane boje, kako se ko odlu_io
- dva mala pripremljena rama ili jedan veliki
- veliki ili mali _tafelaj
- novi upakovani pe_kir, koji nisam smeo da otvorim, jer je bio jako lep da bi se isprljao. U_esnici sa Balkana su dugo putovali autobusom sa sve _etiri strane sveta. Na koloniji 2005 bilo je naravno u_esnika iz Kragujevca, tako_e iz Beograda, iz Zagreba, U_ica, Tirane, Temi_vara, imena koja odzvanjaju kao u metalnom buretu, ali tako_e iz Atine, iz Skoplja u Makedoniji, iz Mostara u Bosni i Hercegovini, iz _a_ka, iz Jagodine, Aran_elovca, Opova, Kraljeva, Nik_i_a u Crnoj Gori, Velikog Trnova u Bugarskoj, iz _eneve…; dovoljno materijala da se goegrafski teren prepravi u jednu provinciju, ali i lomljivu…
Kultura Balkana je veoma promenljiva. Od obala Mediteranskog mora do planina, ili izme_u kontinentalnih prostora sa otomanskim, slovenskim gr_kim, germanskim francuskim uticajem, balkanski identitet mo_e da poslu_i kao laboratorija za kulturu Evrope, koji tra_i sebe, jer mora da pomiri zajednicu razli_itih kultura. U znak zahvalnosti za moje u_e__e u ovoj koloniji, mogu mo_da da dam neke veze spolja, poglede, da zainteresujem druge, i veoma o_ekivano otvaranje: jer niko danas ne mo_e da zavisi samo od sebe i da se povu_e iz ostalog sveta.
NA
Franck VACHERON

Balkan Bridges

Balkans Bridges. Footbridges of the Balkans. The light crosses the rivers.

By long and by large, cherishing the depths.

Men and objects cross the borders. They try.

Art manufactures its own footbridges. And crosses time.

The operation "Balkan Bridges" took place from the 2nd to 9th October 2005 in Kragujevac (Serbia, about 150 km in the south of Belgrade) with the objective to create footbridges. By our practice. More than twenty contemporary painters and sculptors coming from all the countries of the Balkans, to live and work together during a week, proving this way that the fury of the recent history must leave place to dialogue and cultural exchanges. Each one gives one week of research for the benefit of the construction of a public place. An exhibition presents the achievements until the end of October, in the beautiful gallery supported by ACDI/VOCA, in Kragujevac, city having known tragic events, in particular a massacre of the civil population on October 21st 1941 by the Nazis and the bombardments in 1999 by NATO. A catalogue "Balkan Bridges" Kragujevac 2005 is also published.Projects following Balkan Bridges 2005:
Konava.

Zubag took part in the artistic colony which was Balkan Bridges in 2005. Under the appearance of a surrealist painting:
- poetic assemblies
- minerals in levitation
- engraved signs of imaginary ethnic group
- phantasmagoric language pretending to belong to a disappeared civilization
- and smooth and detailed style
Cold blood in spite of the anxiousness regarding the threatening natural phenomena (but are they really natural or rather a metaphor of aggressive human powers?):

-the cloud carries the city, but in how much time will it transform itself into rain?

-the Greek village "Meteorite" fixed on a dug rock and beaten by the tempestuous floods, but will erosion come to an end with this finger drawn up in the sea?

Zubag however describes, in its last creations, the real situation and felt as an artist of the Balkans, and the situation of its country: isolation, forced marginalization, precarious and unstable equilibrium, exposed to forces that risk constantly to rock this insular universe into chaos. It is a solid cry.

To propose an exhibition of Zubag outside of Serbia is an attempt to break isolation and thus to go against his recurring topic: the marginalization. To diffuse a marginal painter by his statute, his intention and his geographical situation is a way of making rebound his artistic practice, currently centered on universes confined on themselves, towards an aperture to the world. To expose his assertions of exclusion is paradoxical and could encourage the topicality which he describes to become anecdotic and out-of-date. What will remain to whom exhibits his loneliness when he becomes public? This pathos should disappear. But to leave place to what? It is the surprise that he will hold for us in its next paintings.

Paintings which will have difficulties of being detached from the historical allusions: because if the feeling of loneliness lives the painter, his country currently knows still a form of cultural embargo. Let me thank here organizers to have known to join the ingredients for a good human receipt. Each of us made his contribution and fraternity reigned. The walls, the borders, resentments left place to the joy of painting, of singing together, of loving the life. Zubag was not in retreat. This is why I proposed this artist to the Yugoslav cultural network in Bern. Little paradoxical analogy: isn't Switzerland a little an island in Europe? And isn't it international for as much?

NA Franck

"notes de parcours..."

You can find the integral texts on "Balkan Bridges", as well as the photographs regarding this event, on: www.mise-a-jour.net. In order to support the diffusion of the artists, I propose to accommodate the files of Balkan Bridges and the projects of this structure on this site. Of course, to make a site in Kragujevac would be a completely justified initiative, undoubtedly possible for ACDI/VOCA to support it financially. But meanwhile, I propose to start on www.mise-a-jour.net - "notes of course".
Five to six thousand books in the library of the town of Opovo. In majority written in Cyrillic. But perhaps shouldn't it be revealed? One hesitates from now on to praise the heritage of a people deposed from the chronicles of the politically correct. Sometimes a superpower may have the idea with to get rid of its destructive arsenal upon a cultural target. It is not the museum of Baghdad. But Baghdad, Beograd, after all, it sounds a little similar for a too expeditious technocrat, consigned in its office of the ministry for the defense of the stock exchange interests. The work of Mrs. Carla Del Ponte is essential. It is recognized as useful publicly by the people I meet. One can even see her dancing a waltz with the current president of Serbia in a popular newspaper.
But who had to suffer from these conflicts in first place, and durably? Is it these skilful makers of pleas, the quarrelsome churches, the leaders frantic of outgrowth, the historicists who go up to the Greek calends to justify properties occupied since by others? Not, not really. The victims are civil. Just some tenants under the sun.

This evening, before throwing them definitively away, I repainted in yellow my shoes. To thank them for having carried me so a long time and so everywhere. Such a long time and so everywhere. Raising against inertia and the force of gravity. But will they not soon calm down these strategists who, by moral stratagem, hurt people; who, by plan of career, will crush civil lives per thousands. These strategists originators of habile concepts: to cover the insane machine which needs to produce, to destroy, to sell, to consume, to destroy for selling, for manufacturing to destroy, to sell for manufacturing and saturate people to sell again. Long live the Bretzels. Here, in Serbia, how many times I had to hear "the war (the one in 1999: three months of bombardments of NATO), I still didn’t quite understand why... " (and we are in 2005).

While arriving on the place of the workshop of Balkans Bridges, the prospect of the principal road of the city converges to the Memorial building: Ten immense organ pipes, points of exclamation, exclamation points of organs, so strong that one cannot ignore it. Obligation of memory: to know what cruelty in uniform can do, once in October 21st, 1941, and each time violence packs. The scenography inside the memorial museum is very well made, very moving.

In the large park, inhabited by approximately ten monumental sculptures, we can find the hotel complex of _umarice, on the top of the town of Kragujevac, on the hill sadly famous because of the massacre of the population on October 21st, 1941. It is a hotel from the Tito period, who had an apartment here, like in a ten other hotel complexes in country. All these hotels have been sold recently, by some speculators (here they call it the Mafia), who threw themselves on the national goods when the State in deliquescence showed that it could not ensure the maintenance of his goods anymore. Public goods of the communist time. Supposed to belong to the people.
The reception is cordial. Everyone is given:
- brushes and browses
- acrylic painting or oil painting, up to your choice
- two small covered frames or one large
- a chevalet or a lutrin
- a very new towel which I didn’t dare to use, so much was too pretty to be dirtied in its packing.

Balkans Bridges

Passerelles des Balkans
La lumière traverse les fleuves.
En long en large, effleurant les profondeurs.
Les hommes et les matières traversent les frontières. Ils essaient.
L'art se fabrique ses propres passerelles. Et traverse les temps.
L'opération the "Balkan Bridges" a eu du 2 au 9 octobre2005 à Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro, (ville à 150 km au sud de Belgrade). Il s'agit de créer des passerelles. Par notre pratique. Plus d'une vingtaine de peintres et sculpteurs contemporains venant de tous les Balkans, pour vivre et travailler ensemble pendant une semaine, prouvant ainsi que la fureur de l'histoire récente doit laisser place aux dialogues et aux échanges culturels. Chacun donne une semaine de recherches au bénéfice de la construction d'un lieu public. Une exposition présente les réalisations jusqu'à la fin du mois d'octobre, dans la belle galerie ACDI/VOCA, à Kragujevac, ville ayant connu de tragiques évènements : massacre de la population le 21 octobre 1941, et bombardements en 1996. Un catalogue "Balkan Bridges" Kragujevac, 2005 est édité.

à la suite des Balkans'Bridges 2005

Madame Ili'c dispose d'un catalogue de Zubag et un des Balkan's Bridges.

2-Une exposition dans deux ateliers-galerie en Drôme (Dieulefit) et en Ardèche (Saint Montan), France, aout 2006.
Marietta Ivanova Konava et .........

Sous l'apparence d'une peinture surréaliste:

-assemblages poétiques ,
-minéraux en lévitation
-signes gravés d'ethnie imaginaire, langage fantasmagorique semblant appartenir à une civilisation disparue
-et facture lisse et détaillée,
ZUBAG décrit pourtant dans ses dernières créations, la situation réelle et ressentie en tant qu'artiste des Balkans, et la situation de son pays: un isolement, une marginalisation forcée, un équilibre instable, précaire, en proie à des forces qui risquent à tout moment de faire basculer cet univers insulaire dans le chaos.
C'est un cri solide; le sang-froid malgré la hantise devant des phénomènes naturels menaçants (mais sont-ils vraiment naturels ou plutôt métaphore de puissances humaines agressives?) :
- le nuage porte la cité, mais dans combien de temps se transformera-t-il en pluie ?
- Le village grec "Météorite", accroché à son roc battu et creusé par les flots tempétueux, mais l'érosion viendra a bout de ce doigt dressé dans la mer.

Proposer une exposition de ZUBAC hors de Serbie est une tentative de rompre l'isolement et donc aller à l'encontre du thème récurrent de ZUBAG : la marginalisation. Diffuser un peintre marginal par son statut, son propos et sa situation géographique est une fa∫on de faire rebondir sa pratique artistique actuellement axée sur des univers confinés sur eux-m∞me vers une ouverture au monde. Exposer ses affirmations d'exclusion est paradoxal, et pourrait inciter l'actualité qu'il décrit à devenir anecdotique et périmée. Que restera t il à celui qui exhibe sa solitude quand il devient public ? Ce pathos devrait disparaître . Mais pour laisser place à quoi ? C'est la surprise qu'il nous réservera dans ses prochaines peintures.
Des peintures qui auront des difficultés à se détacher des allusions historiques: car si le sentiment de solitude habite le peintre, son pays connait actuellement encore une forme d'embargo culturel. ZUBAG a participé à la colonie artistique qui fit les Balkans Bridges en 2005.
Que les organisateurs soient ici remercier d'avoir su réunir les ingrédients pour une bonne recette humaine,. Chacun y a mis du sien et la fraternité s'imposa. Les murs, les frontières, les rancunes laissent place à la joie de peindre, de chanter ensemble, d'aimer la vie. Zubag ne fut pas en reste. C'est pourquoi, j'ai proposé cet artiste au réseau culturel yougoslave de Berne. Petite analogie paradoxale: la Suisse n'est elle pas un peu une île en Europe? Et n'est elle pas internationale pour autant?

NA Franck

Vous pourrez trouver l'intégralité des textes sur les "Balkans Bridges" et les photos idoines sur : www.mise-a-jour.net.

L'idée serait d'accueillir les archives des Balkans Bridges et les projets de cette structure en favorisant la diffusion des artistes, dans le site de l'internet: www.mise-a-jour.net.
Bien sûr, faire un site à Kragujevac serait une initiative tout à fait justifier, t sans doute financiable par ACI VOCA. Mais en attendant, je propose de commencer sur www.mise-a-jour.net, "notes de parcours".

En arrivant sur le lieu du workshop des "Balkans Bridges",
La perspective de la route principale de la ville, converge cers le batiment Memorial: Une dizaine d'immenses tuyaux d'orgues, de point d'exclamation, exclamations en point d'orgue, si fortes qu'on ne peut l'ignorer. Devoir de mémoire : savoir ce que la barbarie en uniforme peut faire, un 21 octobre 1941 et chaque fois que la violence s'emballe. La scénographie à l'intérieur du musée mémorial est très bien faite, très émouvante.
Dans le grand parc, habité par une dizaine de sculptures monumentales, se trouve un complexe hôtelier le SUMARICE, au dessus de la ville de Kragujevac, sur la colline tristement rendu célèbre par le massacre de la population le 21 octobre 1941, époque de Tito qui avait ici un appartement comme dans une dizaine de complexe hôtelier dans le pays . Ces hôtels auraient tous été vendus récemment, par des boursicoteurs (ici on dit la mafia) qui se sont jetés sur les biens nationaux quand l'état en déliquessence a montrer qu'il ne pouvait plus assurer la maintenance de ses biens. Des biens publics de l'époque communiste. Censés appartenir au peuple.
L'accueil est chaleureux.
A chacun, il a été donné :-des brosses et des pinceaux
-de la peinture acrylique ou à l'huile, au choix
-deux petits chassis toilés ou un grand
-un chevalet ou un lutrin
-un torchon tout neuf dont je n'ai pas oser me servir tellement il est trop joli dans son emballage pour être maculé.
Les participants ont faits de longs voyages en bus, des quatres points cardinaux des Balkans.
Il y avait pour la session 2005, des artistes de Kracujevac bien évidemment, ainsi que de Belgrad, Zagreb, Uzice, de Tirana, de Timisoara, des noms qui r≥sonnent comme dans des futs de métal, mais encore d'Athène, de Skopje en Macédoine, de Mostar, de Federacja en Bosnie Herzégovine, de Tchaktchak, Jakodina, Aranjecovac de Opovo en Serbie Montenegro, de Kracjevo, de Niksic en Montenegro (qui s'écrit Crna Gora !?), de Veliko Trnovo en Bulgarie, de Genève...; de quoi réviser une géographie toute récente et encore bien provisoire; Aussi neuve que fragile;
(Zagreb en Croatie;
Timisoara, en Roumanie.
Tirana, en Albanie

PROJECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Over the past thirteen years, Serbia along with neighboring countries has been involved in numerous regional and international conflicts that resulted in disintegration of the SFRJ (ex-Yugoslavia) including last conflict in Kosovo. This legacy of conflict has meant stagnation in the arts sectors, and an isolation of artists from their international counterparts. Art workshop Balkan Bridges I and II reinitiated relationship between artists from the region after recent conflicts. Artists who participated in previous two workshops has even started cooperation apart from the Balkan Bridges.

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