A PLACE WITHOUT WALLS

  If you are looking for a dose of culture and inspiration, there is no better place to visit than an art gallery. Who would have thought that a small room filled with random pieces could hold life and history in it? Well, as an art lover it is always nice and interesting to see how an artist exhibits its artwork. In a way you become more connected to the artist and their work but also you are able to absorb the message that they wanted to give.

I went to the National Gallery of Kosovo, which is located at UP Campus, behind the National Library of Kosovo in Pristina. This exhibition at the art gallery was called “A place without walls”. The title itself is fascinating, it gives you the idea of something that is endless and has no limits. The pieces together are associated with our history and culture as citizens of Kosovo.

⇦  From this artwork I got the feeling of resistance that our  Albanian families had during the war. Everything in this piece symbolizes something e.g. the wood it’s because the houses and the doors at that time were built from wood material, the holes are for the bullets that the enemy shot in the direction of the  people, the hands are for that one who faced to protect his loved ones and his country.

 

 ⇦  When I saw this my mind immediately went to the woman that lost her husband and her kids in Krushe. It was hard for a woman at that time to be left all alone. But she gathered herself and started a business with peppers making a product in Albanian called “Ajvar”. I think that she gave a motivational message of how women should always be strong, move forward after all bad things that could happen to us. But also to be independent and to believe that you can succeed. The details on this artwork are unavoidable, the index finger represents the woman standing on her own and the pepper represents her job.

⇦  Coming to this part of the exhibition I saw life and culture through these paintings. The different variants of traditional clothing for men are shown in these. I can also see different face expressions which are a symbol of the different stages we went through as folks; some are dancing and smiling, these might represent the good times that we had, our traditional songs and dances. Some are covering their mouth and some look scared. These might represent the bad times, not being able to talk or share our story, being unable to ask for help. 

This was a first time experience for me at an art gallery and I will remember it for a long time. This exhibition was unique because it reminds us the scenes, difficulties, and parts of history that are often ignored or forgotten. It also reminds us that there are new places that we can explore, even if we have never been before like an art gallery. There is always a first time for everything!

Gresa Nuradini