Chifte Hamam
Мay / Јune 2019
National Gallery of the Republic of North Macedonia
In 2008 the Ministry of Culture announced an open competition for city sculptures. I applied with two projects:
a bush in a stainless steal cube and three willows in concrete cubes in the river Vardar. In the application I wrote: “… In our city… there is less and less vegetation. These urban sculptures are conceived as monuments to the vegetation – along the lines of strengthening the general environmental awareness.” Both projects were selected. I signed a contract with the Ministry for realization of the projects.
In the meantime, while working on it, I was receiving various suggestions for extra “decorations” on the willows sculpture.
At the same time, the entire city slowly started to change. It was not only that the buildings destroyed in the earthquake – buildings that many older citizens had nostalgic feelings for – reappeared. The entire city center was made over in line with populistic, conservative, cake-like, discreative taste. Worst of all – some gorgeous brutalistic and modern buildings underwent facelifts and were ruined with decorations.
My city lost its modern vibe.
I made no compromise with my artworks!
When technical problems arose during construction, the contract with the Ministry was terminated.
In 2012, the project Three Willows in the Vardar river – Faith Hope Love was completed by the Ministry of Culture. Because the conditions significantly changed, the construction costs increased. The artist’s rights were respected.
Nobody “read” my comments on this situation in the text/name of the artwork!
At the same time, the work became a target of political dispute, an object of organized manipulations, spins and lies. I was publicly accused of stealing money, every autumn and winter the deciduous trees were declared dead. The artwork was equated with ordinary willow plants. It was linked to all new city decorations and facelifts and denigrated in every possible way. Most surprisingly, some of my colleagues and collaborators took part in the witch hunt. Nobody came to speak to me beforehand. Sometimes I think if someone else was in my place and they did compromise, they wouldn’t get so many negative reactions. Was it because it was conceptual, was it because it was contemporary? Was my battle for the artwork in vain?
Caring for the willows in the river all these years was left solely to the author. Тhe other artwork – the stainless steel cube with a bush was dislocated and destroyed.
THIS EXHIBITION PAINTS A PORTRAIT OF A SOCIETY BY PICTURING ITS ATTITUDE TOWARDS a CONTEMPORARY ARTWORK that managed to survive.
Curators: Lazo Plavevski and Vladimir Janchevski
Profesional associate: Ljiljana Nedelkovska
Project assistent: Nita Mucha
National Gallery curator: Ana Frangovska
National Gallery associates: Aleksandra Zinovski Vilic and Gorancho Gjorgjievski
Video and sound: Damjan Cvetkov Dimitrov
Light: Ilija Tarchugovski
Technical assistent: Vlado Dimoski
ISKRA DIMITROVA 