Freedom of thinking and expressing – violent prevention of the opening of exhibition “Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine” in Kontekst Gallery, Belgrade

14 May 2008

KUD Mreža/Alkatraz Gallery will thus be holding a presentation and discussion with the title Freedom of thinking and expressing - violent prevention of the opening of exhibition "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine" in Kontekst Gallery, Belgrade, dealing with the gallery closure that took place on February 7, 2008. Presentation of the exhibition and the subsequent discussion is intended as a joint critical reflection on the theme.

The "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine" exhibition was intended as part of an extensive project that had already included a presentation of it at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina in Novi Sad from January 22 to February 5, 2008. The exhibition was organized by the non-governmental organizations Kontekst Gallery from Belgrade and the Institute for Flexible Culture and Technologies “Napon” from Novi Sad.
The project featured the following artists: Artan Baljaj / Jakup Feri / Driton Hajredini / Fljaka Haljiti / Fitore Isufi Koja / Dren Maljići / Aljban Muja / Vigan Nimani / Nurhan Ćehaja / Aljketa Džafa / Ljuljzim Zećiri
Curators: Vida Knežević (Belgrade), Kristian Lukić (Novi Sad), Ivana Marjanović (Vienna/Belgrade), Gordana Nikolić (Novi Sad)
The “Exception” exhibition presents a segment of young art of Priština that was created in the specific social, cultural, economical and political circumstances of contemporary Kosovo. It deals with questions of dominant cultural hegemonies, national and birth identities in visual arts that are defined by Balkan particulars, by the doctrine of limited freedom, nationalism, conditions set by Euroatlantic integrations, and by a strengthened neoliberal capitalism.

The "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine" exhibition that was supposed to happen at the Kontekst Gallery of the “Stari Grad” Cultural Centre in Belgrade from February 7 to February 15, 2008, was closed down because the police judged that it could not ensure the safety of the visitors and organizers. An organized group violently prevented the exhibition from opening and in the process destroyed a work by Dren Maliqi, titled “Face to face”.

Participants: Sezgin Boynik, Kristijan Lukić, Dren Maliqi and Gordana Nikolić.

Moderator: Sezgin Boynik

The discussion will be in English.

The discussion is supported by: Turkish Airlines and the Division for International Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RS.

Thanks to: Kontekst Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Division for International Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RS, and to the Institute for Flexible Culture and Technologies “Napon” of Novi Sad.

The discussion Freedom of thinking and expressing - violent prevention of the opening of exhibition "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine" in Kontekst Gallery, Belgrade, runs parallel to the discussion on “Kosovo – Art – Education – Politics” organized by Radical Education, Social Center Rog and Moderna galerija.

Participants

Sezgin Boynik is a sociologist researching phenomena such as underground movements, punk, subversive and radical politics, nationalisms and how they are related to visual arts. He is a professor at the University of Priština.

Dren Maliqi is a young artist from Priština. His work Face to Face recently provoked an extreme reaction when it was exhibited in Kontekst Gallery in Belgrade; the reaction resulted in polemic discussion of the role and significance of politics in art.

Gordana Nikolić is one of the curators of the exhibition "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine". She is art historian, cultural worker and theoretician of modern and contemporary art and culture, member of Institute for flexible culture and technologies – NAPON, Novi Sad. Lives and work in Novi Sad.

Kristijan Lukić is one of the curators of the exhibition "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine". He is cultural worker and theoretician of modern and contemporary art and culture, member of Institute for flexible culture and technologies – NAPON, Novi Sad.