MоCA-Skopje a partner institution of the EUBalkans project in Paris

MoCA – Skopje is a partner institution of the EUBalkans project, which took place in Paris

The Museum of Contemporary Art – Skopje, as a partner institution of the project “Long-term cultural partnerships for dialogue Western Balkans – Europe – Culture”, financed by the Creative Europe program, is part of the first series of transdisciplinary seminars, which took place on June 30 and July 1 in Paris, France. Besides MoCA, other partner institutions and organizations in the project are: Ecole nationale supérieure des arts de Paris, Art Explora Foundation (France / Albania) and the Initiative for Oral History of Kosovo.

The seminar is dedicated to the cultural scene of the Western Balkans, in the framework of which, the director of MoCA – Skopje, Mira Gakjina, gave a lecture on the topic “Solidarity, virtue of the 21st century”. Macedonian artists Hristina Ivanoska, Gjorgje Jovanovik and Natasha Nedelkova had presentations at the seminar at the initiative of MoCA and as part of the program activities of the museum. Curator Jovanka Popova from MoCA was the moderator of the lectures.

“The story of MoCA – Skopje and the donation of works by world-renowned artists after the Skopje earthquake in 1963 begins in New York, but its operational beginning is here, in Paris,” said Gakjina.”France has shown its solidarity with Skopje in action and from a cultural point of view. While the rest of the donations from the world were mainly help for housing facilities, health care and education, Skopje received a French Cultural Center that has been enriching our cultural scene for half a century. At the same time, Jean Cassou, then director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the City of Paris, helped the first young director of MoCA – Skopje, dr. Boris Petkovski to establish contact with the Parisian scene of that time. Thus, Calder, Picasso, Vasarely and Soulages were among the first artists, who established contact with our museum and donated works, and the list is extensive and impressive,” said Gakina. The artistic color of the works, which are part of the MoCA collection, as a result of the worldwide donation, are a confirmation of the heterogeneity of the world art scene. “Today, MoCA – Skopje aims to once again reconsider its social role and the importance of collecting and engaging world-famous and renowned artists, as a new contemporary wave of solidarity action. “Solidarity as a motive is again necessary in the global society of the 21st century”, concluded the director of MoCA.

The aim of these events is to encourage the circulation of artists, researchers and art drivers between the Western Balkans and the European Union and to promote the spread of their practices and research. The project entitled “EUBalkans” represents an artistic dialogue between partners from the EU and the Western Balkans in order to create an innovative cultural program based on international cooperation. The two-day program of the event consisted of: meetings with artists, performances, conferences, workshops, screenings and readings, which refer to solving the main social, territorial and climate issues such as: urban and climate transformations, issues related to territories, borders and migration processes, the visibility of marginalized communities and the preservation of their knowledge, the collection and transmission of oral and written archives, and the support and dissemination of contemporary artistic practices.

Following a transdisciplinary approach, EUBalkans will strengthen the circulation of artists, artistic practices and international creativity both within the Western Balkans, in the European Union and other parts of the world, in line with the objectives of the Creative Europe call, enabling artistic research and dissemination, artistic residencies, master’s and research program for the Western Balkans, performance festival and transdisciplinary seminar, programs and activities in the Western Balkans with a long-term perspective. The project implemented by the Art Explora Foundation, the National School of Arts of Paris-Sergi, the Museum of Contemporary Art – Skopje and the Oral History Initiative – Pristina, envisages the realization of seminars that will be held until 2025 in Paris, Pristina, Tirana and Skopje.