13.Biennale of Young Artists /ˈwɒndəlʌst/

/ˈwɒndəlʌst/ means to wander aimlessly from place to place. If we step aside from the purpose of our travel, be it tourism or business, then we can see that a pure form of movement is all that remains, as a fundamental function of life and energy. Under the pressures of life as fixed subjects of capitalism, we are forced to produce a value that is expendable. To use this energy without purpose is to live with a disregard of this systemic driving force, to not follow the logic of capital. Subsequently, we rarely have a desire for wandering, in this situation today.
The creative work of art, as is its nature cannot accept this restriction, because what we value as art will always be the act of a respite, a crack in our defined and adapted sensory system. We search for art that does not reproduce the meaning of present times. We lean towards art that hints to that our existing state of knowledge is irrevocable. We want to inspire a desire for wandering in space, inside and out, so that we can expand our wandering space, a space that is free or has been freed from the dominant code by which the individual and society is fixed and symbolized. This new space available to us without any purpose represents possibilities full of potential for novelty and art. It is precisely this short fuse between the novelty and new space that it seeks and finds the new space, /ˈwɒndəlʌst/ becomes a political movement. We have been homebound for a year now, used to the same space, repeating while waiting. To go against this condition, our project requires “longing for something else” as a remedy that comes from aimless wandering. Longing for something else is a tremendous need to be outside our homes, physically but also through ideas.

The biennial aims to introduce to the general public and also art experts the artworks of new artists on the local and international scene, and aims to support and inspire creative initiatives of new generation artists and curators, and provides conditions that allow them to express themselves before the public and the development of the contemporary art scene. The youth biennial also includes educational and discursive programme, and through a series of activities will aim to recognise young artists and enable them to acquire the necessary knowledge and involve them in a process that will profile their work and help them in their future endeavours. One of the young artists, who will exhibit at the Biennale, selected by a three-member jury, will be able to produce and organize a solo exhibition at the MoCA in the next 2022.

The 13 International Biennial titled Wanderlust was opened on the 19th of May during which the artworks of more than 30 local, regional and international artists were exhibited. The selected works are by artists from Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Argentina, and Turkey.

The artworks of the following artists are exhibited: Darko Aleksovski, Stefan Ancevski and Ana Jovanovska, Martin Volman, Sali Ertunc, Filip Ivanovski Pepe, Metodi Iskov, Jovan Josifovski, Sonja Jo, Ana Jovanovska, Resul Kaboglu, Nikola Kekerovic, Ana Lazarevska, Niccolò Masini, Julija Manojlovska, Ivana Mircevska, Ana Markovska, Natasha Nedelkova, Dorotej Neshovski, Mila Panic, Kristina Pulejkova, Nikola Radosavljevic, Driton Selmani, Dushan Stefanovski, Bojan Stojcic, Milica Lazarevic Spirovski, Ivana Samandova, Ana Trajkovska, Újházi Adrienn, Elena Chemerska, Mia Cuk and Zoran Shekerov.

This year, the biennial spreads beyond the Museum of Contemporary Art, to include the institutional partnership with the Museum of Macedonia, the Natural History Museum, and the building which is home to the Meteorological Institute, stressing the importance of these buildings as examples of the contemporary architectural heritage of the City of Skopje.

On the 19th of May, the opening began with an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art – Skopje. On the 20th of May, the audience was invited to view the works of young artists, that will be exhibited at the Museum of Macedonia and on the 21st of May, the opening took place at the Natural History Museum. The exhibition at the building that’s home to the Meteorological Institute was open for visitors on the 22nd of May.

Prize Winners at the 13. Biennial of Young Artists

A unanimous decision was made by the panel of judges Iva Dimovski (Art Historian), Velimir Zernovski (visual artist), and Jane Calovski (visual artist) to award the “The most successful artist and art piece” at the 13th International Biennial of young artists “Passion for wandering” equally between Natasha Nedelkova (R. North Macedonia) for her contribution titled “Tissues of identity”, video, 2020; Darko Aleksovski (R. North Macedonia), for his piece “Never Not in Love, a spatial and video installation, 2019 and Driton Selmani (Kosovo), for the sculpture titled “But No But (or reverse), 2019. For the first time, this award was presented to three artists and artworks which the panel of judges considered as the most impressive, corresponding to the overall theme at the Biennial. The award includes an independent exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art.