The National Art Gallery of Kosova, located in Prishtinë, was one of my recent visits. This institution, founded in 1979, collects and preserves visual arts. The National Gallery of Kosovo organised 297 collective and individual exhibitions from 1979 to 1998, and since 1999, 350 exhibitions have been organised both locally and internationally. [Ballazhi, Z]
In this blog, I will be speaking on my experience with the recent exhibition in this gallery, known as “The Conspiracy of Tirana”. This exhibition holds a variety of works, all unique in their own way. However, all of them serve the same purpose; making people feel at home.
An art gallery, a strange place filled with pieces of people’s lives. A story within a story. How often do we visit these places? Unfortunately, not as often as one would like to. This time, I am walking through the gallery’s big halls, taking in every bit and piece of the works. Yet, what I receive in turn is even greater. How come everyone reflects on their life whenever they visit galleries or museums? I know, cliché, right? Beware, dear reader, I finally experienced a stroll to the gallery so I could see what the cliché meant. Now, I see its validity.
As I said, the gallery signalled my brain that something special was awaiting me. Artworks are strange sometimes, you see the final product, but you can never see the whole background process alongside the sleepless nights and internal shouts. Similar to human beings and their battles with life itself. We meet people, and we love or hate them, but we never know what it was that influenced them. Now, back to the art gallery. I can say that it brought warm feelings as I reminisced on each work and connected it to my life. It was an environment where you could feel safe and comfortable. There were two artworks which caught my attention as I wandered around. Despite the fact that one was an object of worship and the other a contemporary piece of art, both of them resonated with my inner being..
Although both works were displayed on two different floors of the gallery, it seemed to me that the separation was intentional. As people might be confused about the works on the first floor, the second one puts things into perspective. The first floor was where I found my first inspiration. The mosque minaret installation was a representation of my whole being, it was heart-rendering to see parts of myself there. One, it is an essential part of my relationship with religion; and two, it is the place where my heart found peace. Nevertheless, the second floor emphasised this feeling of warmth and wholeness. There, I found myself. A piece of art, compiled of various materials, at last, became one whole work. As I looked closely at the framed artwork, I saw a glimpse of myself; or to be clear, glimpses of myself throughout the years. Each version trying hard to become a whole personality. For me, the work symbolised the way my religion completed me. This completion put the weight off my shoulders, my back was no longer crooked from all the burdens I used to put there. The hard-rock heart full of grudges and crushed dreams was now a river of sunshine and hope.
Two pieces of art becoming such a big inspiration seems a bit out of this world. But, my heart felt it; and I was aware. I am my religion. But my religion is by far superior. I am human; a flawed human. I err, but the errors are there to guide me into the path I have chosen. So, as I said, an art gallery is a strange place filled with people’s lives, giving a story within a story. Before you lose the chance to figure out your piece of art, I would highly recommend taking a look at this place. After all, you might well find yourself there..
Photos by: Dëshirë Syla
The National Gallery of Kosova, Prishtinë
All background information on the National Gallery taken from:
https://www.galeriakombetare-rks.com/en/rreth-nesh
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