Life
Merita Koci
Two Pieces of one exhibition
Merita Koci, Driton Hajredini
Curatorial by Albert Heta
Opening: 18 June 2009, 20:00
18 June 2009 - 18 July 2009
In all, or almost all text that I have written for exhibitions, part of the program of Stacion - Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina, I use the composition of words: 'in this scene', 'scene', 'scene'. It will not be any different in the case of this exhibition (1). Many are those who don't want to understand why we are working with the past, why the past is important or why working with the past is a key to read the present and see the possibilities for the future. Amnesia cushion is the appropriate bed that this mentality would like to rest upon. Also, it seems to me that in the practice of the artist of this scene, terms like reenactment seem so sophisticated and difficult to digest, as instead many are cases when artists use a popular strategy of how this society is constructed 'hide, erase, copy and appropriate' as a strategy to operate on a past work.
In this case we will not show a new work that deals with the past. We will show an 'old' work that deals with the present challenges. A work that was left without historical context, when it was made, as many other works in this scene.
We think that sexuality and gender identity based cultures - LGBT community in post-war Kosova, is a new social reality imported form the west by our sons and daughters sent to safety and to work & provide for Kosova during the last Serbian occupation form 1989-1999, and as such LGBT community is a foreign body to our culture. But even within this narrative, no one seems to know what to do with the ones that imported this reality - our brave sons and daughters. This context, now in the body of a new state, is obligated to find a place for ethnic minorities, but the real challenge and key to the grand solution is in finding a way to tolerate minorities of the majority.
'Life' (2003) by Merita Koci is the second piece of constructing 'one exhibition'.
The first work shown in this process of making 'one exhibition' was 'Who killed the painting?' by Driton Hajredini. 'Two pieces of one exhibition' in its' last stages will become part of 'Remake for EU?' project prepared by Stacion - Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina.
'Merita Koci: Life' is generously supported by DGZ.
(1). These texts are always short and always designed to appear like abstracts. In fact they are more an open invitation and provocation to writers and critics to write on these works, events and exhibitions.