The exhibition “Laboratory from the Past for the Future: Stories about the Summer School of Architecture in the Monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski, 1992-2017”, which presented our country at the 18th International Exhibition of Architecture in Venice – Venice Biennale 2023, was officially opened today in the Cabinet of the President.
“Connoisseurs know that participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale implies serious author and organizational engagement. We are not a big, powerful and rich country, but without doubt we have tradition, culture, art and architecture at the highest level. We have creative people and authors who have something to say and show the world. We should nurture and support all this. It is a moral obligation of each of us within our capabilities, and it is a legal obligation of each institution, according to its competences, to work on the affirmation of the Macedonian architecture and Macedonian authors,” President Stevo Pendarovski said in his address, as the host of the exhibition.
The bearer of the project, which was presented at the Venice Biennale of Architecture with the support of the Ministry of Culture, is Iva Petrunova from the “Beautiful City” association.
The opening ceremony was addressed by the Director of the National Gallery, Dita Starova Kerimi, as commissioner of the project, Minas Bakalchev, one of the authors, and Marija Petrova, one of the curators.
Other curators of the exhibition are Aleksandar Petanovski, Dimitar Krsteski, Darko Draganovski and Goran Petrov; other exhibitors in the exhibition are Mitko Hadji-Pulja, Aleksandar Radevski, Sasha Tasic and Dimitar Papasterevski.
Respected authors,
Dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a special honor that only 6 months after the exhibition in Venice, within the framework of the 18th International Exhibition of Architecture, the exhibition “Laboratory from the Past for the Future: Stories of the Summer School of Architecture at the Monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski, 1992 – 2017” is featured in our premises and is presented to the Macedonian public.
As it has been the case with each of the series of cultural and artistic events in the past 4 and a half years that took place here, I believe that we contribute to additional promotion and affirmation of the Macedonian creative authors and artists, who absolutely deserve it.
With the presentation of this year’s Macedonian national representative at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, I believe that we are sending off this year in the most appropriate way, looking with greater optimism and faith towards the new 2024.
Namely, in correlation with the title of the exhibition, from the past to the future, let this wealth, this beauty be our stake for a time, which, let us hope, will be happier than today. It is architecture that has content, weight and meaning that lasts through the ages. Or, as one of the most famous architects of our time, Frank Gehry, says: “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness”.
I believe, it is not an exaggeration to say that our architects, our artists, create eternity and impermanence.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Connoisseurs know that participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale implies serious author and organizational engagement. This year, we were definitely properly represented, and therefore I would like to thank the authors, the Ministry of Culture, the commissioner of the exhibition, the curators and everyone who was involved in any way in the creation and setting up of the exhibition.
We are not a big, powerful and rich country, but without doubt we have tradition, culture, art and architecture at the highest level. We have creative people and authors who have something to say and show the world. And we should nurture and support all this.
The moral obligation of each of us is within our capabilities, and it is the legal obligation of each institution, in accordance with its competences, to work on the affirmation of the Macedonian architecture and Macedonian authors.
I would like to end my speech here and invite you to see the exhibition.
Thank you.
