support kontekst galerija belgrade

Exhibition "Exception / Contemporary art scene from Prishtine", that was planed to be exhibited in Kontekst Gallery in Cultural Centre "Stari Grad" in Belgrade from 7th of February until 15th of February, was closed because of police valuation that safety of visitors and organizers was jeopardized. Therefore exhibition will not be opened in planned terms. During the opening of the exhibition organized group stopped opening of the exhibition by violent means and also destroyed artistic work "Face to face" by artist Dren Maliqi.

Exhibition "Exception / Contemporary arts scene from Prishtine" was exhibited in Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina in Novi Sad, from 22 nd of January until 5th of February without incidents. Organizers of exhibition are organizations "Kontekst" from Belgrade and Institute for Flexible Cultures and Technologies - Napon from Novi Sad.

We invite Ministry of Culture of Republic of Serbia and Secretariat for Culture of City of Belgrade to react and publicly condemn this violent act and allow exhibition "Exception" to be exhibited in this moment when democracy, tolerance and openness of Belgrade and Serbia are most needed.

Curators:
Vida Knezevic, Kristian Lukic, Ivana Marjanovic and Gordana Nikolic

www.kontekstgalerija.org
www.napon.org


PETITION FOR REOPENING OF THE EXHIBITION

We are forwarding petition initiated by interested citizens, cultural workers and artists.

....

On the following link you can sign the petition for opening of the exhibition Petition for opening of the exhibition "Exception/Contemporary Art Scene From Pristina" that was planned to be exhibited in Kontekst Gallery in Centre for Culture Old Town in Belgrade from 7th until 15th of February, and was censored through closing of the event even before it was opened. This happened due to violence expressed by nazi-clerical organisations.

Petition is directed to Ministry of Culture of Republic of Serbia, Secretariat for Culture of City of Belgrade, as a demand for express and direct support to the organizers for opening of this exhibition.

http://www.petitiononline.com/odstupi/petition.html

This petition is the initiative of interested citizens, cultural workers and artists that consider that state institutions cannot allow nazi-clerical organizations to lead cultural politics of one state.


VIDEO CLIPS OF THE VIOLATION OF THE EXHIBITION OPENING


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRSzUSwcVcQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVC25afxpkU


PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE EXHIBITION REOPENING:

Ministarstvo kulture Republike Srbije
Sekretarijat za kulturu and Grad Beograd
Koalicija protiv diskriminacije:
Anti Trafiking Centar
Centar za unapređivanje pravnih studija
Gayten-LGBT
Gej strejt alijansa
Inicijativa mladih za ljudska prava
Inicijativa za inkluziju VelikiMali
Labris - organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava
Mreža Odbora za ljudska prava u Srbiji
Švedski helsinški komitet za ljudska prava
Udruženje studenata sa hendikepom


Žene u crnom, Beograd
Komitet pravnika za ljudska prava , Beograd
Centar za kulturnu dekontaminaciju, Beograd
Fond za humanitarno pravo, Beograd
Incest trauma centar, Beograd
Glas razlike, Beograd
Rekonstrukcija ženski fond, Beograd
Inicijativa mladih za ljudska prava, Beograd
Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava, Beograd
Škart, Beograd
Mreža Žena u crnom Srbije : Boljevac, Bor, Vranje, Vrbas, Vlasotince, Velika Plana, Zaječar, Kikinda, Kraljevo, Kruševac, Leskovac, Novi Sad, Novi Bečej, Novi Pazar, Niš, Pančevo, Preševo.

Druga scena

Društvo istoričara umetnosti Srbije (DIUS)

Kulturni centar REX

"Građanska Vojvodina" (Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine, NVO Centar za regionalizam, Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji, Građanski fond "Panonija", NVO "Otvoreni licej" iz Sombora i Građanska akcija iz Pančeva).


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Statement issued on February 10, 2008 STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS, CURATORS and INSTITUTIONS involved in the exhibition EXCEPTION: Contemporary art scene from Prishtina, scheduled to be open on the 7.02.2008 in Belgrade, Kontekst Gallery

The statement is a reaction to the fact that the exhibition EXCEPTION, Contemporary art scene from Prishtina (Kosova) that was scheduled to open on 7 February 2008 (and to be on display until 15 February 2008) at KONTEKST Gallery in Belgrade WAS FORCED TO CLOSE JUST BEFORE THE OPENING.

The Serbian police that had to intervene just before the opening as they estimated that they cannot guarantee safety to the curators and the public, after an organized group of Serbian nationalist forces attacked the gallery space and even destroyed Dren Maliqi's work Face to
face.

The artists taking part in the exhibition are Artan Balaj, Jakup Ferri, Driton Hajredini, Flaka Haliti, Fitore Isufi Koja, Dren Maliqi, Alban Muja, Vigan Nimani, Nurhan Qehaja, Alketa Xhafa and Lulzim Zeqiri

On 8 February 2008, the curators of the project Vida Knezevic, Kristian Lukic, Ivana Marjanovic and Gordana Nikolic asked PUBLICLY the Ministry of culture of Serbia and the city of Belgrade to react firmly against such nationalist forces in order to protect the exhibition in the future. The curators insist on the right to present the project in Belgrade
in the near future.

On 8 February, these violent nationalist forces attacked again, they threw stones in the windows of the KONTEKST gallery and broke them and as well they destroyed gallery's sign on the door.

All of us signed under this statement are expressing our support TO ARTISTS, CURATORS and INSTITUTIONS involved in the exhibition EXCEPTION: Contemporary art scene from Prishtina.

We ask the Serbian Government and the governmental bodies of the Serbian Ministry of Culture as well as the Belgrade city council and city institutions to ACT and PROTECT (in accordance with the law) the artists, curators and institutions involved in the organization of the exhibition project. Also, we apply to these bodies to ask for the SUPPORT and help in
organizing the reopening of the project and to allow an open non violent platform discussion on the topic.

The exhibition is an important project by the young generation in Serbia who is willing to see, discuss and understand historical and current relations between Serbia and Kosova.

The exhibition was presented previously at the Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad (22.01 - 05.02.2008). The exhibition is a joint effort of two organizations Kontekst, Belgrade, and Napon, Novi Sad.

THE SIGNED STATEMENT WILL BE SEND TO ARTISTS, CURATORS AND INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT, TO SERBIAN'S GOVERMENTAL BODIES, BELGRADE CITY COUNCIL'S BODIES and SERBIAN MASS MEDIA.


not: ibreti alem bir durum. aşırı milliyetçiliğin gittiği yeri bir daha görmek için youtube'daki videoları özellikle izleyin. sergi protestocularının kullandığı dili dinleyin. bu dil her yerde aynı. buraya varmamak bizim elimizde.