Art & Development On September 26, 2008 an official launch of the “Art & Development” Macedonian contemporary art exhibition took place at the Swiss Embassy in Skopje. The high-level event was attended by more then 300 guests from government, the diplomatic community, civil society, academia, and other friends in development. The event also honored Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Stavreski, formerly with the World Bank, and now the elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the IMF and the World Bank Group. In this role, Stavreskis is the chairman of the 2008 Annual Meetings. Nicole Wyrsch, Swiss Ambassador and partner of the ‘Art & Development’ initiative, opened the ceremony, welcoming the participants and describing the motives behind the idea: “This is truly an initiative that seems to lay outside the scope of my Embassy’s traditional development work, which is to offer support to different projects. But, it’s not. By displaying works of young Macedonian artists in our offices, we show to the world that this country does not only have a rich cultural history, but also a lively contemporary scene and a promising future. This is something we will jointly continue to work on.” “Art, economy and development have common characteristics, namely all of them require idea, creativity and inspiration, as well as a possibility for their realization”, Stavreski said. “Our vision, with the help of our friends, is to make Macedonia a better place and it will happen if we succeed to set free the creative potential of artists, businessmen, doctors, all other citizens of this country”. It all begun with an idea about connecting contemporary art with the development of the country through a permanent exhibition of contemporary art works at the World Bank Office. “Art stimulates our creativity, stimulates innovation,” said Markus Repnik, World Bank Country Manager “We want to innovate our work with a demanding Middle Income Country… we want to be a catalyst for development.” The Swiss Embassy enthusiastically joined the initiative and offered the gallery, located in its premises, to display the artists’ works. Under the coordination of World Bank staff Anita Bozinovska, the joint effort of the World Bank country office and Swiss Embassy staff was launched. What followed was a period of intense work of canvassing artists’ interest, forming a reputable art committee with the difficult task to find the right mix of young artists, students at the Academy of Fine Arts, and a group of already established names with international exposure, putting together a small art catalogue and organizing a media launch of the initiative. The committee selected 14 artists who agreed to join the project and to exhibit their work at the Embassy of Switzerland and the World Bank office in Skopje. Both offices are now proudly hosting 55 paintings and sculptures. One of the first visitors to view the exhibition was ECA Vice President Shigeo Katsu: “These kinds of initiatives are a reflection of the innovative thinking of Bank staff, infusing their everyday work with a demanding client with new thinking and fresh ideas.” Artists and art critics alike appreciate the initiative and the possibility to expose their work in a different setting and to an international audience: “This is a unique opportunity,” said one of the young artists. “For some of us, this is, in fact, the world premiere of our work, since the paintings and sculptures are going to be seen by people in many different countries through the websites of the World Bank and the Swiss Embassy.” Repnik concluded, “A country’s wealth and development potential are not reflected in money and investments alone. Development is driven by ideas and people’s commitment. Artists are spearheading innovation, they are agents of change and bearers of the transition.” To see the presentation click here To see the catalogue click here   |
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