Climate Change = Culture Change
About a year ago, the Embassy of Switzerland and the World Bank launched a joint “Art and Development” initiative that included an exhibition of contemporary Macedonian artists. In line with the topic of the World Development Report 2010, a new exhibition “Climate Change = Culture Change” was presented to the media on September 15, in the setting of the Swiss Embassy gallery, where Macedonian artists exhibited their thought-provoking art works, inciting people to reflect on the global challenge of climate change.
“Climate change is one of today’s greatest challenges facing humanity. Climate change represents a fundamental political, economic, environmental and socio-cultural challenge which concerns everybody: we all need to act - now, together and differently” - says the foreword of the art catalogue accompanying the exhibition – “Essentially, climate change calls for culture change. This is the main theme of our art exhibition. The participating Macedonian artists encourage us through their artworks to develop a new consciousness and to re-frame the way we perceive ourselves and the world. Beyond raising awareness and stimulating debates, the artists also invite us to act. Climate change appears to be a problem of the future, but the future is shaped in the present. That is why we all need to act now”.
Following a public call for the expression of interest, fourteen contemporary artists were selected and will now exhibit their works at the Embassy of Switzerland and the World Bank office in Skopje: Atanas Botev, Blagojce Naumovski, Eli Ainovska, Elpida Hadzivasileva, Emil Sulajkovski, Gordana Apostolovska, Hilmi Mehmeti, Kristina Zimbakova, Mikica Trujkanovic, Mirna Arsovska, Muhamet Idrizi, Nevzat Bejtuli Kica, Robert Pashoski and Velimir Zernovski.
 |
The official promotion of the exhibition took place on September 25. The reception, organized jointly by the Country Office and the Embassy of Switzerland was attended by a diverse audience of some 300 guests comprised of Government representatives, artists, academia members, NGOs and diplomatic corps.
The reception area and the gallery adjacent to the Swiss Embassy were almost too small to receive all interested parties.
|
|
