Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama at the opening of the season at COD:
Good evening and welcome!
I assure you that being a visitor, not compelled to take the floor, is a status which I envy everybody. I’ve lost this status and I hope I will have it back at the right time.
The truth is that this space has been designed to be available to the public, to the people of art, culture and books, to be accessible to people of debate and those who want to protest against the government.
I have said this many times, and maybe it’s hard for people to believe that this is possible, but since there are people protesting occasionally in front of the prime minister, I invite them, if they want, to book this space when they organize a protest. Of course, this space cannot host all of the protesters, but some representatives who can use TV broadcasting, made available for free by the Prime Ministry, and if they want they can even invite a minister or a representative of the government to tell them the reasons for the protest, and listen to our arguments.
I’m being very frank about this, and I was actually glad when a young lady, who is a fervent opponent of this government and of myself, was given here an award and this happened quite spontaneously. Of course, she didn’t receive that award from the government. We are not hypocrites that give awards to those who don’t like us. But, of course, we are compelled to share this space, and this is the aim of this project, of the opening of this floor which, before it opened two and a half years ago, was a locked down, unused and humid space attended only by mice that would go from here down to the basement, and back from the basement here, and would share the Prime Ministry along with the government.
The novelty today is that we have two artists coming from Kosovo, who will be presented in this space. Even though I am not the one who choses who is to be presented here, contrary to what some people say, and I don’t know why they don’t believe what I say – I am referring to people belonging to the domain of culture, but this is not very important – according to me this is a presentation of two very special artists, with a very special sensibility and above all with a very special courage. In my view, it takes a special courage to develop yourself by choosing to belong to this country, and living here as an artist.
After we hosted here the very special exhibition of Edi Hila, I told COD’s director that she would need to lower the quality level, for she could not maintain the same level. I don’t know if this is the same level, if it is lower or higher in this case, but for sure if it is lower, it is just a little bit lower, and if it is higher, it is a little bit higher because Edi Hila is a standard, like European standards are for us who want to join the European Union.
I want to give special thanks to both of them also because they have combined the drawings and paintings displayed in this space with the film that is being screened in another space. This is one more reason to feel truly privileged for enjoying this exhibition that opens the third season at COD.
Meanwhile, the model of the project for the square of Tirana has been also exposed, and Skanderbeg will finally be at peace for from a mighty knight which he was, he was transformed in a man on a horse in that lawn. This project, which I believe the Municipality of Tirana will implement with the best quality, is also in my view a new peak we reach in our endeavour to take forward our national program of Urban Renaissance.
There is more than one reason, and more than two Albanians from Kosovo as a reason, to come and visit this space. Meanwhile, once again I want to invite everyone to understand that they are co-owners of this space and everyone is welcomed to make proposals and use the space for any sort of activity.
Although this is an institution within an institution that is presumed to be the most imposing part of the state, by definition, in fact COD is the less bureaucratic institution among all institutions in Albania, and the more open to welcome anyone without exception. Of course, applications or requests are followed by a selection that is not easy to pass, especially in the area of visual arts. Whereas the discussion space is more easily accessible, not because we think that words are carried away by the wind, but because there are more opportunities to use it, along with the public library.
A special thanks to two people who apparently are not related to each other, but who are actually behind this project, the Ambassador of Kosovo and my dear friend Shkelzen Maliqi, who is always there supporting us hold up the banner of taste in this space. Ultimately, everything is important, but the first thing that makes us Europeans is the taste. Everything else, I repeat, is very important, but the most difficult battle to be European, to raise children as Europeans, and to coexist among Europeans is the taste. That’s why my thanks to Shkëlzen is really felt and very much deserved.
Many thanks!
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The Centre for Openness and Dialog at the Prime Ministry opened the next season of 2016, titled “The space where we live, the space we share and the space we leave behind”.
The exhibition “Heaven, up and down” was presented in the Prime Minister’s ceremonial hall, COD, in cooperation with the Embassy of Kosovo. Alban Muja and Olson Lamaj, two contemporary artists, presented their work with installations, paintings and drawings.
The painter Alban Muja exposes the series “Windows Seat” with 25 drawings and 2 paintings of different dimensions, sketched during flights in the US. Artist Olson Lamaj expresses himself through two installations, “Sky Color” and “Blue Meteor” that convey in shades of blue the human wishes, dreams and aspirations.
Olson Lamaj screened in the digital room the movie “How are stars born?”, while Alban Muja presents the “Legendary Dog”.
In the hall “Meet the Artist”, in cooperation with the Municipality of Tirana, COD opens the doors to the project for the new square of the capital. The model of the centre of Tirana, which is still under work, is available to citizens. They have the opportunity to get acquainted with the project of the new urban ecosystem, in addition to commenting it, giving feedback and sharing their ideas, so that they can leave an imprint on the improvement of a city that belongs to all.
In the mini-lab hall, curators Alketa Misja and Dhurata Thanasi Daneri presented the exhibition “ARTifact”, with photographs and materials of the former Factory of Tractor Vehicles of Tirana, today in oblivion. Through documentary images, anyone can experience and interpret in their personal view, the gigantic work done for nearly four decades of the totalitarian regime, by one of the largest industrial works in Albania, which engaged the energy of many designers, engineers and workers.
The movie project “Dialog on the past” was presented at the COD forum, in cooperation with the OSCE Presence in Albania and the support of the German government. A series of films about the past show how the legacy of an undemocratic yesterday influences today’s society. Each show is followed by a discussion session among young people from different cities of Albania, who interact with renowned filmmakers, historians and former convicted people by the regime. This movie program aims to emphasize the fact that dialogue about the past and transparency of the present are prerequisites of a democratic future.
