Report on International Artists Residencies
Galicnik Art Colony Macedonia 15 -25th August 2003 by Andrew Smith

I was met at Skopje airport, in blistering heat, by Ana Frangovska (curator and secretary of Galicnik Art Colony). We drove 15km into the centre of Skopje (the capital city of Macedonia with a population of one million (Macedonia has a total population of two million).

 



We had time to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, with a large exhibition of international art donated to the city in 1963 when the earthquake struck and the current city was rebuilt. On Friday we left the heat of Skopje to drive two hours west to the relative coolness of the village of Galicnik, 1400m above sea level, close to the Albanian border.

Galicnik

The visual impact of the village of Galicnik is astounding and lends itself to contemporary pictorial treatment: the trees bounce back from the other side of the mountain, the distant river from King Marko's point trails to the distance, and the location of the village, perched high on the mountain enables the quadrangle roofs to be viewed from below (valley) and from above (high up in the mountain).

A regular feature of the Art Colony was the morning climb to the top of the mountain 1800 metres high above Galicnik, early at 7.00am before the sun got too hot. The air is cool and clear. The sun very hot (lizards in the studio, giant mountain thistles, beautiful multi-coloured stones, such a contrast of colours in one location and ice cold mountain water constantly running from three ornate taps in the centre of the village by the orthodox church (rebuilt in 1930's and containing many icons). This water was so welcome after the climb and descent of the mountain, and bottles were filled for the day working in the studio.

Our accommodation was a large hotel very busy at the two weekends of the colony as Galicnik is a popular weekend place for Skopje residents. With burning heat and very cold winters with heavy snow (Galicnik is cut off in winter), the village had many striking and dramatic collapsed/ruined houses. It comes alive in the summer for the famous Galicnik Wedding Day, a major national event. The international Galicnik Art Colony is part of the summer activities. For the weekends the hotel had extensive singing from local musicians performing cover versions of famous Macedonian music particularly Alexander Sarievski. The PA would often be on during the day so we became familiar with this music and took it away with us. The music is very important to the culture and families would sing with the children who, in turn, learn the songs.

The studios were well equipped with materials and space, drink (Rakija, wine, beer, water, coke) and food (tomatoes, grapes, green peppers, white cheese very salty and delicious). This cheese accompanied each meal along with bread from the village and very good food from the hotel who looked after us well. Meals were usually taken outside.

 



16 - 23 August I (Galicnik) 2003



Painting

Canvases were pre stretched and I had made a decision before I went to the Art Colony that I would use the stretchers there and not make shaped stretchers, typical of my recent work. In a way it was 'back to square'. In actual fact I have made very few square paintings ever, so this was a double challenge and I chose the square instead of the usual rectangle for increased challenge. I made several drawings during the first few days, to look for shape, line and absorb the environment looking to see what might trigger a pictorial statement. The materials, typically for me, were of upmost importance and the paints were a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar manufacture. I went, of course, for the Macedonian paints; first, permanent green as a base colour as there seemed to be a lot of it (permanent green is a colour I never use, preferring to always mix my own green) this one had a strong viridian/blue quality to it.

 

 

The other base paint was Yellow ochre, which was more of a Naples Yellow with a degree of white. Having identified contrast in the colours of the stone, the light and the geometry and tension of collapsed buildings, the paintings were begun. There was tremendous sinking (the canvas absorbed the colour, much more than I am familiar with so there was a heavy application of paint, which is visible; the painting can look heavy; this had to be avoided. More colours followed the initial naples yellow and permanent green application.

I held back some colours for the end of the painting, so I could use permanent rose, cobalt blue or cadmium red when on the fast track towards 'completion' (this is important; it is easy to run out of colour when colour is needed. Very soon the paintings were taking shape and the reality of the painting overtook the process; I concluded whilst the going was good, before going too far and overworking the picture. As always with oils slow drying had to be addressed, laying paint over wet had to be overcome; dexterity in handling the material was required in this pressured time scale.

Two paintings were left for the Galicnik Art Colony collection housed in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje.



16 - 23 August II (Galicnik) 2003


Collaboration

Artists particapting were Andrew Smith (Wales), Bojidar Bonchev (Bulgaria), Chris Rowland (USA), Berna Karagali (Turkey), Anne Pourney (France), Carolyn Laliberte (USA), Elena Rudeva (Russia), Irena Paskali (Macedonia), Elena Panayotova (Bulgaria), Pawel Mendrek (Poland), Nove Frangoska (Director of Galichnik Art Colony), Ana Frangovska (Organiser and Secretary).

Irene Paskali, the video artist, made a video piece in which we all participated, on location in and around Galicnik. Each artist had a sentence or word which summed up what their art/ view of art was. My word was INTERACTION. We repeated our word in group situations and individually. We also made a clay slab with our word and signature so this will form part of the installation at the exhibition of Galicnik Art Colony in Skopje later in the year.

Bojidar Bonchev, professor of ceramics at Sophia University, Bulgaria, involved all artists in making a small ceramic piece for the Art Colony and also making a kiln from Galicnik clay in the grounds of the hotel in which to fire all the pieces. This we did on the evening of the Mayor of the Art Colony greeting/blessing the participants (in a crown and cloak made by the artists) when, having collected wood, we fired the kiln by hand to 800c closing the door and leaving the kiln for 24 hours. We opened it after our return from the cultural visit to the city of Ohrid, to find everything fired.

Irene Paskali also made a documentary video of the Galicnik Art Colony, including all the events and visits, artists working, and the celebratory impromptu exhibition in the hotel when we were greeted formally and encouraged to take with us and tell of our experience of Galicnik and Macedonia: no problem!

 

Nova Makedonija 27.08.03

We were interviewed for the Macedonian State television and were featured in at least two National newspapers.



Cultural visits

On the Monday for a national orthodox festival we walked through the woods to a small church where candles were lit at the icons (we lit thin candles in every church and monastery we visited) a fire was lit and we feasted on trout from Lake Ohrid.

On Saturday we visited the Bigorski Monastry (St John the Baptist) high above the Radika river, with a world famous collection of icons from the 15 -18th century and exquisite wood carvings in the church made over a period of several years by two brothers (we also saw their work in a monastery in Skopje) and then the St George Convent at Debar.

 



We then drove to the city of Ohrid (city of light) located on the famous Ohrid lake with crystal clear water. We visited the museum in the centre with Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine sculpture, then Nikolia, the director of the museum took us to the 4th century early Christian Roman Basilica, where mosaics were clearly visible following restoration.

There are the remains of 20 basilicas in Ohrid, and after the earthquake in 6th century rebuilding led to the Slavic and Cryllic development through the 10th century, when Sveti Pantelgmon i Sveti Kliment was built. This church was restored and rebuilt last year. During the Ottoman Empire churches were converted to Mosques (the rebuilt Sveti Pantelgmon i Sveti Kliment is on the site of a mosque, in turn on the site of an earlier chuch). The church of Sveti Jovan Kaneo is perched on the rock overlooking Lake Ohrid.

 

International Connections

Towards the end of the colony after all had time to see and absorb how each worked and communicated, how the mechanism of art practice had been assimilated by all parties I initiated discussion on future collaboration between Harlech Biennale, Wales and Galicnik Art Colony, Macedonia.

Nove Frangovska will participate in the Harelch Biennale 2004 attending the international residencies and making work in Harlech. Ana Frangovska (curator) will also attend with one other suggested artist from Macedonia; this will compound the link and establish a firm connection. Galicnik Art Colony will invite an artist from Wales through Harlech Biennale to participate next year and future years.

 

The suggestion of a larger exchange programme was also discussed, the possibility of several artists from Wales exhibiting in Macedonia and a reciprocal exchange exhibition of artists from Macedonia touring Wales (this would need the cooperation of the art galleries and spaces in Wales). It was agreed that future developments would be discussed at Harlech Biennale 2004.

In additon, firm communication was made with Elena Panayotova from Bulgaria for participation in Harlech Biennale projects and making links between Wales and Bulgaria, with the possibility of an encounter/exhibition in Sophia late 2004. Discussion and negotiation, centered around Harlech Biennale 2004, will continue.

Note; the bi-lingual Harlech Biennale documents 2002 were fundamental in communicating cultural information and the high level of Fine Art practice that concerns the Harlech Biennale.

 

Conclusion

The depth of the Macedonian Culture, the warmth of the people, generosity, hospitality, the location of Galicnik, the definite sense of place, with the cool air, the hot sun, the pure mountain water constantly flowing, the trees covered with small yellow plums, lizards, giant mountain thistles, the echoing sound of mountain stillness and the visual impact: a truly profound experience. I had a number of aims in attending Galicnik Art Colony including making work, INTERACTION, creating links, assimilating possibilities, experiencing culture, redefining vision. The event superseded expectation on all levels and this was due to the vision and organisation of the Art Colony; sincere thanks are due to Nove Frangovski and Ana Frangovska.

Andrew Smith
September 2003