Serbian newspaper praises Edi Rama for paintings, Vucic calls it unfortunate

I saw Eddie Rama in Belgrade in 2014, which was then my duty to convey, at a conference on the occasion of his visit, actually the first visit to Serbia by an Albanian prime minister after 70 years.

Shadowly and discreet, Rama is a handsome type. He was also going to talk about his friend, sculptor Zddjan Bajiq, and some of his statements were cut off, and it turned out he had said something else. I don't know why nobody conveyed his affirmative words to his friend.

But I clearly understood that he had said this: that small Balkan states should co-operate like the states of Benelux, to look after the economy, not history, broadcast today “Koha Ditore” the script of Belgrade “Dance”.

Edi Rama is a painter, lived in Paris, was mayor of Tirana when that town, accustomed to socialisation, painted as the island of Burano, as a kind of traffic light with all its colors.

Boring Tiranaers did not easily accept the painting of the facades, but he succeeded. He received the award as the best mayor in the world in 2004. It would then mean: “To be mayor of Tirana is the highest degree of conceptual art”.

After all, what artist would not want to have access to such vast space?

In Berlin (from September 2nd to October 7th v.j.) at the “Michel Schultz” gallery, exhibits of his works have been opened, which by the nature of things deeply interested me. He opened up at the corner where Kafka met Felix Bauer. After our unfortunate prime minister (of Serbia v.j.) it is interesting to see how a rebel politician, however, manages to remain the one in essence, in this case a rebel artist.

The entire gallery is covered with carpets motivated by the drawings Rama has made during the meetings, on agendas, working documents or e-mails, when, he said, his hand had drawn something that does not have a basic focus of art, but is a situation of unconsciousness. surreal patterns have led to white paper and black letters, forms like fingers, cutters, brain, map, wood, turtles, snail - shaped or butterfly - vivid colors. These forms do not emerge from a meeting, but it does during the two to three days in different moods, with interruptions, and the hand makes wild passages. The same carpet covers the walls of Rama's office.

Baseworks are set in ceramics and constructions from clay: Tirana in screaming colors, lodges and buildings, bridges on each other. Ceramic figures are considered to be incarnation of drawings. I share the same opinion. Ceramics are a reflection of the architectural construction and chaos of the city, where all those shapes are adjacent and net-covered.

Coronized, original drawings from meetings are also hanging on walls. Most of the time, I have a full admission: “I'm in the drawing, I invite you, exit the box”. Everything is for sale. Works in ceramics range from 18,000 to 30,000 euros, drawings cost 3,600 euros, and 36,000 euros. If I could buy an apartment, I would also order a Rama carpet, because I am fascinated by the authenticity he has put on with this artistic law.