At the end of January, Scottish filmmaker Doug Gillen released his debut short film, CHANGE. The succinct documentary’s press release explains that CHANGE explores “the intersection of culture, activism and social change with art collective Void Projects in Ferizaj, Kosovo.” The film makes use of multiple angles pertinent to its setting—the formerly war-torn country itself and the historical context of last year’s global pandemic. As a result, CHANGE makes understated but powerful remarks about the forces of creativity and connection in times of hardship.
“The film follows 10 international artists reflecting on the history of a country healing from war,” the press release continues. “In collaboration with the local community, this new generation of creatives discover the human stories of Ferizaj. Art in the city becomes a visual celebration of connectedness at a time of shared distance.”
CHANGE is available for public consumption on Vimeo. The eight minute mini-feature opens with remarks from Lebibe Topalli, the Executive Director at Mural Fest Kosovo, who says the relatively recent changes that took shape across the country are best understood by those who experienced the Kosovo War, a brief but brutal conflict which raged from 1998 to 1999.
Topalli calls the pre-war period “a fight for existence,” and remembers how “thinking of art at those times was a luxury.” After the war, she explains, “things changed as a whole… we came closer to the world.” She likens the recovery to a collective deep breath, released from the nation.
Pausing the documentary to look up from my computer screen, I noticed how completely coddled and swathed with beauty my life is, even within the limited scope of my bedroom. Little luxuries abound—bounties of being born into the globe’s most ravenous economy, operated by seductive enterprises ceaselessly courting my disposal income with newer, shinier novelties masking as art.
Maybe art is more than just beauty. Maybe it’s the action too. CHANGE features commentary from photojournalist Hazir Reka, who recounts his own weariness against the state while dutifully sharing truths with fellow citizens throughout Kosovo’s tumultuous self-liberation. Reka’s recollections of working in photojournalism during the conflict, an art in its own harrowing right, lend an additional credence to art’s importance. Government condemnation always confirms the crucial power creative expression holds.
CHANGE quickly grows into its own optimism, turning its gaze to Ampparito, Aruallan, Micheal Beitz, Helen Bur, Emilio Cerezo, Doa Oa, Alba Fabre, Ivan Floro, Maria Jose Gallardo, Retry One, Zane Prater, Vlada Trocka and Axel Void—the artists who worked with Void Projects to imbue Ferizaj with fresh painterly zest.
A cultural platform founded by American artist Axel Void, Void Projects immaculately encapsulates the art of the action. “This ‘pop up’ series of artist-led projects seeks to encourage a public dialogue outside of the conventional art space,” its website reads. Rather than elevating members’ monetary prestige, “Void Projects is a non-lucrative international concept which returns all profits to participating artists. Void Projects’ intention is to foster a sense of community within our movement and reinforce the ideology of dialogue and cohabitation between artists during the creative process.”
Thus, genuine human connection usurps the art that serves to foster it throughout CHANGE. “The buildings, locations, people [and] their history all played a role in realising the relationship between the artist’s work and their audience,” Gillen elaborated of his project. “The greater this connection, the more effective the work. Exploring the human stories of Ferizaj in this way, at this very unique moment in time, felt like an important opportunity to document meaningfully.” Helen Bur radiates with a particularly authenticity that proves her eyes aim higher than white-walled gallery acclaim.
Bur collaborated with Axel Void to create a mural titled YOUTH. “The name Kosovo means ‘Field of blackbirds,’” their joint statement reads. “Blackbirds like to sing after it rains.” The work she and Void teamed up on depicts a group of kids from Ferizaj standing in front of a spray-painted goal, scrawled with their names—“Kids that we’d just played football with between two tenement blocks, and that Axel had befriended in his visits to Kosovo over the last three years, over football, chats and sunflower seeds,” the statement explains.
Spanish artist Ampparito also appears in CHANGE to discuss his contribution, ABOUT WEATHER. He espouses the importance of perspective in public art, keeping in mind the reality that this work will live in the community, and considering the sensitivity an artist should exhibit in honoring that authority. “Talking about weather is one the most common topics in the world,” his artist statement explains. “It is a life vest for many situations in our lives, I love to think how many hours we spend talking about weather, something that is going to happen and disappear inevitably, like time.” He notes that in Spanish, time and weather share the same word.
Even when the world is separated at the hands of climate change or conflict or coronavirus, people find common ground in shared truths. As one human family, we have more in common with each other than not. Where the details are different, the echoes and arcs still run parallel. Connection lies in understanding this, and extrapolating further to achieve even more empathy.
Still dissatisfied to simply share art supporting this belief, Void Projects collaborated with Mural Fest Kosovo to host “a multidisciplinary program including workshops, murals, interventions, exhibitions and open tours.” The press release for CHANGE states that this “socially engaged initiative went beyond the bounds of the traditional festival model with a view toward inspiring and engaging the young people of Ferizaj. Working alongside local schools and colleges, they provided workshops and facilitated direct involvement in the festivals production and realisation, to encourage practical learning opportunities.”
Maybe one of the most pressing themes throughout the human story lies in nurturing future generations. “Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe, with 50% under the age of 25,” Bur and Void point out in their statement for YOUTH. “For a country who declared independence in 2008, there are scars and uncertainty but the overwhelming feelings are of defiance and growth.” CHANGE concludes with words from anonymous youths reminding the viewers that they are not victims. These kids love where they’re from and are proud to work towards its future. YOUTH and its many new companions stand “as a tribute to friendship as well as a homage to the youth of Kosovo and the blackbirds that sing after the rain.” CHANGE captures it all in succinct, poignant subtlety.
