KASSEL, GERMANY.- The Kunsthalle Fridericianum presents “In the Gorges of the Balkans - A Report,” on view through November 23, 2003. The exhibition is showcasing one of Europe’s rapidly burgeoning art and culture scenes: Featured are 88 artists from 12 different countries and regions (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosova, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey), which together define the term “The Balkans”. A comprehensive programme reflecting the current situation in the countries of south-eastern Europe also accompanies the exhibition.

The Balkans are always the others - Residing at the interface between the Orient and Occident, Christianity and Islam, the Balkans have remained an uncharted territory, a blank space on the map, throughout their centuries-old, turbulent history, which has witnessed the rise and fall of monarchies, dictatorships, Communist social systems and democracies. As such, they have become the ideal canvas on which to project western European preconceived notions of the region – notions, which can even be found in Karl May’s Balkans novel of the same name.

The definition of the term “The Balkans” is still rather diffuse. Geographically the Balkan Peninsula extends from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and refers in name to the range of mountains in Bulgaria. However, topographical boundaries do not convey the significance of the Balkans that is encumbered by assumptions, prejudices and fears, which have remained etched upon our cultural memories. And these fears are of a highly topical nature: As multi-ethnic societies, the countries of south-eastern Europe have in recent years served as the paradigm for prognoses on the processes of globalisation and in this way fuelled the notion of the “Clash of the Civilizations”. The “Balkans” has long since become a metaphor. The Balkans, in the words of the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, are always the others.

In contrast to the novelist Karl May, the exhibition’s curator René Block has actually embarked on a journey through the Balkans where he studied the situation on the ground within the individual countries in close cooperation with indigenous artists and curators. Consequently, the exhibition IN THE GORGES OF THE BALKANS perceives itself as a documentary, as an eyewitness account, which invites the visitor himself to set out on a journey of discovery through south-eastern Europe. A journey leading from the origins of Concept Art in Yugoslavia in the 60ies, from works created under the most difficult conditions during the era of the Communist regimes (Romania, Albania), to the contemporary art scene. On our travels we also encounter artists who are operating within the Western (art) context, whilst retaining a strong affinity to their native countries. The individual works of art always provide a running commentary on the current socio-political situation. Whereas earlier generations of artists used their medium, among other things, to expose the political systems or social evils, contemporary art focuses more intensely on cultural traditions and on the events of recent history. The application of new technologies and the emerging issues relating to the status and relevance of art and of artists demonstrates that the artists of south-eastern Europe have long since been integrated into the global discourse on art.