– Project by Bojan Simovski and his student colleagues at the Cathedra of History of Art –
#6 At July 1st 2006 started the implementation of the first (out of two) part of the project MOTHS. On several locations throughout Skopje, in front of significant state institutions (The Parliament, Macedonian Academy of Arts and Science, The Government, University Sts. Cyril and Methodius) there was object installed – red bag against moths (yet with enormous dimensions) that served as a photography model for this project.
#7 Author of the project is Bojan Simovski; this is his third project, after “Merry Wedding” in Kuklica, and “Scream” in the ruined print house “Goce Delčev” in Skopje.
#1 In shortage of (political) power to change things, youngsters find will and different means to alert about problems and to actualize questions that derail normal functioning of a person within society.
#2 The project “Moths” by Bojan Simovski and his student colleagues at the Cathedra of History of Art, using the moment when attention is driven towards institutions, aims to play the role of sharp critic of institutions and corrective of society based upon them, through a metaphorical game of a before-elections / after-elections ‘ritual’. The moths are metaphorical sign, yet a clear allusion of Pests that are part of state institutions; consciously or unconsciously, either due to lack of will, or incompetence, or criminal motivation, damage them from inside. Therefore, this “bag with mothballs” with enormous dimensions intents to take a stroll in front of the key state institutions that are system ‘foundations’. The system will collapse over us any moment now.
#3 This project is far from naïve: with its firmly projected and engaged attitude, it is clear and readable metaphor, revolt of a young artist which decides to visualize it through ironic critic on a game level, using minimal means, and simple and purified forms. The object is loaded with old newspapers, continuously reporting of institutional malfunctioning. The Colors of the object are not accidental too, but we would like to emphasize that their context should not be carnivalized and brought down to daily politics.
#4 The goal of the project is realized through establishing relation on a level of significance among opposite elements, the object (figurative/visual) and title (verbal/textual). The inventive, fragmented i.e. binary-oppositional structure of the concept which consists of title (Moths), as a goal, and the object (Bag with naphthalene) as a mean, is provocation for the public to establish communication between the object (its form, meaning, goal) and public consciousness on the other side, as a unique initiator of “Purification”.
#5 The author does not aspire to present himself and his artwork as an elitist art. His intention is very simple: to point out, in a creative way, that there is a need for ‘extermination of insects’ within the institutions, and change of our mentality and our irresponsible attitude towards society.
Translated by: Igor Isakovski