Ceremonial Act

My dear Museum of Contemporary Art in Serbia,

It is great to find you well and still under construction. It is good to know that there are still things that one can rely on and that in this time of constant change and crises you seem to stand firm and undeveloped.

I am writing to you from Salzburg. I am taking part in the International Summer Academy of Fine Arts. As an artist in residence, this year a blogger in residence I am everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I am a persona in the middle and I love every minute of it. It is sad a little now since the end of the third week is fast approaching and the moment of goodbye's as well as promises of keep in touch- for sure I will not/ for sure I will - is coming our way.

The reason I decided to write to you is not all this mushy moment of goodbye and hello. No. I am writing to you to tell you all about the celebration that I went to last night. Imagine, there is a place that values culture and takes pride in an International Summer Academy of Fine Arts that is celebrating its 60^th Anniversary. Yes, yes I assure I am speaking the truth. The value is given to history, tradition and the school which even though it is not a young artist brush, is still keeping up with what is going on in the Art world.

So much trouble and attention to detail when into organizing this event last night and I did congratulate the director of the Academy, Hildegund Amanshauser for doing a great job for the past four years. Alongside the organizational staff of the Academy, lecturing artists, few students and members of the cultural society in Salzburg , imagine, the president of Austria was there. Could you believe that? No, I know you can, many did visit you but as we all know greater importance was placed on them and not you.Yes, I know, I know. I know things are changing with you a little bit, I just googled to see how you are.

We learned more about the history of the Academy and its director and founder Oskar Kokoschka in the speeches last night. Few anecdotes were told but all to even emphasize the long history of the school that for sure will not stop. Of course, similar to you, it will go through some changes as well. This is the last year that the space of Alte Saline will be used for classes and from next year all will be in the Hohensalzburg Fortress where all did start. But I am sure that the space in Alte Saline will be missed by many who were there.

The celebration went long after the speeches have finished. It would have gone on longer for all were there to celebrate the school and its history but unfortunately the rain made us all say our goodbyes. Not just the rain but also the fact that there is still work to be done for the Open day on Friday.

I hope you know that I didn't write to you to stab my finger in your eye as you are in a place that values other things and not so much culture. I wrote to tell you that things will hopefully change and that you should know that even if I am away from home I am still thinking about you. I promise that when I return I will come and we can have coffee together, what do you think?

Keep in touch and open your doors soon,

Ksenija