While Waiting for Better Times

Screen Shot 2018-01-22 at 14.13.56.png — The artist in her studio (photo from a newspaper feature on the artist, in ‘Nova Makedonija’)

Ink paintings
Coloured ink on paper, 30×20 cm each.
April 2015 – ongoing

The project ‘While Waiting for Better Times…’ is a growing archive of A4 sized coloured ink paintings by Nada Prlja, depicting the most prominent protagonists (international and local politicians, political analysts, freedom fighters, activists and journalists) and the events of the political scene in Macedonia, since the so-called media ‘Bombs’ were ‘launched’ by the opposition party, in April 2015.

Screen Shot 2018-04-25 at 14.09.02.png — Watch the brief info about the scandal in English, source Aljazeera, 17 May 2015 14:51 GMT

The ‘Bombs’ are a series of secret recordings of private discussions between various government ministers of VMRO DPMNE (the right wing party), the leading party in government at the time. The wire-tapping scandal, released and revealed at the time by Zoran Zaev (the political leader of the largest opposition party, currently the new prime minister), claimed that there was widespread interference by the government and secret services with the judiciary, media and urban-planning processes in the country, as a means of maintaining power, manipulating the media and public opinion, as well as protecting widespread corruption, allegedly undertaken by various party members.

The ‘Bombs’ were announced through regular press conferences, where Zoran Zaev publicly emitted the audio recordings of private conversations that allegedly proved the recent wrong-doings of key figures of the political establishment in Macedonia at the time, many of whom have since been ousted from their positions as a result of the information contained in the ‘Bombs’. The public was shocked by the content of the wire-tapping, which revealed manipulation of most of the processes related to governmental institutions and the notion of good governance.

while waiting for better times — TV Screen shoots showing media coverage of some of the events related to the so-called political ‘bombs’ (the wire-tapping political scandal) in Macedonia.

In the same year (2015), Macedonia requested international assistance for the resolution of the ongoing crisis and resulting political stalemate in the country. A series of mediated talks between the leaders of the various political parties, guided by a team of mediators led by Johannes Han, resulted in the so-called ‘Przino agreement’, which amongst other things, requested for a special judicial body to be formed, whose task it was to independently examine and prosecute the individuals involved in the political manipulations and corruption. Even today, in 2018, this process of investigation into the allegations and the related prosecutions is still ongoing, thus the project ‘While Waiting for Better Times…’ is likewise continuing.

During the time of the ‘Bombs’, the whole nation was ‘numbed’ with shock at the revelations, eager to understand the complex and disastrous circumstances into which the whole nation had been lured.

The paintings which comprise the project ‘While Waiting for Better Times…’ are simple and fast drawings, made in front of the TV, while the artist watched the news or other related programs on the TV screen. Some of the later drawings in the series, are based on selected screenshots from the above mentioned news programmes, interviews and public debates screened in the media. The content of the paintings focus on scenes depicting politicians campaigning or engaging in public debate with regards to the specific circumstances contained within the political ‘Bombs’, including the reaction of the media, the reflections of political analysts or the ensuing public gatherings (be it for or against the government of the time).

Most of the paintings portray the faces of individuals appearing in the media, scenes which in certain ways reflect the political situation and circumstances in the country, often including short texts (referring to quotes from the relevant media programmes). The texts which the artist found to be particularly relevant, or otherwise revealing, have been written onto the paintings. They range from sentences essential for understanding the political climate of the time, to statements that are utterly absurd and which serve to illustrate the levels of manipulation and wrongdoing that came to characterise the political climate at the time.

Some of the paintings were published, with regular time intervals, on informal media (facebook, etc.) during the announcement of the ‘bombs’, with the intention of easing peoples’ fear that was caused by the political instability and the ongoing repression characteristic of the previous regime, which held society in its clutches for over a decade.

In the meantime, the leading party VMRO-DPME lost its position in the recent elections (2017) and the opposition leader Zoran Zaev, the initiator and the public face of the incendiary ‘Bombs’ affair, has been named Prime Minister of Macedonia.

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10428578_10206476171805894_5127837375687863718_n — The Red telephone used during the TV News by the TV presenter on the ‘Telma’ channel, intended as a symbolic statement that TV Telma would not accept their news to be manipulated or censored by the government or any other institution. Text: ‘…ring…ring…ring…’, 2015

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Episode 1, 2015

10983380_10206438955475509_8813522627114105168_n — Painting 1: Prof. Gordana Siljanovska in an interview on Telma TV about the students’ strike and ‘Student Plenum’, which urged citizens, students, teachers and members of political parties to join the second student march against the reckless recent reforms in higher education. 2015

1459209_10206438950555386_6976203454755894428_n — Painting 2: Prof. Gordana Siljanovska in an interview on Telma TV about the students’ strike and ‘Student Plenum’, which urged citizens, students, teachers and members of political parties to join the second student march against the reckless recent reforms in higher education. 2015

10981537_10206438953995472_6055917095406729361_n — Painting 3: Prof. Gordana Siljanovska in an interview on Telma TV about the students’ strike and ‘Student Plenum’, which urged citizens, students, teachers and members of political parties to join the second student march against the reckless recent reforms in higher education. Text: (quoting unrelated words from the news-reel): *‘…flight in place…objective responsibility…bombs go away with the wind…’.* 2015

10569093_10206438953435458_4150092507642207573_n — Painting 4: Prof. Gordana Siljanovska in an interview on Telma TV about the students’ strike and ‘Student Plenum’, which urged citizens, students, teachers and members of political parties to join the second student march against the reckless recent reforms in higher education. 2015

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11081071_10206476202846670_8217523966364469960_n — Painting 1: The building of the national TV in Skopje, where General Stojance Angelov (a public figure, active as a general in the national army during the 2001 Macedonian civil conflict) and his supporters, protested for free speech and the freedom of the media in Macedonia. 2015

11099994_10206476203286681_8581879072628852339_n — Painting 2: General Stojance Angelov (active as a general during the civil conflict in Macedonia in 2001) and his supporters protesting. Text (taken from the news-real): *‘…As citizens, we deserve to hear the opposition leader on National TV…’ 2015.*

11127534_10206557374395908_6474906355643251697_n — Painting 3: Protest by General Stojance Angelov in front of the National TV station, with the supporters group called ‘Mothers of Macedonia’; the painting shows a scene when they were stopped by the police, in front of the door of the TV station. Text (taken from the news-reel): *‘…Stop…stop… ladies, mothers – they will not let us in…’.* 2015

10411062_10206557370675815_2995230788838107865_n — Painting 4: Protest by General Stojance Angelov in front of the National TV station, with the group of supporters called ‘Mothers of Macedonia’; the painting shows a scene when one of the protesters faces up to a policeman in full protection garment. Text (taken from the news-reel): *‘…You are our children…’* as shouted by the protestant. 2015

Screen Shot 2018-02-18 at 10.49.43.png — Painting 6: Protest by General Stojance Angelov in front of the National TV station, with the support group ‘Mothers of Macedonia’; the painting shows a scene of one of the protesters being pushed by police shields. 2015

17196_10206557383236129_2496673958495243675_n — Painting 6: Protest by General Stojance Angelov in front of the National TV station, with the support group ‘Mothers of Macedonia’; the painting shows a scene a protester shouting. Text (taken from the news-reel): ‘…*They are our children, they will not hurt us…’.* 2015

////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Individual Painting 2, 2015

11102681_10206476217327032_8453872428289049367_n — Zoran Zaev, the opposition leader (currently Prime Minister), with a group of his collaborators and bodyguards, walking toward the Law and Justice Courts in Skopje. 2015

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10458497_10206476218167053_2861355891684162954_n — Newly proposed design of the park in the city center, as proposed by the Gruevski government, as an extension of the Skopje 2014 project. The design comprises of planting palm trees in the park. Due to the climate in Macedonia (inadequate for palm trees) and the large costs involved in the transport, planting and maintenance of the trees, they were seen by the citizens as absurd and undesirable, an unnecessary strain on the budget – as well as being the basis for potential institutional money laundering. Text (taken from the news-reel): ‘…*Palm trees will be planted in the ‘Women’s Park’ in the city centre, between the sculptures of male heroes in the park…’. 2015.*

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Episode 3, 2015

11081060_10206497130529849_8409934889896614079_n — Painting 1: The first public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (leading party at the time), where the Party leader Nikola Gruevski and the most of the governmental ministers were present. The gathering organised as an answer to the alleged ‘bombs’. Gruevski, addressing the supporters of the party from the middle of the stage. 2015.

201801221629_0007 — Painting 2: The first major public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (the leading party at the time), organised in response to the alleged ‘bombs’, where the Party leader Nikola Gruevski and most of the governmental ministers were present. Gruevski, addressing the supporters from the stage, wth a large screen in the background, featuring the Macedonian flag. 2015.

11032198_10206497129249817_7998893231949683144_n — Painting 3: The first major public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (the leading party at the time), organised in response to the alleged ‘bombs’, where the Minister of Culture ,Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska, and the Minister of Defence, Gordana Jankulovska, are also present. These two where amongst the most strongly criticised ministers during the wire tapping scandal. The text is from the Minister of the Culture’s speech (as taken from the news-reel): ‘…I do not know why MP B. is not proud of the artistic values of her own country, … cultural values, for which we should all have a common respect. I will say that the projects have been implemented, it has been done a lot and the numbers and the facts speak for all those successes by our artists. As the Ministry of Culture we will continue, as we have done in the past, to provide serious, great support to our artists….’. 2015.

10984159_10206497129449822_1144669427925895562_n — Painting 4: The first public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (leading party), where the political leader and the most of the governmental ministers were present. The gathering was organised as an answer to the alleged ‘bombs’. The audience, with the flags of individual cities and villages, apparently representing the support of the citizens of those cities for the leading Party. 2015.

1551752_10206497130169840_7768969021570819270_n — Painting 5:The first public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (the leading political Party at the time). The gathering was organised as an answer to the alleged ‘bombs’. The Party leader Gruevski is talking to the crowd and the governmental ministers, most of whom were also present. The Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska and the Minister Defence Gordana Jankulovska as well as Gruevski’s wife, are in the first row. Text (taken from the news-reel): *‘This is Macedonia, we are not afraid. This is Macedonia and we fight for it with our actions, people see our work, it is our true face…’. 2015.*

201801221629_0012 — Painting 6: The first public gathering of VMRO-DPMNE (leading party), where the political leader and the most of the governmental ministers were present. The gathering was organised in response to the alleged ‘bombs’. The painting depicts the multitude of Party flags, covering the roof of the sport arena, where the political gathering was held. 2015.

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10421631_10206497316014486_1567677309535900649_n — Painting 1: One of the Press Conferences, in which the audio ‘bombs’ are announced, while members of the opposition party stand stand next to Zaev, the leader of the opposition party, while listening to the broadcasting of the audio material. ‘Bombs’ 2015.

Screen Shot 2018-03-06 at 11.53.18 — Painting 1: One of the Press Conferences, in which the audio ‘bombs’ are announced, while members of the opposition party stand next to Zaev, the leader of the opposition party, while listening to the ‘Bombs’ audio material. 2015.

11082596_10206497315774480_8520722064302870387_n — Painting 2: Portrait of Radmila Sekerinska, a high representative of SDSM, the main Opposition Party. She is now the Minister of Defence in the recently elected new governement. The Portrait is made from a screenshot from the TV screen, during a press conference when the wire tapped audio material was publicly broadcast and exposed. 2015.

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11045448_10206514713409410_3638825101773509020_n — Painting 1: Stevo Pendarovski, high representative of the opposition party at the time (currently National Coordinator for Macedonia joining NATO), from a TV interview for TV Nova. 2015.

11066538_10206514709689317_4857252657172142896_n — Painting 2: The interviewer Biljana Sekulovska, a journalist from Nova Internet TV, a channel that aired points of view of the Opposition Party. The Nova Internet TV channel which was not been permitted to be aired as a TV channel, but therefore presented news and interviews online. Text (taken from the news-reel): ‘…*Why does your political party refuse to participate in the protests in front of the National TV station…’*. 2015.

11125245_10206514712969399_216747727855380850_n — Painting 3: The interviewer Biljana Sekulovska, journalist from Nova Internet TV, a channel that aired opposition’s points of view, a TV which has not been permitted to be aired as a TV channel, but presented news and interviews only online. 2015.

11040891_10206514709969324_3642788482418139800_n — Painting 4: The nail-polish of the interviewer from the TV Nova Biljana Sekulovska. Text (taken from the news-real): ‘…How the saga with printing of the fake passports will end? The passports printed in the private homes..!‘. 2015.

10561739_10206514709649316_7084515771114771569_n — Painting 5: Stevo Pendarovski, member of SDSM, opposition party at the time, says (text taken from the news-real): *‘…There are two ways in this catastrophic situation: 1. The street 2. Political agreement. and clearing of the election lists…’*. 2015.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Individual Painting 4

10410427_10206557373275880_8432913342189653240_n — Aivo Orav Head of the EU Delegation to the Macedonia. Text on drawing (taken from the interview): *‘We are here to help your country on the path to EU, but we must see that you truly want that’.* 2015.

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Amdi Bajram, Member of Parliament, leader of the largest Roma Party, publicly discussing in an interview with SITEL TV about the alleged audio ‘bomb’, in which Gordana Jankulovska, the Interior Minister of the Government of Macedonia, openly refers to the Roma citizens with the derogatory term ‘Gypsies’.

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