Andi Tepelena: The Ministry of Culture should create an archive fund with works of art for young artists, to be promoted at home and abroad

Young Albanian artists in the field of visual art should be promoted both inside and outside the country. But in the face of the problems that exist today in the field of visual art, this shows that not enough has been done in the policies followed by the Ministry of Culture in our country. Andi Tepelena, art manager, says that young artists in the field of visual art need direct help, where according to him the problem was the lack of purchase of works of art before from the National Art Gallery. "The National Art Gallery should occasionally announce a competition for the best works of art according to the criteria it would determine itself. But GKA is now closed and there is no fund for the purchase of works. What I think the Ministry of Culture could do is to create an archive fund with works of art for young artists to be promoted at home and abroad. The Ministry of Culture should give grants for the production of works", says Andi Tepelena, art manager. According to Tepelena, if this is done, it would help the artists in the country and if this fund with works of art is created, the Ministry of Culture can exhibit them in various exhibitions. But according to Tepelena, the copyright remains with the creator of the work. "The copyright belongs to the artists, but the Ministry of Culture has the right to exhibit the works of the fund in public galleries in the country, or international exhibitions in order to promote contemporary Albanian art outside the borders", says art manager Tepelena. The Ministry of Culture can exhibit them in various exhibitions. But according to Tepelena, the copyright remains with the creator of the work. "The copyright belongs to the artists, but the Ministry of Culture has the right to exhibit the works of the fund in public galleries in the country, or international exhibitions in order to promote contemporary Albanian art outside the borders", says art manager Tepelena. The Ministry of Culture can exhibit them in various exhibitions. But according to Tepelena, the copyright remains with the creator of the work. "The copyright belongs to the artists, but the Ministry of Culture has the right to exhibit the works of the fund in public galleries in the country, or international exhibitions in order to promote contemporary Albanian art outside the borders", says art manager Tepelena.

 Creating spaces for works

Creating an archive fund with the works of young artists, according to art manager Andi Tepelena, is also a way to directly support them in our country. But according to him, the Ministry of Culture can support and help by creating spaces to exhibit. "Indirect aid would be through the provision of state spaces with symbolic rent to produce and exhibit works of art," says Tepelena. Art manager Andi Tepelena criticizes the policies followed by the Ministry of Culture in the country for artists, where, according to him, there seems to be more attention for creative activity in Kosovo. When just a few days ago the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in Kosovo announced a public competition for the purchase of visual and audiovisual works of art for the enrichment of the state art fund in the National Gallery of Kosovo, according to Andi Tepelena, the Ministry of Culture in Albania has shown a lack of attention for artists in the country. "We are far from what Kosovo is doing. Even during the pandemic, the Ministry of Kosovo gave concrete help to artists in financial difficulties, while in our country the Ministry of Culture did not take a step to help artists to survive that situation. Therefore, the creation of the archive fund by the Ministry of Culture seems to me to not only have the mentality, the mindset, the vision, but they also lack the kindness in this case. At a time when millions of euros are being spent, there are state abuses for roads, etc., meanwhile, a fund of 1 million euros was not found to help artists either by purchasing works of art or creating spaces where artists have the opportunity to they sell their works", says Andi Tepelena. A few days ago, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in cooperation with GKK stated that through the call for the purchase of works, it aims to collect, preserve and maintain works of art, which were created by local artists; to enrich the state art fund in GKK, to initiate the market of buying and selling art in Kosovo, as well as local and international promotion of works of art through the development of public diplomacy.