A GIFT FOR TIRANA

Greetings from EJAlbum

2021 is in its final moments and, as always, we want to share with you a postcard and a heartfelt New Year’s wish. Wishing that this message finds you well, close to your family and loved ones, and before a table set for celebration.

At EJAlbum we believe that the years we are leaving behind have already taught us that life cannot be mere survival but must contain dreams, ambitions, emotions, unforgettable moments, love and, why not, happiness. Art, in a way, is the mirror of these emotions. But at EJAlbum we believe art is even more. Through art, we investigate the problems that affect contemporary society, seeking to raise public awareness. Many of our projects and exhibitions address acute, troubling, vital issues. Often they are global — from the climate emergency, the revival of nationalism, the ever more pervasive influence of the media and social networks, the hyperbolic rise of economic inequality, and so on. Often they are local — inviting the public to reflect on the abuse of power, on the system and the society in which we live, where economic interests prevail over what should be the good of the community, in every possible direction. And even further, we conceive of art as activism, a stance and an expression of everyday battles and of protest for a better world, for everyone.

What we further believe is that, by now, the years we are leaving behind have made people even more aware that we all must change — we must change the way we work, the way we behave, the way we live.

This is our “postcard” for the year 2022. This is also our gift to our city, our country, our society. The turn of the year will find the city a little more beautiful. Then everyone will see reality — and this dumpster of rubbish — in their own way. After all, art never has the duty to demonstrate something; at most it aims to suggest. In yet another terrible year for artists and for our sector, at EJAlbum we continued to make new suggestions, and our will is to continue together and never stop doing so. Thus, this postcard is our final suggestion for this year.

Happy 2022!