Kurti attends the reopening ceremony of the National Gallery of Kosovo

Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, took part in the reopening ceremony of the National Gallery of Kosovo, together with the Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu.

In his opening remarks, Kurti said that bringing this central institution of visual art back into operation clearly shows that culture cannot move forward without proper infrastructure, just as art cannot be preserved, exhibited and developed without dignified spaces for creation, display and conservation.

He said that the investment of more than 1.6 million euros shows that building and modernizing cultural infrastructure is not a luxury, but a necessity. According to him, such projects require time, planning and commitment, which is why the road to their completion often appears long.

Kurti also underlined that cultural facilities are not built only for the needs of the present, but for the generations to come, for the artists of the future, for preserving collective memory and for a society that sees culture as part of its development. For this reason, he added, every capital investment in cultural infrastructure is a long-term investment in the identity, education and development of the Republic of Kosovo.

“Investment in the National Gallery is not merely an investment in a building, it is an investment in our collective memory, in our artists and in the generations that will come after us,” he said.

Full speech of Acting Prime Minister Kurti:

Honorable Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Albulena Haxhiu,

Honorable Ms. Atifete Jahjaga, former President,

Honorable Ms. Justina Shiroka-Pula, President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo,

Honorable Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ms. Saranda Bogujevci,

Honorable Acting Director of the National Gallery of Kosovo, Ms. Alisa Gojani Berisha,

Honorable Hana Halili, curator of the exhibition,

Honorable Mr. Hajrulla Çeku, Minister of Education and Science, has started so much good work that Saranda will now reap all the fruits,

Honorable ambassadorial excellencies and representatives of friendly states in the Republic of Kosovo,

Honorable representatives of cultural institutions,

Honorable artists and art lovers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Honored attendees,

Today we have gathered to mark an important moment for the culture of the Republic of Kosovo: the reopening of the National Gallery of Kosovo, the central institution of visual art in our country.

This reopening marks the completion of a renovation process. It is evidence of a strong conviction that culture does not develop without dignified infrastructure, just as art cannot be preserved, presented and developed without suitable spaces for creation, exhibition and conservation.

This investment worth more than 1.6 million euros is proof that building and modernizing the infrastructure of the cultural scene is not a luxury, but a necessity. Projects of this kind require time, planning and commitment, and therefore the road to their realization can often seem long. Nevertheless, the time invested in creating sustainable spaces for culture is time invested in the future of the country. It can therefore be said that we have not lost time, but gained space for a long time.

Cultural buildings are not constructed only for today’s needs. They are built for the generations to come, for the artists of tomorrow, for preserving our collective memory and for a society that sees culture as part of its development. Therefore, every capital investment in cultural infrastructure is a long-term investment in the identity, education and development of the Republic of Kosovo.

For many years, our cultural institutions have carried the burden of a lack of necessary investment in buildings, storage, technical systems and professional conditions for preserving our cultural heritage. Therefore, investment in the National Gallery is not merely an investment in a building, it is an investment in our collective memory, in our artists and in the generations that will come after us.

The renovation project included a comprehensive improvement of the Gallery’s infrastructure, creating modern conditions for exhibition, preservation and management of the collection. An important component of this transformation is the addition of around 400m² of new storage space, built according to international standards for the conservation and preservation of works of art, strengthening institutional capacities for safeguarding and enriching our State Collection.

Through capital investments in culture, we are jointly building better conditions for the work of professionals in the field, creating safer spaces for state collections and enabling our public to have access to modern institutions that are both open and functional.

Culture is not a luxury. It is part of the country’s social, economic and democratic development. A state that invests in culture invests in its knowledge, its creativity and its identity.

Therefore, our commitment to strengthening cultural infrastructure will continue. The National Gallery is one example of this vision. Today it returns with better conditions, expanded capacities and greater opportunities to preserve, study and present the art of Kosovo.

I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the team of the National Gallery, the professionals, engineers, workers and everyone who contributed to the realization of this project. This is the result of quiet, determined joint work and of the belief that public institutions can be built to high standards.

I hope that this renovated gallery will be a vibrant space of dialogue, passion, joy, reflection and creativity; in other words, a place where art meets the public and where culture continues to build the strongest bridges between people. And just as we have always said with the former Minister of Culture, now the Minister of Education, our greatest effort is to make as much artistic culture as possible and at the same time to make art as much a part of culture as possible. Therefore, this is the right place to offer the main greeting, that of the reopening of the National Gallery of Kosovo, and to wish all artists and art lovers ever better and greater success in this new chapter that we are beginning tonight.