TENTEN: Our Fren' Dren.

Kosovar artist Dren Maliqi has been a presence in our cultural landscape for years. His art work is minimalist, his art understanding maximalist. National Gallery opens his solo exhibition this month.

“Dren from M” - used to be how people in town referred to Dren Maliqi during the years he led Club M, a sort of cultural center slash rave club slash picnic garden slash art venue. The place is closed now, little bit because of COVID economic hangover which closed so many similar venues across Europe, little bit because of Dren’s fleeting interest, we suspect. These were the years when Dren paused doing arts.

As it happens he is a damn good artist, and Kosovo National Art Gallery is now preparing a big solo exhibition of his works, curated by Catherine Nichols (the Creative Mediator of Manifesta14), to be opened on September 19.

One of his art pieces, juxtaposing Adem Jashari the founder of Kosovo Liberation Army with Elvis Presley, in a warholesque pop art fashion, caused an uproar in Belgrade, when Serb ultra-nationalists managed to cancel an exhibition that included Dren’s work. Another well known work consists of the word Hope, in big bold white letters, based on a white background. A fleeting, appropriately barely visible hope.

As he’s bringing for the first time all his best older pieces, and some rumored new paintings, it’s a perfect time to catch up with him.

So we sent to Dren ten short questions for our TENTEN interview, and as Dren is luckily not known to be verbose, here are his ten short, but big answers:

1. What's your work opus about?

It is about self-reflection, where self is direct consequence, desire and struggle of the other.

2. One famous work of yours is titled "Hope". What do you hope for in life?

The main question is: is the Hope Hopeless? I still haven't decided should I be illusional or delusional? 

3. What's the opposite of hope for you?

Life!

4. What is the specific art work from Kosovo artists that speaks best to you?

If something has left a big impression on me, it would be the rawness and simplicity of the form, along with clear thought that works of Sokol Beqiri express.

5. Who/what influences your art?

Life and never ending possibilities of re-creations of realities.   

6. What's your first art exhibition you attended, and what's your first art exhibition where you exhibited?

First exhibition I don't remember, but I do remember the first theater play watched. It was Idiot from Dostoevsky. As for the first important exhibition were I participated, it was is 'In The Gorges Of Balkans' at Fridericianum Kassel in 2003.

7. What music are you currently listening to?

It is very broad, but if I have to distinguish something, currently it would be contemporary jazz.  

8. Who or what are you obsessed with?

With re-creations of realities. 

9. Are you a winter or summer person?

There are no more winters!

10. What's your dream job? 

Work is disease. - Karl Marx (Mladen Stilinovic)