Ken Munsie: 202. The Art of Propaganda

The National Gallery of Arts is a state-run institution, the beginnings of which can be traced back to the endeavours of a group of Albanian artists and the Arts’ Committee of 1946, whose efforts resulted in the Gallery of Arts officially opening to the public in Tirana in January 1954. Today I visit the newer venue which opened in November 1974 ...

And the exhibition that I am particularly interested in is - Socialist Realism: The Creation of the Models of the New Man (1960 – 1989) ...

The art of this period is entirely propaganda, serving the interest of the political regime in power. Following to the letter the blueprint cliché imported from its originating place, the former Soviet Union, this art focused on the workers and their actions, transforming them thus into 'myths' of the period.

..." ... Socialist Realism does not try to show openly and truthfully the daily aspects of the reality of the working class, but strives to erect and establish the socialist working activity as some sort of a cult, while placing the common worker as the main personage of a 'new epoch' that has already started ... " ...

Sali Shijaku - 1969

Vojo Kushi - Sali Shijaku - 1971

Going to Work - Rafael Dembo - 1969

The Chinese Peasant - Andrea Mano - 1965

Skroske 1944 - Fatmir Haxhiu - 1966

The Victor - Fatmir Haxhiu - 1979

Proclamation of the Republic - Vilson Kilica - 1978

In the Studio - Vilson Kilica - 1979

The Working Girl - Hasan Nallbani - 1966

Manufacturer of Electrical Wire

Sotir Capo - 1969

The Woman Brigade Leader

Spiro Kristo - 1976

The Lathe Worker - Zef Shoshi - 1976

Soldiers of the Revolution - ( triptych ) - Pande Mele - 1968

Friends of the Mechanics Factory - Dhimiter Mborja - 1969

Testing - Andon Lakuriqi - 1969

30 July 1978 - Clirim Ceka - 1979

The Children - Spiro Kristo - 1966

- outside view to rest the eyes for a few minutes -

Republics Contemporary - Kristaq Rama - 1964

The Assembler - Petro Kokushta - 1979

Reaching the Heights of Light

Petro Kokushta - 1981

Farther - Shaban Hysa - 1969

Metal Worker - Fuat Dishka - 1979

Product of our own Hands - Harilla Dhimo - 1979

Then I had a peek out through a side window and spied a back courtyard with some interesting stuff stored there - so leaving the gallery through the front door I made my way down a side alley to the back and found these interesting bronzes dismantled from a past era ...