The Friendship Mural of Two Sister Cities in Kotor

As part of the Collaboration in the Field of Digital Rights in the Western Balkans  project, implemented by KotorArt and the Don Branko Sbutega Foundation, a mural dedicated to the friendship between two sister cities – Kotor and the Turkish city of Gaziantep – has been painted at the stadium of the Public Institution Njegoš Elementary School in Kotor.

The author of the mural is the prominent visual artist and architectural engineer, Andrej Josifovski, known to the public by the nickname Pianist. His art often reflects provocative social and cultural messages, and this mural is a significant contribution to this project, which explores the intersection of art, ecology, and solidarity in the digital age.

The creation of this mural marks the beginning of a series of activities planned for the upcoming period, through which we will promote the values that connect us and enhance dialogue on issues of digital rights, ecology, and art, stated the PR service. Additionally, this mural symbolizes our commitment to unity, solidarity, and the preservation of cultural memory. As part of this event, we also organized a discussion on the importance of community in preserving and nurturing solidarity, heritage, and cultural memory.

The Collaboration in the Field of Digital Rights in the Western Balkans project aims to bring together civil society organizations from the Western Balkans region to advance joint advocacy and stimulate dialogue on digital rights issues. Supported by the Open Society Foundation, this project includes advocacy for European integration, capacity building, regional research, policy and advocacy, as well as joint public activities.

Project partners include: the Don Branko Sbutega Foundation (Montenegro), the Institute for Communication Studies (North Macedonia), the organizations YIHR (Kosovo) and Zašto ne (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the SCiDEV Center (Albania), the SHARE Foundation (Serbia), and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Research and Development (Serbia).

Through this project, KotorArt explores the intersection of art and solidarity in times of ecological and natural disasters in the contemporary digital age. Two case studies, the earthquakes in Montenegro in 1979 and in Turkey and Syria in 2023, served as the basis for artistic exploration of issues of solidarity, cultural memory, the importance of ecology, sustainable development, and education in the modern digital era. The research also included consideration of the relationship between these two sister cities, Gaziantep and Kotor. This mural represents a symbol of our efforts to build stronger connections and promote the values that unite us, stated the festival's PR service.