Painter Gjergji Marko: How the ceiling of the great church in Shkodër was not changed even during Communism
2024-03-30 17:42:45
TiranaPost
The "two worlds" of Gjergji Marko (the well-known Albanian painter, decorator and costume designer) have been kissed at a point of value in the narrative "Mes two worlds", confirming the talent and pragmatism of an artist who leaves a beautiful mark in every presentation, a representative of worthy of a golden generation in Albanian figurative art. A confession between friends in front of the painter Helidon Haliti in RTSH, Gjergji Marko, recalls that during the communist regime, when the restorations were being carried out, they were not allowed to touch or redirect the ceiling of the Great Church in Shkodër.
"I made the first arrangement in Shkodër in 1973. I was appointed to the Opera Theater and Vito Capo called us, the Women's Congress was going to be held. He told us: I have called you that until now there are a couple of names that do these big activities, the holidays. But it has to move a little more than they do like the Soviet models. We sat down and did the project of the congress hall in Shkodër, after they had turned it from a large church into a sports hall. A fantastic ceiling, and we were told when we went to design, don't even bother touching the ceiling. It was a definite order, cultural heritage. It was a cultural monument. I made an initial sketch that was liked by my friends and we developed it, and they told me to follow this work, I didn't like it."
Gjergji Marko is an architect and restorer of several museums. A painter by profession, he is known as one of the best artists in Tirana, where he currently lives.
Marko underlines that regardless of the time when the buildings were built, they carry extraordinary values that must be preserved. "The intellectual product, the artistic product that is embodied is always in favor of humanity. And developed countries have many museums and archives. I was amazed by Germany. There is a museum for everything, for gardens, for printing houses, for crafts", says Marko.
