About Us
Contemporary Art Center – Skopje has been established in 1994 as a part of a network of Soros Centers for Contemporary Arts since 1999 CAC becomes an independent non-governmental institution mainly active in the fields of Culture, Regional Cooperation, Education, and Capacity Building.
CAC – Skopje is a not-for-profit cultural center dealing with issues of culture, cultural decentralization, and development. The main aims of CAC – Skopje is to initiate activities in order to improve the general level of art and culture in Macedonia; to establish a sustainable cultural scene in the country; to improve the overall cultural life in Macedonia and to create a ground for de-centralized social and cultural life.
For the last 7 years, CAC – Skopje works on the development of rural communities by organizing mobile village cinemas, cultural summers in the rural regions, art exhibitions, workshops in the fields of culture and living heritage, preservation projects, including the local people to actively working in the projects.
The main aims and activities of CAC are:
Overall aim:
Enabling freedom of expression, animation of cultural life, promoting cultural and ethnic diversity, decentralization of culture, and giving active contribution towards the development of cultural and social life of rural regions of Western Balkans.
Aims and activities:
1. Socio-cultural animation and access to cultural content for the population from rural regions
Activities:
1.1.1. Mobile – traveling village cinema
1.1.2. Cultural inputs in the communities
1.1.3. Regional exchange of cultural programs
1.2. Development of initiative, detection of creative potentials of rural communities as well as the development of multiethnic, and multi-confessional relations
Activities:
1.2.1. Support Local cultural initiatives in the communities
1.2.2. Open discussions on the local level about possibilities for cultural and overall development
1.3 Capacity development of local communities
Activities:
1.3.1. Targeted workshops for capacity development in local communities
1.3.2. Regional training for local cultural development
1.4. Improving quality of life and infrastructure in rural regions
Activity:
Free consultancy for local communities
2. Visual arts Program
Overall aim: Freedom of artistic expression and development of the Macedonian art scene
Aims and activities:
2.1. Upgrading level of visual arts, creating structures for competitivity and opening discussions between artists and art institutions
Activity:
2.1.1. Young Visual Artist Award
2.2. Grow of artistic production and decentralization of culture in Macedonia
Activity:
2.2.1. Organizing Artistic exhibition of young artists from Macedonia
2.2.2. Web presentations
2.2.3. International presentation of the Macedonian art scene
3. Program for independent culture
Overall aim: Promotion of independent cultural organizations and improving the status of the independent cultural scene
3.1. Strengthening and networking of NGOs and independent institutions which are dealing with culture in Macedonia and the region of the Western Balkans
Selected project of CAC – Skopje
1998 – 2002
Project in CIX Gallery, (50 Exhibition)
2003 – 2007
Project in Gallery Kurshumli An (14 Exhibition)
International Projects:
1995 – 1996 International Biennial of Sao Paolo;
1997 – Texts, New York, SAD; Istanbul International Biennial, Istanbul;
2000 – Artists & Refugees, Sofia;
2002 – Tik Tak Tok, University of Dandy, Scotland;
2006 – 2009 – International Exhibition Young Visual Artist Award DENES;
2008 – Platform for cultural and social development of rural regions in Western Balkans, Mavrovo;
Project in Macedonia:
1994/1995/1996 – Images Box, Skopje; (Exhibition), Chifte Amam1, Chifte Amam2, Chifte Amam 3 (Exhibition)
1996 – Icon on Silver, CD ROM; (Exhibition)
1997 – 2001 – Skopje Electronic Arts Fair; (Exhibition & Conference)
1998 – 2002 – CIX Gallery, (50 Exhibitions);
1998 – 2001 – Tik Tak Tok, Skopje; (Exhibition)
Artists & Refugees, Skopje; (Exhibition)
Roots and Rhizomes, (workshop), Skopje;
2000 – Understanding the Balkans, (conference), Ohrid;
2001 – Capital and Gender, (Exhibition), Skopje;
Understanding the Balkans, (Conference), Skopje;
2002 – Art Communication – (Workshop), Skopje;
2003 – 2007 – Gallery Kurshumli An (15 Exhibition);
2004 – 2005 – Small Traditions – Big Values, a project in rural communities;
2003 – Culture for Everybody, a project in rural communities;
2004 – 2007 – Small Door, Culture initiatives in Communities;
2006 – Cultural needs, habits, and tastes of citizens of Serbia and Macedonia,
sociological research (Regional project)
2005-2006 – Fair of Living Heritage, Skopje
2003 -2011 – DENES, Young Visual Artist Award; (Exhibition), Skopje
Regional project:
2006 – 2007 – Project: Cultural needs, habits and taste of citizens of Serbia and Macedonia, sociological research; (Regional project: Macedonia, Serbia)
2009 – 2012 – Project: Rural Community Culture (Regional project: Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia & Hercegovina.
2011 – 2012 – Project: Western Balkan Rural Communities Cultural connections and cooperation.
2011 – Project: Western Balkan Rural Communities Cultural connections and cooperation; Regional meeting and training of local cultural practitioners, municipality representatives, and local NGOs from rural regions of Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece,
08 – 10 June, 2011 Hotel Srna, Mavrovo.