By Ivana Bilić
The book is finally out for the world to see. Throughout the process, I took parts of myself to put into the book, and now I’m giving it to you, dear friends. My journey took almost two years. It started with others – my dear Shqipe Malushi and Venera Ismaili – who put a lot of things together. So let me walk you through the form and the process.
This book is a collection of texts, blogs, and documents written over the more than 10 years of the festival’s existence. It also features photos and archival work, as well as interviews and several reviews written specifically for this edition. It is by no means exhaustive and cannot contain all that has been created in the 10 years of the FemArt Festival. Nevertheless, it is an attempt to retrieve some texts that got lost, to relive the moments through photos, to revive those we lost along the way, at least in our memories. And finally, it is to leave a legacy. The process of collecting, reflecting, and putting it all together took more than two years. Through that process many people wove a piece of their souls into this book. So, it is here not only to read, but to share with others in order to close the circle of feminist power.
The process was sometimes fluid, sometimes slow, always emotional, and, in its entirety, beautiful, giving, and with many lessons to learn. After each interview, I would be overwhelmed, so emotional that there was a need to process it. I would thank the universe for the opportunity to do something so urgent and so important to be told, noted down, and written on paper. I felt so humbled and honoured by the greatness of people’s stories and that I was the one who had the chance to shape the pages and lead the golden thread for this so important document. I had a chance to interview some of the biggest names in Kosovar art, politics, and the feminist and social scene in general. The greatest souls. And at some point, it occurred to me: what power I had! This book will be there as a permanent legacy of what started as a dream of a woman who wanted feminist art to be recognized.
After each interview, I’d listen over and over again, transcribe it, analyze it, synthesize it, to put on paper the essence of every word, trying to portray the emotions that could not be explained by words, so that the reader feels every pause, silence, and tone of voice I felt during these interviews. Sometimes it took days; sometimes it came out as a flood of letters, words, and sentences.
At one point, something else occurred to me: What a privilege. What an exploit! Putting together what was, at some point, lost. Berat Bajrami, the best partner I could ever ask for, helped me find some texts and articles again. After late hours and late nights of searching the endless universes of the internet, we retrieved them and now keep them from oblivion. Now they are written down and will not get lost again. So, we collected, discussed, debated, thought about things, consulted, sometimes changed our minds, and tried different things to find the best approach. And we enjoyed the process.
I cried a lot, as I usually do in Prishtina, where emotions are more intense than anywhere else; but I laughed a lot as well. I shared admiration and affection towards the festival with other individuals for whom it is a lot more than just a festival. As Igo Rogova told us—it is a feast, a celebration – a fešta, as we would say in what used to be our common language. We share the inextricable bond of love, connection, and sisterhood.
Note to the readers of the book:
When you take the book, touch the FEMART letters first. Feel the book. When you open it, flip the pages so that you hear how they sound. What do you hear? Take the freshly printed pages and smell the book. How do you feel?
Now, let us walk you through its contents:
The book is presented chronologically in 10 chapters, from the beginning of the festival until the 10th edition. In the introductory part, there is a bit of history about the creation of the festival, and at the end, there are excerpts of what others had to say about it. In every chapter, there are posters, programs, and collages of the theatre plays, concerts, exhibitions, and activities of each edition. In addition, there are blogs, news articles, and impressions. On certain pages, you will find QR codes that will lead you to the original articles and further readings. Somewhere in the middle of the book, you will come across the recipe for a perfect festival! Make sure you follow the instructions!
After the ninth edition, there is a special section, a sort of homage to the late friend, photographer Meddy Huduti. It is conceived very carefully by Berat, who wanted to pay tribute to his work in the most intimate way, portraying some of his most notable shots taken during the festival.
Every photo, every detail, and every form was carefully chosen. Nothing was taken by chance. Before the 20th century, blue was assigned to girls and pink to boys. Therefore, we chose a blue lavender nuance, which is closer to blue but, on a colour spectrum, is located between blue and magenta. The triangle is the main shape that guides us from the beginning to the end. It represents the FemaArt logo, created and designed by graphic designer Zymryte Hoxhaj, who listened to the echoes of our desires and made these photos fly and letters dance. Thank you, Zymi, for reading our souls and putting your artistic vision into this piece of art!
You can, of course, start from the beginning and immerse yourself in the journey. However, every story also stands on its own, and if you wish to simply open the book from time to time and revisit the stories, you will find words for your soul, photos, poems, or quotes that you can bring with you. Take your time; enjoy the moment. Touch the book. Feel the book. Smell the book. I put my heart and soul into it, and I can assure you that all those who participated in its creation did so. This is a compilation of souls, spirits, and love. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it.