Skopje, 6 February 2025 (MIA) — The Osten Biennial Skopje 2024 events will wrap up at 7 pm at the National Gallery's Chifte Amam gallery space with the opening of the official Osten Biennial exhibition of awarded artists and finalists.

The exhibition will feature 80 award-winning artists from over 40 countries, marking Osten's 80th anniversary.

On display will be works in various media, including drawings, paintings, prints, art objects, installations, photos as well as video and multimedia art.

"This event is even more significant given that it is the first in a series of events planned for this jubilee year when we celebrate 80 years of Osten," organizers said.

At the exhibition opening, organizers will award several prizes to finalists, participants and collaborators. Most of the participating artists are coming to Skopje to receive their Osten awards in person.

The Osten Biennial Skopje 2024 began with an open call to artists to submit their "most innovative and creative works, regardless of form, technique or medium"; 273 artists from 51 countries applied, submitting 863 works. 

Participants were selected by Osten director Kornelija Koneska. 

The panel of international judges choosing the works to be on display consisted of contemporary art critic, art historian and curator Bruno Corà of Italy (chairman), art historian and curator Pick Keobandith of Belgium and art historian and curator Maja Kolaric of Serbia.

Ahead of the Osten Biennial Skopje 2024 official opening, from January to June 2024, the Osten gallery mounted several solo and group preview exhibitions. 

The official events began on June 27 with the opening of a Vangel Naumovski exhibit of paintings, drawings and prints from the Osten collection. The art show ran through December 2024. Group exhibitions of participants' works were also held.

Other events included an award ceremony presenting the Osten Ambassadors' Lifetime Achievement award to Italian painter Michelangelo Pistoletto. The World Cultural Heritage prize was awarded posthumously to Vangel Naumovski.

Vangel Naumovski (1924-2006) was a self-taught surrealist painter who is considered one of the greatest Macedonian artists. The retrospective exhibit marked the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 100th anniversary of surrealism, organizers said. mr/