Skopje, 17 April 2026 (MIA) — A new exhibition opened Thursday at the National Gallery's Chifte Amam, highlighting how traditional Macedonian culture influenced the region's modern art movement.

Titled "Ethnography in Works from the National Gallery Collection," the exhibition consists of 52 works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which have rarely been seen by the public, according to organizers.

The project was curated by ethnologist Aleksandar Ristevski with assistance from art historian Vladimir Tanevski. It serves as an "interdisciplinary re-reading" of Macedonian modern art, exploring the intersection of fine art and ethnology.

"By treating paintings as ethnographic documents, the show preserves the visual memory of a bygone era," organizers said.

The works on display, created by both Balkan and Macedonian artists, depict traditional Macedonian city and village architecture, folk costumes and ethnic diversity as well as market scenes and agricultural rituals.

Featured artists include pioneers of Macedonian modernism including Lazar Lichenoski, Nikola Martinoski, Dimitar Pandilov and Vangel Kodzhoman. 

As part of the first generation of formally trained Macedonian painters, they transformed local folklore and customs into a specific visual language that helped shape the country’s contemporary cultural identity.

"Their compositions with rural landscapes, harvest scenes, daisies, market scenes and portraits of people from different ethnic communities are not only aesthetic interpretations, but also valuable visual testimonies to the traditional way of life," organizers said.

The exhibition will run through May 3. mr/