February 17nth, 2008 is the day which signifies Kosovo’s Independence from Serbia. Among other ways to portray such a celebration, Fisnik Ismajli designed the sculpture “NEWBORN” which now serves as a touristic attraction and a way of learning more about Kosovo’s endeavor towards its independence.
More than that, NEWBORN is an emotional monument whose design is prone to constant changes on yearly bases. It serves as a mean to interpret the current issues that our society in Kosovo faces and the message we want to convey to the international community.
The Idea Behind It
It was for a known fact that many Kosovar people related themselves with the double-headed eagle as their true identity. Such an approach was somehow politically incorrect and the necessity to differently portray Kosovo led to the revelation of NEWBORN.
As described by Fisnik Ismajli ” the idea was to present Kosovo as a new, contemporary, trendy country, ready to be embraced by the world. Expecting a mass media presence worldwide it was necessary to convey a message which is straight to the point and easily understood by people whose English is not the best one”.
The Classic Version
The very first version of NEWBORN was painted in yellow color combined with blue banners. It was revealed on the same day of independence, 17 February 2008. People who were present for celebrations had the chance to sign their names on it using permanent markers- NOT like Aulona though :/…Of course, the first ones to sign were not some random citizens, instead, it was the Prime Minister at that time Mr. Hashim Thaqi, and President Mr. Fatmir Sejdiu
What do colors represent?
The author decided to paint the sculpture in yellow and follow it with blue banners, colors which are found at both Kosovo’s and EU’s flags. Further, as implied by the author the blue color describes the state of a new birth of the country and new life, whereas the yellow color as a vibrant color represents sunrise, the birth of new day, hope and the end of darkness.
NEWBORN is giant metal written in capital letters in 3m Height and 24 meters long.
During the day NEWBORN was also supported by other slogans which also do have significant importance regarding the history of Kosovo- “Bac U kry”- meaning Uncle it is done, is one of them.
Version #1, #2.. and many more to go
As mentioned earlier the outlook design on NEWBORN changes every year. All designs in themselves embrace a unique and meaningful message that Kosovar people find important to be shared across their borders.
Shifting from the classic version of NEWBORN below you might find some insights regarding some of the versions already published, and the rest is all yours to be discovered.
On February 17, 2013, the monument of NEWBORN was painted in the flags of all nations which had so far recognized Kosovo as an Independent State. As a sign of gratitude, many different artists were gathered and helped to get the job done.
Three years after, a cloudy sky and barbered wire were the key elements which were painted. Such concept manifested a way of protest against the isolation of people of Kosovo resulting from Visa constraints to go abroad…a problem which is still a problem!
The year 2017, was a bit of different in the sense that the letters “N” and “W” of NEWBORN were down to the ground and the idea for the “No Walls” slogan emerged. At that time, the controversial city of Mitrovica was prone to a more intense conflict between Kosovars and Serbs which resulted in the division of the city by a Wall built up by Serbs. Further, in another analogy, president Trump was also approaching to similar idea referring to Mexico’s Borders.
To raise voice against such scenarios and unified in thoughts the message to Tear down walls and enable freedom of movement was successfully implemented.
Summing it up..
5 days have passed since NEWBORN got a Fresh look. This time the slogan is “Ruaje Tenden”- Save Yours which tries to engage people to protect the environment we live in. When it comes to preserving its nature, Kosovo is not the best example and there are plenty of environmental issues to be solved. Let’s take Air pollution as an example which is a hot topic, simply because a small city like Pristina challenges giants like Beijing.
N: Nature, E: Energy W: Water, B: Biodiversity, O: Oxygen, R: Recycle, N: Nature
Pin this date and make sure to follow up with upcoming creative ideas found in Newborn-monument.
Interested to know more about Kosovo?. Check out what one might find when in Kosovo, and reasons why it is worth spending your days there.
https://www.kathmanduandbeyond.com/street-art-pristina-newborn-monument/
https://web.archive.org/web/20130206215503/http://www.newkosovareport.com/200807041018/Society/newborn-the-symbol-of-kosovo-independence.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/arts/design/newborn-sign-kosovo-independence.html
https://balkaninsight.com/2017/02/16/newborn-no-walls-02-15-2017/
