Interview of v. 2009 with the artist Agim Zajmi
“The theater is my home”
He has worked as a scenographer on theater stages, where his latest project is the scenography of the premiere show “View from the Bridge”. For him, theater is more than life itself. He collaborated with many directors, where he left an indelible mark as a set designer on theater stages. Although he regrets that the years have gone by and maybe they have tired him a bit in his profession, he still says that the theater is his home.
Agim Zajmi was born in Tirana on November 28, 1963. He finished his higher studies in painting and scenography in 1961 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Since 1961 he has been working as a scenographer at the Opera and Ballet Theater, he also works at the National Theater in Tirana and from time to time also in the Theater of Skopje and Kosovo. In 1978, he was appointed a professor at the Academy of Arts in Tirana. He has presented his paintings in many countries of the world such as: France, Italy, Egypt, England, etc.
His works in painting are in the collection of the Art Gallery, but they are also distributed in different countries of the world. As a set designer, he has participated in many international theater festivals. He is the winner of many national awards in painting and scenography. In 1991, he was awarded the title “People`s Painter”.
You have been working with theater scenography for a long time, in which year did you start your career as a scenographer?
My career began in 1961 with the opera “Carmen” on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theater because at first, I spent two years in the opera, then I was attracted to the National Theater because at that time it was more developed. I am glad that I went to the theater because there was a cultural level that is good for everyone. When you go to such a cultural and literary level, very rich and very kind to each other, you feel good. This thing unfortunately today has a certain coldness, the atmosphere has always been theatrical without getting mixed up in politics, for me it has always been theater. Theater even with simple things becomes beautiful when you love it. But for me, the theater itself needs to come alive and make lively artistic activity and people come to the stage as much as possible, in the past the audience came three or four times to see a show, while today they come in rows.
Here we have to take into account that Tirana at that time had 200 thousand inhabitants, while now it has 1 million and it is this stage and this number of chairs. So, I find this flaw in the theater itself and in no one else. If the theater wants, it chooses good works that are of interest to the public and not choose works that are not of interest. I am against slang against street theater, it exists let it exist. Theater is the word is the thought, it has kept it alive for centuries where the theater has survived from the philosophy of the work. There are other theaters that are pantomimes and ballets and I can’t deny it, but here the introduction of jargons and especially the uncultured vulgar erotic tendency are out of this scene.
How do you understand theater and this seen from the eyes of a set designer who has been dealing with the theater scene for years?
Theater is collective art. Many people work for it, starting from the invisible administration to the simplest employee who is behind the scenes. These are the invisible heroes who are not visible, but without them the show is not made. Starting precisely from the concept of true art that I embrace, I am always supported by the work that is staged, for example Shakespeare as one of the well-known figures, he is the basis, although what he is in one work is not in another with the creators starting with the stage designer and the author there are three because generally the author does not exist.
At that time, communication takes place between the two people who conceive this show, the director and the scenographer. It is said that in the theater the director must be like that 100% of which 50% must be set designer. And the opposite is said that the scenographer must be 100% scenographer and 50% must be a director. So organic connection is a must for the show. Without a connection of this thing he would be limping, it is these who then organize the rest because the actors are performers, without reducing their creative values where their basis is why, because they have it written by someone else. The director and scenography is abstract, it can be as we see it in the show “View from the Bridge” and we must be convinced that in many countries of the world the scenography of the show was made in many variants.
This is a variant where I have faith without the modesty of the Albanians, sometimes it must be said, because at my age of 71 it may be one of the best variants, that this scenography of this show has been put on other stages. However, I cannot say that this is the last and others will not do it, but it is for our theater, in the conditions of this stage because its space is very small. Here I would mention the academy scene where she has a space of 10 meters while here she has a space of 8 meters. But, I would say that we are used to working economically and to bring something beautiful but also to please the audience.
You have built scenographies during two different periods in terms of theater development in the country. How do you see the difference between them?
Now I judge that only that time there was theater and actors, directors and stage designers. On the contrary, from the side of culture to craftsmanship, there is more growth today, despite the audience that today has moved away from the theater scene more.
You said that today the audience has left the theater stage. Why did something like this happen?
The theater itself is to blame for the departure of the public because it is not a repertory theater, where only on Mondays did it rest, while from Tuesday to Sunday it was a daily activity and this made the public to be connected, he knew that what happens But today, leaving it for a long time, he doesn’t remember about it. At that time, he was kept alive by the many tours or shows he gave and people remembered him.
Let’s move on to the show “View from the Bridge”, tell us something about its theatrical concept?
This to me is a pure show, the concept has moved away from that line of immigration because the conflict is not that. Conflict is a psychological family drama where the character Eddie Carbone is given in two types. The first an honest man where he has sacrificed and the other an Ed with a southern temper who has a kind of jealousy of his own that is justified in the work. This is built in such a way that this character with Balkan jealousy and such a temperament leads him with the logic that it is acceptable is not aggressive as it happens now unfortunately in our country, where murders and things happen that are not justified only by temperament. Of course, they regret it within a minute, but this one has a logic because he sacrificed for this girl and the jealousy at the beginning is not that he loves that girl, but because he sacrificed for her, he has her as his own child. But, this is justified because he is an honest and clean man, he lived cleanly and it is not what is thought because he kills himself in the end. Here is a very nice construction of the director because it is known that in the work Ed kills Marko. In the work, his good character as a character stands out.
You are its set designer. How did you build its decor and what are its special features?
It has a decor of a special nature, it is one of those decors that it is said that the scenography is born and dies again in the show, this scenography will be remembered for this show. In terms of the artistic concept, it is with a simple conventional language, although the work is realistic, this does not mean that the convention is not realistic. The convention is when you try to express it in a language as simple as possible, not to have overloads. The theater work is divided into three premises, which I have tried to connect as organic parts, not so that they stand apart from each other. It was an idea that could be in rotation, but it created a softening for us, while here the events take place in the eyes of the public. I am for that theater where you demonstrate everything to the general public in an honest way. Let him look at it, which is decor, which is a chair. Theater is more than life because it makes a synthesis of what you do in life. In life things are ordinary, while in the theater things take on a different power.
A few days ago, the theater festival “Youth Theater” was organized and you attended some of them. I would like to know your opinion on how these plays were conceptualized in terms of scenography, considering that they are staged by young people.
I haven’t actually watched all the shows but I think we have talented girls and boys. Of course, in the conditions of this festival, the possibilities have been small to realize, where there is a minimum fund, all the components of the show are forced to revolve around that fund. Those boys and girls are talented and should be activated.
How do you see the scenography development in the theater during these 17 years?
The scenography in the theater does not have the grandeur that the stages in festive concerts have. But it is much more difficult to deal with her because she has many problems that are not there. The scenography has gone very well towards a kind of convention. If it is for the public, 80% must be realistic. I have tried them and I am a nature scenographer who accepts the convention in the theater and contemporary scenography, but hidden not extravagant thought. I want to live together with the troupe so that it seems that this scenography is a soul together with the author, director and actors. But we have a problem that we have old devices. Here are the same old opportunities, nothing has been added, although we try to create with the opportunities we have. In our country, the contemporary concept works well, while the material level is not what it should be.
When Professor Agim Zajmi looks back, what does he see in his career?
I regret that I have done so many stage designs because they have passed over 300 performances and more not forgetting that I am an easel painter and I have done the same in painting. It is a job that I have done with pleasure and you said this with humor because, for example, last night was the inspector and I forgot that I worked and only when I hear that I worked, I wish I had worked less. Maybe it’s better that I worked so hard I don’t know how to say this. But, I’m not saying that I’m leaving because it’s not known, but I’m at a stage where I have to return more to the individual art of painting because it’s an independent art. Here, when an age comes in the theater there is also fatigue with people to make things happen.
For humor, I am closing this conversation where I used to say to Pirro Mani that I worked with him on all the shows together, when I was young, I entered the stage, it was empty and I was afraid, I was afraid, what am I going to do about it, because she needed transformed for display differently than viewed. Now removing this modesty when I enter the scene she is scared of me.
Reference: Tirana Observer – 2009
_____________
Albanian Cinematography in activity that year. 2013
Follow us: Blog: https://albaniancinematography.blogspot.com/ Vimeo: Albanian Cinematography (vimeo.com) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ksh.faqjazyrtare Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/kinetografiashqiptareartisporti YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRYQ5xCyGkfELm3mX8Rhtw
Discover more from Albanian Cinematography - Sport
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
