“Theatre is the word, it is thought — that’s what has kept it alive for centuries, where theatre has survived through the philosophy of the work.”
This is how the painter, scenographer, and professor Agim Zajmi expressed himself in a 2009 interview. He went on to say: “Theatre can be beautiful even with simple things, when you love it. Theatre is my home.“
The Artist’s Farewell
The bell marking the artist’s departure rang on November 3, 2013 — exactly ten years ago today — when he passed away, leaving behind a memory that, for me, is inseparable from the Artist, the Human Being, and the Citizen.
I’ve written about him before: a dear friend of my father, Skënder Selimi, a close collaborator in scenography and costume design. Similar and yet opposite in their arguments, both were inspiring, passionate, demanding, and committed to Albanian art. Always challenging themselves — even to the point of stepping on stage at the age of 70 — to fulfill a long-standing dream of reviving the ballet “Scheherazade” in a spectacular production at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet. That moment, when they received applause, they felt truly at home.
Building the “Home” of Albanian Theatre
How do we build a home, how do we raise it, and how do we protect it? I can no longer ask Professor Gimi these questions directly, but I believe I know his answer. He left it to us in the very foundations of modern Albanian scenography — with a legacy of over 300 set designs.
His most fruitful collaboration was with director Pirro Mani, with more than 40 productions. His scenography liberated the stage from the clutter of descriptive objects. He created set designs that are born and die on stage. He accepted theatrical convention, yet built scenography that was alive with the spirit of the playwright, director, and actor. He believed that “Theatre is a collective art. You must be 50% director to remain 100% scenographer, and vice versa.”
He demonstrated this belief in the 2009 production of “A View from the Bridge”, where the empty stage began to tremble under the weight of thought, wisdom, freedom, and the searching vision of a 71-year-old scenographer.
“Creativity is Happiness”
“Creativity for Agim Zajmi is happiness,” said director Drita Agolli.
The legendary actor Naim Frashëri called him a “Master of the Theatre”, and Sandër Prosi described his scenography as “rings of gold.”
Indeed, the Artist kept the “Home” alive through his unique personality and multidimensional talent — allowing us to enter the creative laboratory of a poetic scenographer who revealed, like no one else, the secrets and magic of his art. As the artist and professor Gazmend Leka once said:
“Agim Zajmi is a milestone in Albanian scenography.”
The Professor, the Painter, the Visionary
As a professor at the Academy of Arts in Tirana for decades, he shaped future generations of painters with patience and simplicity.
As a painter, he exhibited his works in France, Italy, the UK, Greece, Turkey, Austria, and more. A master of color and canvas, he created numerous landscapes, compositions, and portraits — among them:
“Albanian Dance,” “Kosovo Field,” “The Sky Cries for Albania,” “Fairies of the Mountains,” “For the War in Kosovo,” “Portrait of a Woman,” “The Kosovar Girl,” “Emigration”, and others.
Forever at Home
I cannot fully summarize his life’s work, but I know that it remains “at home” — in the memory of all those who lived in the time of Agim Zajmi.
Thank you, Professor Zajmi, for your contribution to scenography, costume design, and exhibitions full of color and meaning.
Thank you for your friendship with my father — as artists, creators, and friends who remained united until the very end.
Now, you are together in the heavens.
Thank you, Master, for the Art, for your Civic Spirit, for your Teaching, and for all that you gave us.
Writed by Milena Selimi
www.kultplus.com
November 2023
