1. The issue of the refugees / refuge is one of the so called eternal issues which literally and absolutely communicate with all civilization codes of existence. Essential existential and moral, philosophical, sociological... and all other aspects / consequences of human destiny are directly traversed / united through it / in it. But the refuge issue is also far from any possible rational comprehension; it is an extremely stressful, emotional topic and no one can face it with a previously prepared defense mechanism of indifference or with a “cool head”. It is because, basically, refuge / exile ... is experienced and lived through the prism of collective tragedies and exoduses, through pictures of convoys of devastated, miserable and exhausted old people, women and children ... pictures that leave no room for indifference! On the other hand, can we “relate” the entire (known) history of humankind to the refugee syndrome, can we treat the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden as an act of (indirect) refuge? Since, refuge is, after all, a reaction which is often preceded by an action - exile - so that this is directly biblical topic, as well, additionally supporting its “eternity”. What’s more, the First Book, along with the “Eden Story”, is full of other “colorful” and convincing elaboration of this crucial topic and other even more drastic examples - the exile of the Jews from Egypt, the exile / refuge of the Christians from Israel, etc., - which tells us that the history of humankind is, actually, a history of refuge! But, the much more “exciting” real world, reflected in certain events of the distant or nearer past is full of far more cruel examples of action and reaction, of exile and refuge: the Edict of Fontainebleau by Luis XIV of 1685 (1), the Soviet Revolution of 1917 (2), the so called, Armenian genocide of 1915-1917 (3), the horrors and the holocaust of the Second World War, the constitution of the state of Israel in 1948 and the Israel-Arab wars (4), etc. And despite the shocking historical experiences, the situation with the refugees is not much better today. According to the information issued by UNCHR, at the beginning of 2006 there were 8,4 million refugees in the world! And: about 80% of the refugees are always women and children! The reasons for this awfully painful and, as a rule, always strikingly bloody events are different: religious, territorial, ideological, racial...! That is, the reasons always seem to be inexplicably different, and the methods and the results are always - the same! The definite outcome appears to be as copied on a matrix: blood and tears, dead and displaced, separated families and reshaped destinies, personal and collective dramas, thousands of “dislocated” lives... 
2. The refuge topic has not spared the Macedonian historical experience. It affected different aspects - both the country / nationality, directly subjected to a refuge genocide, and the territory through / in which a sequence of refuge crisis “happened”. Yet, the Macedonian experiences are, more or less, unknown to the world historical memory because in all of the searches / readings of the possible refuge crisis points in the world history, Macedonia is literally not mentioned at all! Or, it is, yet very rarely, which makes no difference! This especially refers to the topic of this artistic project - the tragic Macedonian refuge exodus in the time of the civil war in Greece, that is, its end (1948-49). In the popular and easy accessible sources (Internet) of today it is either not mentioned or reduced to euphemisms like: “deportation”, “relocation”, “transportation” of families or children, without stating their ethnical origin. However, there are many sources that alter the truth by naming them (especially the children) “Greek children transformed into fanatic Macedonians.” (5) Although the numbers vary amazingly - some reach up to 700,000 refugees (6), especially pointing out the 28,296 children (7) - it is more than clear that it was a tragic exodus, unseen in the Balkan region in the 20th century. On the other hand, although such an elaboration would not be appropriate at this point, it is still questionable how much have we ourselves contributed / worked upon a more complete and more thorough clarification of those events!
3. The reference to the beginning of this text - to the emphasized emotional reliving of this issue, that is, exactly because of that - can lead to the conclusion that this issue (on a global level or as a particular, actual event) would be viable for possible artistic transposition. Probably yes, but the practice, particularly the Macedonian artistic practice, proves the opposite. It appears that the refuge issue, regardless of the “rich” Macedonian historical experience, has not been frequently used as an artistic topic. We could even say that it has been outstandingly ignored. It particularly refers to the topic of this project - the Macedonian exodus in the time of the civil war in Greece - the serious artistic projects (in the visual artistic media) can be counted on the fingers of one hand! Of course, first in line is the feature film “Black Seed” by Kiril Cenevski, then several documentaries (like “Tulgesh” by Kole Manev) and TV shows (“The Signors of Greek Diplomacy” by Nikola Kalajdziski) and the latest cinematographic achievement “The Children of 1948” by the young Suzana Dinevska. In the fine arts the examples are even fewer: some of the artworks of Kole Manev (mostly reflecting a mood, a reference and things like that), some artworks in the field of sculpture and the graphic prints of Naso Bekarovski, and that’s all. (8)
4. In order to understand more thoroughly the commitment of Slavica Janešlieva to such a topic it is necessary to get to know rather well her former achievements. In that sense: “...two things are to be underlined in the artistic idiom Slavica Janešlieva has uttered so far. The first would be her impressive narration delightfulness, her effortlessly pulling out the moments / stories from memory and, like the best post-modern tellers, ‘mixing’ the contexts, the times, the order, the situations..., not insisting on her own version but leaving it to the spectators to contrive their own story. The second aspect refers to her amazing sense of visualization of the narration where the memory / story is turned into a representation, object, color - a materialized substance - which powerfully synthesize history / tradition and everyday, the great ideas and the small things, emotions and reflections, metaphors and meanings”. (9) “Actually, the entire former artistic idiom of Janešlieva - her graphic art, the installations, objects, etc. is mostly defined through the modalities of the so called ‘art in first person’ or, even better, through the domain of the ‘inter-subjectivity’ and the (self)reflexiveness. It means that her projects, almost a continuity of a quite personal ‘story’, are contained in a kind of self-referential system composed of segmented stories with an intimate - family background. In that context the intimate / family aspect might remind of a replacement of the general / social aspect, an ‘escape’ from this and such social reality, yet in its very core still deeply related to a string of burning (traditional, moral...) dilemmas, actual for the global environment”. (10) Therefore, this project of Janešlieva is, actually, just another in the series of her current commitments, her personal views and “comments” on eternal topics, always bitterly provocative and, as a rule, covering a “wide spectrum”. This, on the other hand, might sound like a boring moralization which, eventually, has nothing to do with the art per se. Of course, it is not the case, especially when it comes to an artist of the Janešlieva type. Since, Slavica does not teach lectures, she doesn’t send messages, She leaves it to the less inventive ones. She “carries” in herself the topic / pain, she develops / “ripens” it to a solid concept with a clear thought and outlined visage. And in that concept there is no room for cheap moralizations or banal coaxing!
In the context of the Macedonian refuge issue Janešlieva’s motif / challenge might, at first sight, seem unclear (if the artistic creation requires a motif at all). What is the reason and the origin of the interest for this particular not sufficiently researched and, openly speaking, today still complex, outstandingly unknown and “problematic story”? Actually, there are no secrets since the challenge lies in the complexity of the topic, in its (as yet) “seclusion”, in its catastrophic dimensions, in the incredible destinies of the participants, in... ! We can state tens of reasons and some of the most important among them, certainly, the need for loudness, publicness, soundness... the need to dimension it appropriately, both historically and artistically, the requirement that both the world and we ourselves face the cruel reality, for countless more times. Of course, the key question is: how come and why is it that the history and the world know everything about all the other exoduses, and almost nothing about this one? Therefore, as Benjamin noted “the true picture of the past silently passes by us, the past can be understood as a picture that sparkles intensely at the moment of realization and then irrecoverably vanishes... since in every present the picture of the past can irrecoverably vanish, a picture where the present could not recognize itself”, Janešlieva seems to tend to “retain” some pictures, to “freeze” them for a moment, save them, temporarily, from vanishing - at least until we don’t understand them better or pay them the due respect. The concept of the project “Grafting” is multi-farious / multi-layered. The light-motif is absolutely the refuge issue - the exodus of the Macedonian families during the civil war in Greece 1946 - 49, but Janešlieva “weaves” around it several crucial points. Hence, the organization of the visual part follows the following logic: The first point is, certainly, the distressing, endless, tragic... eternal refugee convoy that in continuo, as a perpetuum mobile, moves through the human history. In this case, it is the Macedonian part of the Hell, the Aegean exodus, the convoy of Macedonian refugees escaping the purging of the military horde. “...They were taking the children, and they made them count the stars to stop them from falling asleep. And they made wishes and counted the stars. While their only wish was to be left to fall asleep... Children held to their mother’s skirts and counted the stars.” (11) It is an insert from the Aegean exile, yet it could’ve been any other refugee convoy: from Palestine and Sudan, from Afghanistan and Iraq, from Myanmar...! The essence is the same, only the “set” and the “costumes” are different. It consists of convoys of silent destinies that painfully hike through roadless areas, leaving everything behind and looking to nothing ahead! It is the beginning, the introduction to a huge future emptiness, to new resettlements and accustoming to new regions, new people...! If the first “story” was (at least) general and global, “anonymous” and collective, the second point is (partially) personalized, presenting it with identity! Here the convoy is already identified, it gradually becomes recognizable through its direct participants - the former refugee children and their stories, with the figures personified - they acquire faces, voices, names and forenames. However, Janešlieva’s point was not to completely involve us, that is, “inform” us on the characters in this story, since that would turn it into fiction of cinema. In this case she looks for something else, she look for (and finds!) a different visual poetics. The characters and their stories are an echo through which Janešlieva follows some other “traces”. More precisely, by setting this segment of the “story” in several separate video and/or photographic stories/inserts. Janešlieva rather focuses her (and our) attention to the particular parts of their bodies than to the tellers themselves, that is, to several important details as elements that might incite “new stories”! For example, the hands (in regards to the fact that the age of the refugee children was deteremined by the bones of their hands), then the hair (as a rule, cut, as a preventive measure when the refugees arrived to their destination points), etc.! The third segment of the project, the third “story” is, actually, the end or - the expected new beginning! More precisely: although horribly forcefully unrooted from their birth places (often from their parents and their close relatives, as well), the refugee children, same as the older ones, were expected to simply go on with their lives - somewhere “there”, in an alien environment, as if nothing had happened!
In the context of the Macedonian refuge issue Janešlieva’s motif / challenge might, at first sight, seem unclear (if the artistic creation requires a motif at all). What is the reason and the origin of the interest for this particular not sufficiently researched and, openly speaking, today still complex, outstandingly unknown and “problematic story”? Actually, there are no secrets since the challenge lies in the complexity of the topic, in its (as yet) “seclusion”, in its catastrophic dimensions, in the incredible destinies of the participants, in... ! We can state tens of reasons and some of the most important among them, certainly, the need for loudness, publicness, soundness... the need to dimension it appropriately, both historically and artistically, the requirement that both the world and we ourselves face the cruel reality, for countless more times. Of course, the key question is: how come and why is it that the history and the world know everything about all the other exoduses, and almost nothing about this one? Therefore, as Benjamin noted “the true picture of the past silently passes by us, the past can be understood as a picture that sparkles intensely at the moment of realization and then irrecoverably vanishes... since in every present the picture of the past can irrecoverably vanish, a picture where the present could not recognize itself”, Janešlieva seems to tend to “retain” some pictures, to “freeze” them for a moment, save them, temporarily, from vanishing - at least until we don’t understand them better or pay them the due respect. The concept of the project “Grafting” is multi-farious / multi-layered. The light-motif is absolutely the refuge issue - the exodus of the Macedonian families during the civil war in Greece 1946 - 49, but Janešlieva “weaves” around it several crucial points. Hence, the organization of the visual part follows the following logic: The first point is, certainly, the distressing, endless, tragic... eternal refugee convoy that in continuo, as a perpetuum mobile, moves through the human history. In this case, it is the Macedonian part of the Hell, the Aegean exodus, the convoy of Macedonian refugees escaping the purging of the military horde. “...They were taking the children, and they made them count the stars to stop them from falling asleep. And they made wishes and counted the stars. While their only wish was to be left to fall asleep... Children held to their mother’s skirts and counted the stars.” (11) It is an insert from the Aegean exile, yet it could’ve been any other refugee convoy: from Palestine and Sudan, from Afghanistan and Iraq, from Myanmar...! The essence is the same, only the “set” and the “costumes” are different. It consists of convoys of silent destinies that painfully hike through roadless areas, leaving everything behind and looking to nothing ahead! It is the beginning, the introduction to a huge future emptiness, to new resettlements and accustoming to new regions, new people...! If the first “story” was (at least) general and global, “anonymous” and collective, the second point is (partially) personalized, presenting it with identity! Here the convoy is already identified, it gradually becomes recognizable through its direct participants - the former refugee children and their stories, with the figures personified - they acquire faces, voices, names and forenames. However, Janešlieva’s point was not to completely involve us, that is, “inform” us on the characters in this story, since that would turn it into fiction of cinema. In this case she looks for something else, she look for (and finds!) a different visual poetics. The characters and their stories are an echo through which Janešlieva follows some other “traces”. More precisely, by setting this segment of the “story” in several separate video and/or photographic stories/inserts. Janešlieva rather focuses her (and our) attention to the particular parts of their bodies than to the tellers themselves, that is, to several important details as elements that might incite “new stories”! For example, the hands (in regards to the fact that the age of the refugee children was deteremined by the bones of their hands), then the hair (as a rule, cut, as a preventive measure when the refugees arrived to their destination points), etc.! The third segment of the project, the third “story” is, actually, the end or - the expected new beginning! More precisely: although horribly forcefully unrooted from their birth places (often from their parents and their close relatives, as well), the refugee children, same as the older ones, were expected to simply go on with their lives - somewhere “there”, in an alien environment, as if nothing had happened! 
Janešlieva actually “tests” this thesis by comparing the refuge story to grafting of young trees, that is, she links the artificial “implantation” of children from one environment to another to an equivalent artificial grafting, a “transplantation” of one plant to another! And this “good old” grafting technique, as a rule, functions in practice. The young plants, same as the young children, as a rule, “accept” the graft, they grow and develop, at least, according to the grafter’s plan (?). Since, human kind, same as the trees, is a tough kind! The question is only what remains inside - what marks, what traces are left in the rings, in the souls, in the memories!
5. Referring us back to these not so distant events under the “dark sky of the Aegean region” (12), Janešlieva “pays” (symbolically) our debt to the Aegean trail. She does not leave the “moment of enlightenment” only as a flash and the past only as a futile flow, she precisely and emotionally renders her angle of perception. The timing is probably not perfect because we are now facing the reopening of the complex of questions on human / cultural and other rights of the Macedonians in the region. The Aegean exodus - an event unseen not even in Biblical terms (13) - is an important part of that complex.
Notes:
(1) This Edict outlawed the Protestantism and, actually, caused a forceful displacement of some 500,000 Protestants (Huguenots) from France to other European countries.
(2) It ended up in a refugee wave of some 1,500,000 people to the countries of Europe.
(3) It caused a forceful displacement of one million Armenians from Turkey.
(4) According to some assessments, in that period some two million people were displaced (Palestinians, Jews and others).
(5) Irene Lagani, The Removal of the Greek Children and Greek-Yugoslav Relations, 1949-1953--A Critical Approach, Athens: I. Sideris, 1996.
(6) Greece Civil War, Library of Congress Country Studies.
(7) The Black Book Of Communism. by Stéphane Courtois, Nicholas Werth, Jean-Louis Panné, Andrzej Paczkowski, Karel Bartosek, and Jean-Louis Margolin, H.U.P., Cambridge, MA. 1999. (8) In this context, although not directly related to the particular “Macedonian” variation of this topic, but seen somewhat wider, we mention the exhibition “Artists and Refugees” (curator Melentie Pandilovski) at the Museum of the City of Skopje, 1999.
(9) Zlatko Teodosievski, Janešlieva, (catalogue), National Gallery of Macedonia, 2005.
(10) Ibid.
(11) Petre M. Andreevski, Nebeska Timjanova, Dnevnik / Tabernakul, Skopje, 2007, p. 152. (12) Ivan Čapovski, Crnoto nebo nad Egejot (The Dark Sky Above the Aegean Region), Dnevnik, 20th of September 2007, p. 11.
(13) Ibid.
