The mountain of Jordi Pantebre

The exposition Photos paysages d’Andorre by Jordi Pantebre has taken place from 03^rd  until 15^th Dec 2012 in Strasbourg and consisted of 17 photos of the mountains of Andorra. The exposition was accompanied by the poems of Andreu Escales. It was organized by Andorra – the then rotating chairman of the Council of Ministers of the EC. Those 17 photoграпhic canvases illustrating the mountains of Andorra are the result of 30 years of work. The mountains of Jordi Pantebre. 30 years. 17 pictures.

It was 10^th or 11^th January, 10 am, -25 ^o, Dordrecht. I am ringing at the door. I am thumping. No one. I go to the window and go on. A sleepy, stressed and stunned man pulled the curtain, to whom I said:

-          The sun. Come on.

-          I haven’t had a coffee yet.

-          After that. Dress up. Don’t forget the camera. I’ve been waiting for the sun for three days.

We rushed to the gallery. Inside, through a hole as large as ten cents drilling through the completely darkened with black, tightly foil windows, a powerful beam floated. You've seen it. Magic Space Tangra.

  - I am in the Netherlands for years. Nobody has ever thought of coming home without notice. I am shocked. But it’s good that you came. A great job we did.

To get a refuge, Jordi had signed a declaration that he would not get involved in politics in the Netherlands. He couldn’t stand that I did not bother with politics. He was expelled from France “with a gun against his head”, as he said, while signing the declaration that he would never go back to France. And he was in France because he had been expelled from Spain for a two-hour movie, depicting the repressions against the Basques.

Movie is not the correct word. Jordi was then experimenting with multiple screen photo projection. On a large screen 6 photos showing simultaneously, each with different duration, thus forming different combinations and logical relations with the rest. Incredibly rich vision. Six slide projectors, with 2 000 shots each, each controlled by a computer. 1985. As a student he had shot for Dali.

Jordi was attached to me to film the process and the creation of my exhibition, because we were alike according to the Dutch. The communists had destroyed my exhibition and despite that I had continued working. I had protested against the restrictions imposed in a letter addressed to the Minister of Interior in 1984. I am still keeping the letter.

The newspapers reported about my issues with the authorities. А celebrity from the Balkans! A dissident! The dissidents were in vogue then. My exhibition was one of twelve, presenting Bulgarian culture in accordance with an interstate contract. It started with the Thracian gold treasure and so, so, to the avant-garde in Bulgaria. To me.

At the opening of the celebrations, after thanking in the end of his speech, the Prime Minister Lubbers said everything was wonderful except for the missing Veselin Dimov.

A confusion in Bulgaria.

… within these conditions I will go nowhere

… all right, no problem, they were not considering me anymore.

…. If you ever come back in the next 6 months, make sure to call me before that

 -  It is all right like that.

He kept his word.

You see – a young wife, a mother, a brother.

I was with a heart arrhythmia. And not only.

That is how I became a vegetarian if you have ever asked yourself why.

The Bulgarian ambassador was not invited to the opening of my exhibition.

The Mayor of Dordrecht learnt 2 hours before the event that I had invited him.

I am presenting Bulgaria. There is no way for him no to come. He had had a schedule.

All the King’s Men came.

The avant-garde Dutch composer sang, played and danced shamanic motives on the topic of Tangra for nearly two hours. That was the opening. When all the speeches were over, I replaced the embassy interpreter in front of the microphone. In the awkward silence I thanked my audience and explained in my German that I am protesting for being manipulated with political purposes from Bulgarian as well as from Dutch authorities.

-          Jordi, come tomorrow morning at 4:30 am at my house with the pickup. In Bulgaria the arrests start at 5 am. I don’t know what the practice is here. Tell Margreet to be ready in her car at 4:45 am. I get out of your car, cross the garden and get into her car.

At 4:55 am we were heading to Amsterdam with full speed. Margreet Huisman is an exquisite artist and person. Slender and aristocratic, she had the softness of the movements of an expensive Siamese cat.

Jordi and I, we shared a great welcome of the sun in the deserted areas of the village of Topola, next to Balchik. We haven’t seen each other ever since.