Dear Steemians

Today we would like to take you to an *Art Gallery* in the magnificent city of Skopje in Macedonia. The country has been in the news lately because of their conflict with Greece. I'm going to tell you more about this dispute later. First, I would like to explain to you, where this story takes place: 🎨**Art Gallery "El Greco"** 🎨 ![ELena_Horn.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbzbxKQ1geJQTPJH9f7DqgySNz9u2bq2oaP1CCKgmrXrQ/ELena_Horn.jpeg) ◇Initially I took this photo on order to see if Facebook would censor it. I found the painting very realistic and I wanted to understand how much breast is too much for Facebook. Can the software distinguish a painting from a photo? So far, it wasn't taken down. ◇ ![Mona_Lisa.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmabLdVLvZXawSzuhdCsY81MiKMoTyQVmSx5ZjbKjAJscx/Mona_Lisa.jpg) ◇ El Greco is located very close to the main square of Skopje. There is a massive statue of *Alexander the Great* - the supposed founder of Macedonia. And this is where the conflict begins. The Greeks want the Macedonians to give up their name because Alexander the Great was Greek and had nothing to do with the people that are living in Macedonia today. ◇ ![IMG_5640.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbohAVn7YGtKjvwvepMBgwkUPJgT7paRdrRRw7gAeQ8YM/IMG_5640.jpg) ◇ It is correct that the land, which is called Macedonia today, used to be part of the *Ancient Kingdom Macedonia* controlled for some time by the great emperor Alexander. But the people that live around Skopje today are mainly Slaves, not Greeks. Both countries are far from finding a solution to their conflict surrounding national pride the Macedonian's myth of origin. ◇ ![Alessandro_Leonardi.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTAY4Jq9YrbTwUDoZZJ6fWeqYxmzaWxXgCmjE6aRyy5XG/Alessandro_Leonardi.jpg) ◇ However, the gallery was a magnificent find by Alessandro who immediately befriended it's owner Ivan. He made us a coffee in his little kitchen corner and told us about the gallery which his mother started all by herself. It is a hard business - above all for a lady who is all by herself. ◇ ![IMG_5645.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbeVu7oyre15skAScLM9AWDnAE9Bxrd3qbPVK6KUkGScv/IMG_5645.jpg) ◇ In Skopje there are groups that function very similarly to the mafia in Italy. They want protection money - and in return, they won't damage your shop. They will also blackmail you with the same threat and take a part of your profit each month. Many shops close down because it is not just financial but extreme psychological pressure. ◇ ![Alessandro_Leonardi_Film.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZT5fcF8mknT4q31LG1JoSxfpEH2cCJXM7WmCB3U2WVvw/Alessandro_Leonardi_Film.jpg) ◇ Alessandro and Ivan engaged in a little photo shooting and I had time to roam around the gallery and loose myself in the colors, statues and this brilliant smell which you can only encounter in an art gallery. A bit of dust. A bit of canvas, paper and paint. ◇ ![IMG_5658.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQywmVu7xQTx9HmPxjQ2f1SDBQwbFmLsPQkzBvnD85zcr/IMG_5658.jpg) ◇ I simply love the way, a gallery works. It's often so much nicer than a museum. Paintings are stacked, leaning, hanging and you can get very close, even touch them. It's a mess and a tasteful combination at the same time. All the anecdotes about the artists are floating around the room - and I catch their echoes. ◇ ![IMG_5659.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXnmDyDcm5aYdB8SuHyNUoRRrj8QZ3u9pDcM1HdHgRL5E/IMG_5659.jpg) ![IMG_5662.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmW6ofeH9xdBub9mVtHuT4YrAtZMmVVdJKMiEWHBsFAkPM/IMG_5662.jpg) ◇ *When have you last been to an art gallery? Where was it? What did you smell, how did it make you feel? Did you feel like you could connect to the pieces or was it nothing more than pieces of furniture?* ◇ ![Elena_Horn.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmamd5myLiGT5roStthAhTC8KFJhwkFFgHDoVtPT64dGn9/Elena_Horn.png) ◇ *In the end, a little impression from Skopje's main square - filled with 26 massive statues! They are brand new and cost a fortune. For the people of Skopje it was a controversial political decision. They prefer to have working railways and less statues.* ◇ We are sending you a big hug! STEEM ON AND KEEP THE POWER UP! ◇ [//]:# (!steemitworldmap 41.996669 lat 21.429235 long Magnificent Art Gallery d3scr) Yours, ***Elena & Ale***