Skopje, 18 June 2026 (MIA) — An exhibition of new works by Ivana Samandova and Ismael Peltreau, titled “Always under Construction,” opens Thursday evening at the Cultural and Information Center as part of the City of Skopje’s EU-funded CreArt Artist in Residence program.

According to organizers, the art show features video, objects and sculptures created by Skopje-born Samandova and Peltreau of Clermont-Ferrand, France, exploring Skopje’s urban and cultural history.

The artists portray the capital as a living organism shaped by layers of human emotion and architecture. Their artwork interprets various design periods, from historic cobblestones and brutalist facades to modern and neoclassical layers as well as the gaps between them, organizers said.

The show blends the perspectives of Samandova as a local resident and Peltreau as a visiting artist. Together, their work explores the city’s constant transformation and how its unfinished spaces offer new ways to interpret urban environments.

The exhibition is built around the concept of “wandering as an artistic practice” providing a fresh look at the relationship between architecture, daily life and people’s expectations, organizers said.

“Always under Construction” is part of the European project CreArt Artist in Residence, now in its seventh year.

Ivana Samandova (b. 1997, Skopje in 1997) is an interdisciplinary artist who uses new media and installations to examine sociopolitical issues and power dynamics. A recipient of the Borko Lazeski Award, she has had several solo and group exhibitions.

Ismael Peltreau is a French video performance artist. He studied at the École Supérieure d’Art de Clermont Métropole, obtaining his Diplôme National Supérieur d’Expression Plastique. He co-founded WorkParty, a program that supports video artists. mr/