In 2022, a massive fire destroyed the main concert hall in Skopje, Universal Hall. The building had been closed for many years and was undergoing a full-scale renovation following an intense public debate. Universal Hall was a gift to the people of Skopje by the international community after the 1963 earthquake. Situated in a prime location in the city centre, it hosted significant cultural events and was considered “the symbol of modern Skopje.”

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The fire put the renovation plans on hold and initiated a dispute over ownership between the city of Skopje and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As a result, the building became a “no man’s land,” empty and abandoned, like a vast graveyard.

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By September 2025, the artist had planned to capture the building’s dome from the inside and project it onto the Cifte Hamam dome. However, she was unable to secure a filming permit or access to the building. She therefore created a dystopian video of the burning dome using artificial intelligence (AI), based on media photographs of the fire. The work thus serves as a reminder not only of the moment the building was engulfed in flames, but also of all the other fires that occurred this year, whether natural or man-made, here and abroad. 

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Universal Fire explores the constant transformation of spaces, the gap between reality and fiction, and the way we deal with memory, loss, and, ultimately, death.

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(Photo: Roman Richers, 2025)