THE KITSCH FACTOR: BETWEEN AUTHENTICITY AND COMMODITY IN THE BALKANS

Abstract

The following essay is based on my presentation on the topic, as part of the Design Week in
Tirana and it aims to illustrate the widespread appeal of Kitsch in the region, with the help of a
number of images taken throughout the Balkan Peninsula. But before we move on to the
analysis of the presented images, let us attempt to define the notion of „Kitsch' in broad terms.
It is somewhat axiomatic to consider Kitsch as the embodiment of tastelessness and
unoriginality. Kitschy artifacts are usually treated like knock-offs of dubious aesthetic quality
(Samier,A.E, 2008)