The 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia
National Participation
ALBANIA
Commissioner: Parid Teferici
Curator: Riccardo Caldura
Exhibition title: Geopathies
Artists: Anila Rubiku, Orion Shima, Gentian Shkurti, Eltjon Valle, Driant Zeneli
Place of exhibition: Spazio Rolak, Giudecca 211/b 30133 Venezia
Opening to the public: 4 June – 27 November (from 10.00 am until 18.00, closed on Monday)
Inauguration: 2 June, 18.30 hrs.
The Albanian Pavilion for the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale will be
held in a new exhibition space presented for the first time to the general public. For the
occasion five artists were invited that live both in Albania and abroad (especially in Italy)
while maintaining close contacts with their country of origin. It is this particular condition
made not only of awayness, but also of closeness, that has brought about the new way of
feeling that the title of the show speaks of. Geopathies, compounded of two Greek words:
GE (or GEA), the earth; and PATHOS (passion, affection).
It is therefore an investigation on the relationship between work, feel and context, the latter
understood as the set of historical, social, cultural and geographic components that make up
the complex chessboard of what we understand today as the ground, the homeland, the
place of origin and of eventual return. It may seem paradoxical to speak of the place of origin
in a dimension that, especially for what concerns the contemporary arts, is proving to be
increasingly international and therefore global. But within this global horizon the deep
connections between work and the complex chessboard mentioned above do not weaken or
lessen.
Indeed, the works seem to be particularly sensitive mechanisms for recording the differences
and affections of these places, i.e. the complex dynamics that exist between the human
dimension and the context around. In their complete autonomy of languages, formal
solutions and poetical options, the five invited artists bring to light, very intensely, their
relationship with their country of origin, a country in profound transformation as Albania
currently is.
Anila Rubiku proposes a new, complex installation “Other countries. Other’s citizenships”
based on a number of men’s hats carefully embroidered by hand by many people involved in
the production of the work. The artist, who lives between Italy, France and Albania, wonders
what remains of the starting place, in the dimension of exile and encounter with other
cultures and other people.
Sunday
Monday
Tue – Thu
Friday
Saturday
Closed
By appointment only
11:00 – 18:00
11:00 – 14:00
11:00 – 14:00
Design by The-Studio
Code By Haker Design
Sunday
Monday
Tue – Thu
Friday
Saturday
Closed
By appointment only
11:00 – 16:00
11:00 – 14:00
Closed