Kosovo will be represented in the Venice Biennale 2017 with the artist Sislej Xhafa

23.12.2016

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Kujtim Shala, received a letter from the Director of the Venice Biennale Board, Paolo Baratta, approving the request of the Minister regarding participation of Kosovo in the 57th Venice Biennale that will be held from May to November 2017.

The artist that will represent Kosovo in Biennale is a well-known name of the worldwide art field, Sislej Xhafa, whereas the curator will be the Director of National Art Gallery, Arta Agani. Whereas, Valon Ibraj was assigned as the Commissioner of the Pavilion of the Republic of Kosovo in the 57th International Art Exhibition in the Venice Biennale, as official representative of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport will cover the expenses of the project by allocating 150 thousand euro, including also coordination of eventual donations.

Minister Shala considers representation of Kosovo in this event as very important. “The Venice Biennale is one of the greatest art events in the world and representation of our country in this cultural organization is an opportunity for promotion of our artists and recognition of our cultural scene as well as to further enhance Kosovo’s image in the international arena.

Sislej Xhafa is one of the well-known name of the contemporary arts, who recently was awarded the title Academic of Honor of Florence School of Arts. The presentations and reviews that were written about him guarantee a praiseworthy and affirmative representation of Kosovo in Biennale, in the third representation of our country in this huge worldwide art event. The aim is to get the attention of the public, through Xhafa’s work, considering his poignant reputation he is currently enjoying in the global art scene.

Sislej Xhafa
Sislej Xhafa was born in Peja, 1970. He lives in New York. He is known for his artistic investigation into social, economical and political realities associated with the various complexities of modern society. Xhafa has over the years highlighted his artistic work on economic and social themes, political realities, as they interact with the protean variety of modern society. His investigations, for example, into phenomena of tourism or forced illegality use a minimal language and they are also ironic and subversive, practicing indifferently a wide range of media, from sculpture to drawing, and performance to photography

Xhafa exhibited at MAXXI Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome Benvenuto! Curated by Hou Hanru and Luigia Lonardelli (2016); BWA Sokół Contemporary Art Gallery in Nowy Sącz, Poland The Stillness of Thought kuruar nga Anna Smolak and co-ordinator Monika Smyła (2016); Harrova që Fillova curated by Klod Dedja and Ema Andrea, Fondacioni i Artit M.A.M. Tirana, Albania; Informal Mind kuruar nga M.A.M. Foundation, Elbasan, Albania (2014); Italian Pavilion of the 55th Venice Biennale Vice Versa Venice Biennale, Venice; 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanzawa Borderline: Collection Exhibition II Kanazawa, Japan (2013); Galleria Continua Unpoetic Bride Le Moulin (2012); François Pinault Foundation The World Belongs to You Palazzo Grassi, Venice; Hardau City Park, Y, Zurich; MADRE Museum of Contemporary Art Donna Regina, Still Untitled Napoli; The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery Rearview Mirror Toronto (2011); PRISM Misericordia West Hollywood, California; MAXXI Spazio. Dalle collezioni di arte e architettura, Roma; Il Museo Privato. La passione per l'arte contemporanea nelle collezioni bergamasche, GAMeC, Bergamo; Röda Sten, 2705 Baci..., Göteborg (2010); MART Rovereto Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto, Language and Experimentations; PAC Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, Ibrido. Genetica delle forme, Milano; DEPO, Indefinite Destinations, Istanbul; MADRE Museum of Contemporary Art Donna Regina Barock Napoli (2009); Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba; Modern Art Oxford Transmission Interrupted Biennale of Gwangju, Gwangju, Korea; MOCAD Museum of Contemporary Art of Detroit, Business As Usual; Schirn Kunsthalle, All-Inclusive. A Tourist World Frankfurt (2008); Istanbul Museum Of Modern Art Time Present, Time Past, Istanbul; Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art Rethinking Dissent, Göteborg, Sweden; Mori Art Museum, All About Laughter Humor in Contemporary art, Tokyo (2007); PERFORMA05, performance biennial, New York (2005); I Bienal de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla, Fundación BIACS, La alegria de mis sueños, Monasterio la Cartuja de Santa María de las Cuervas, Sevilla; The Renaissance Society, New Video, New Europe, Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art, St.Louis; Tate Modern, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks; Fundació 'la Caixa' la Sala Montcada, Barcelona; Haifa Museum of Art, Israel (2004), Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2003), Gwangju Biennial, Pause,Gwangju, (2002); Istanbul Biennial, Egofugal Istanbul; S.M.A.K., Casino, Gent; PS1 Uniform New York (2001); Manifesta III, Ljubljana, Slovenia, S.M.A.K., Over the Edges Gent (2000); Fondazione Olivetti, Rome (2000) and the Venice Biennale (1997,1999, 2005 & 2013).

Arta Agani
She was born on 1973 in Prishtina. She lives and works in Prishtina. Since August 2016 she is a Director of Kosovo National Gallery. She lectures the subject Typography in the Evolution Academy on Communication Design. She holds a Master degree in Graphic Design since 2004 in the class of Professor Shyqri Nimani with the topic “Haiku – Verse and Vision” at the Faculty of Arts in the University of Prishtina, whereas prior to this she graduated in the department of Graphic Design at the same Faculty in 1997.

In 2011 she received the Certificate of the Certified Program, Exhibition Design and Management at the University of Donau in Krems, Austria (Faculty of Science, Culture and Building), the Department for Image Science and Art with lectures by international experts like Frank den OUDSTEN, Jorge WAGENSBERG, Brigitte FELDERER, Becky GILBERT, STEFAN IGLHAUT + GESA von GROTE, Enrique GUITART etc.

Her professional work during her career initially includes design as her primary profession, artistic projects and exhibitions, but with a special attention to management of artistic projects and curation of several exhibitions. Her professional experience increased especially during her work as Coordinator of the International Project Artists of Tomorrow for the Kosovo National Gallery for the period 2005-2010. During this period she managed the mentioned project where she also led the exhibition production and curation process. Her recent projects under this capacity were: “Museum of Memory (Muzeu i Memories)”, Prishtina, December 2015; “Art in Embassies”, US Embassy in Prishtina December, 2015.

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