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By:
Besarte Elshani
- March 24 2025 08: 00
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"The connection between cultural heritage and contemporary art in this edition of the 'Autostrada Biennale' is close and interactive. The 'Biennale' aims to create a dynamic dialogue between historical monuments and contemporary works of art, engaging artists to reimagine historical narratives through artistic interventions," said curator Erzen Shkololli, while briefly revealing the themes that will be explored.
Art and culture are the echoes of Kosovo's name in the world. There they breathe and take shape with the identity of the country. Prizren is one of the central destinations. “Autostrada Biennale” is one and becomes a center of contemporary art not only in the country, but also beyond. Under the theme “Unfolding Currents: The Pulse of Time” with curator Erzen Shkololli, the connection between cultural heritage and contemporary art is narrowed. According to the curator, the artists address global themes such as migration, memory, identity, narrowing down to the historical aspects of the country by local artists.
One of the biggest events not only in Kosovo, but also highly regarded by art critics, is about four months away. From July 5th to October 5th, the event aims to be on the international cultural map.
In its fifth edition, which marks ten years of activity, the "Autostrada Biennale" has invited artists of different generations and locations to exhibit their art in the hangar and in the city's cultural and historical monuments.
According to curator Erzen Shkololli, the exhibition of the works of these artists puts Kosovo on the map of important biennials.
"The exhibition of works by international and local artists in Kosovo is important as it helps create an international cultural exchange and puts Kosovo on the map of important biennials. This contributes to the development of the local art scene and creates a continuous dialogue between the past and the present, giving a new context to historical monuments," Shkololli said in a short written interview for KOHĪN.
"Highway..." in the previous edition had also covered the Historical Center of Prizren with art. But this time it goes deeper. The monuments of cultural heritage will house the contemporary art that the already renowned event brings. The traditional with the modern will be the dialogue of this edition, according to the curatorial concept, the same has been expressed by the curator Shkololli himself.
"The connection between cultural heritage and contemporary art in this edition of the 'Autostrada Biennale' is close and interactive. The Biennale aims to create a dynamic dialogue between historical monuments and contemporary works of art, engaging artists to reimagine historical narratives through artistic interventions," said Shkololli, while briefly revealing the topics that will be explored.
"Participants explore themes of memory, mythology and material heritage, creating an organic connection between the old and the new. Historical monuments, such as the Clock Tower and the Gazi Mehmet Pasha Bath, are not only exhibition spaces, but are also active parts of the 'Biennale', where contemporary art creates a new interaction with history," he said.
But there are also other themes such as migration and identity where local and international artists adapt to the historical aspect of the city with its rich culture.
"In this edition, the aim was to create a connection between artists from different countries and the historical context of Prizren. Artists have been invited to address global themes such as migration, memory and identity, reflecting on spaces of communication and interaction. 'Biennale' participants, such as Nika Shpan and Laurent Mareschal, use installations that address aspects of memory and tradition. Likewise, local artists such as Doruntina Kastrati engage with historical spaces, emphasizing the need to adapt these spaces to the challenges of modern times," said Shkololli, who is a renowned artist and curator. He has led the National Gallery of Kosovo for a term and the National Gallery of Art in Albania for a term.
In the previous edition of the "Autostrada Biennale" with the theme "All images will disappear one day", curated by the Turkish Övül O. Durmuşoğlu and the Polish Joanna Warsza, it was also expanded to Pristina and Mitrovica. In the former Tulltore, the work "Who speaks from the dust, who sees from the delta" by the Turkish artist Hera Büyüktaşçıyanm took place, where the former streams there were "returned" artistically. Also in the northern city of Kosovo stands Alban Muja's "Moving Monument" as a revival of the monument of the '70s, entitled "Equality, work, knowledge", which was removed without warning in 2010.
This year's exhibition, themed "Unfolding Currents: The Pulse of Time," has been announced to be centered in Prizren.
"In this edition, the 'Biennial' is focused on Prizren, maintaining the focus on the monuments and historical spaces of this city. While the last edition expanded to Pristina and Mitrovica, this year the emphasis is on the well-known spaces of Prizren, such as the Clock Tower and the Hamam of Gazi Mehmet Pasha. In addition, the recontextualized hangars in the Innovation Park are new exhibition spaces for contemporary art. This year's focus on Prizren, however, does not exclude the possibility of expansion in the future, while maintaining flexibility for other collaborations," said Shkololli, who this year is at the forefront of everything that "Autostrada..." will talk about with art.
Yes, Muja's work, together with Neda Saeed's colorful glass sculpture titled "In the Depth of the Night the Sky Sees the Sun" in "Union Square", as well as the work of the "Open Group" collective that presents the plan of three museums destroyed in Ukraine by the Russian invasion in one of the open spaces in the Training and Innovation Park, remain there unbroken even after September 7, 2023, when the fourth edition closed.
According to Shkololli, the works featured in this year's edition interact significantly with these permanent works.
"The works of this edition of the 'Autostrada Biennale' create a visible interaction with permanent ones such as those of Meda Saeedi, Alban Mujës and 'Open Group'. This dialogue between temporary and permanent works deepens the understanding of contemporary art in the local context, challenging and enriching the discourse created by works that are already part of the artistic scene", assessed the curator of this year's edition of the "Autostrada Biennale".
For this edition, it has been announced that the exhibitions will be displayed in several historical monuments. Among them are the Clock Tower, the House of Shani Efendi, and the Hamam of Gazi Mehmet Pasha. The existing and commissioned works aim to stimulate dialogue by reflecting on the past.
According to the curatorial concept, the participating artists will be: Russian Vadim Fishkin, Simon Shiroka, Anita Muçolli, Doruntina Kastrati, Slovak Robert Gabrisi, French artist Laurent Mareschal, Slovenian Nika Shpan, Edin Zenuni, David Fesl, Tamara Grçiq, Nathan Coley, Brilant Milazim, among others.
The fifth edition of the "Autostrada Biennale" is expected to prove unique from July 5 to October 5, when the hangars at ITP will house these works, and the Historical Center of Prizren will be in dialogue with contemporary art.
