Petrit Halilaj

Having exhibited in museums and art centres such as the Fondazione Merz, the New Museum, the HangarBicocca or the Bundeskunsthalle, the Kosovan artist, Petrit Halilaj, will present his latest work at the Crystal Palace, organised by the Reina Sofia Museum. His work is closely connected to his biography, his country’s recent history and the consequences of the political and cultural tensions in the region.

To do so, Halilaj recalls memories from his childhood. He aims to dissect notions like home, nation and cultural identity, translating this subjective experience into visual forms which invite reflection on the global situation that intersects, dissipates and shatters societies and their cultures.

His personal experiences and circumstances form a pretext for striking up new private and joint stories, which develop into complex and ambitious installations always in dialogue with the space accommodating them.

Therefore, the Kosovan artist creates an installation at the Crystal Palace based on sculptural elements and plant forms that are reminiscent of the Retiro Park.

Image Credit:

The places I’m looking for, my dear, are utopian places, they are boring and I don’t know how to make them real. View of the exhibition at the 6th Berlin Biennial of Contemporary Art at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art, 2010. © Uve Walter, courtesy of the artist and Chert Lüdde, Berlin