1. APEN | Exhibition
CONTACT
ALKAN
NALLBANI
email:
alkannallbani@
gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APEN at Fadil Studio
46 WEST 20TH STREET
NEW YORK 2013
Opening February 5, 2013, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
On behalf of APEN (Albanian-American Professionals and Entrepreneurs Network), I am pleased to
announce the second annual exhibition of Albanian artists in the heart of Chelsea.
This mini-panorama provides a glimpse into the global diaspora of Albanian artists who work in the New
York metropolitan area and around the world. Avoiding any critical statement, the exhibition represents
the diversity and development of this generation of artists and dreamers. They have embraced and
adopted New York City, making it the center of their existence. As they traverse the world, New York
remains at their creative core, refueling inspiration and generating fertile and unpredictable dialogue.
The artists use different mediums and a rich emotional connection with aesthetic lines of development
flowing from our modern times, often carrying a critical involvement and heroical approach. Their art
reflects a deep exploration of identity and social involvement.
Even if emotionally bound to the motherland, this new generation of Albanian artists see themselves as
part of the vast global art scene, with all of its complexity and possibility welcoming their individual voices,
offering them not just the opportunity but also the right to take their place on the world stage.
Alkan Nallbani
New York, 2013
2. ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Helidon Gjergji
Born 1970, Tirana, Albania
B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania and Academy
of Fine Arts of Naples, Italy
M.F.A., Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Selected Exhibitions: The Festival of Ideas – New Museum
(NYC); Manifesta 8 (Murcia); Venice Biennale 52; Tirana
Biennale 1 and 4; Venice Biennale of Architecture 12; Present
Future; Artissima 10 (Turin); MASS MoCA (North Adams);
MADRE -- Museo d'Arte Contemporanea (Naples); Apexart
(NYC); National Gallery (Tirana); VILLA ARSON – Centre
d'Art Contemporain (Nice); Lothringer 13 (Munich); X Initiative
(NYC); Kosova Art Gallery (Prishtina); PAN – Palazzo delle
Arti (Naples); Chelsea Art Museum (NYC); Suburban
(Chicago); Botkyrka Konsthall (Botkyrka, Sweden); MURAM –
Museo Regional de Arte Moderno (Cartagena, Spain); The
American Academy in Rome; National Museum of Romania
(Cluj); National Museum of Malta (Valletta)
Emil Bakalli
Born 1975, Elbasan City, Albania
2009, M.F.A., Parsons The New School For Design, NY, NY
2006, B.F.A., Hunter College - The City University of NY, NY
Lives and works in New York City
2013, Artist | Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts, The Humanities
Department | Visual Arts | The City University of New York --
LGCC
Selected exhibitions: Piraeus Dimotikon Theater-Art Gallery,
Athens, Greece; Beckett Art Gallery, Ontario Canada, PULSE
Art Fair International NY, The Kitchen Contemporary Art, Reis
Gallery - The Experimental Space, NARS Foundation Gallery,
Barrett Art Center Gallery, Simone’s Art Gallery, Pleiades
Gallery of Contemporary Art, Amsterdam Whitney Gallery,
Savacou Art Gallery, Southampton Art Gallery, Parsons the
New School for Design Art Gallery, etc.
3. Lulzim Shtini
Born, Kavaje, Albania
2007, B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania
Scowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
Alkan Nallbani
Born 1971, Berat, Albania
1994, B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania; cont.
ed., Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy and the Corcoran
College of Art and Design, U.S.A.
Lives and works, New York and Florence, Italy
Nallbani has had numerous exhibitions in Albania, Italy,
Greece the United States. His work was included in the
Harnett Biennial, Richmond, VA in 2010 and the Prague
Biennale in 2009.
Klodiana Alia
Artist’s Statement: “I like faces. People. Places. So I seek
them. I figure, if I am of this world, perhaps the way to know
myself lies in its exploration.”
Artan Shabani
Born 1969, Vlora, Albania.
Lives and works Venice and Vlora
2003, Winner, Special Prize at Osterbottens Museum in
Vaasa
2007, Founder of The Promenade Gallery
2009, Curator of Albania & Kosovo Pavilion, Prague Biennial
4
Selected Exhibitions: The 13th International Architecture
BIENNALE 13, Albanian Pavilon, IN HERITAGE, Venice,
Italy Prague Biennale 4, Praha Czech Republic Venice
Biennale - 53. Editions 'Krossing / Forte Marghera Venice
italy The Fondation Palazzo Bricherasio, Historical Rooms,
Torino Italy La Générale en Manufacture Sèvres, ''Talking
About'', Paris France Mavi Kum Gallery, Istanbul Turkey
National Museum of Fine Arts, Heritage Malta "I Fought The
X And The X Won", Valleta. Malta I fought the X and the X
won - Muzeul de Arta Cluj - Napoca, Cluj Romania Tina B
Contemporary Art Festival, Prague Czech Republic Casa
4. About'', Paris France Mavi Kum Gallery, Istanbul Turkey
National Museum of Fine Arts, Heritage Malta "I Fought The
X And The X Won", Valleta. Malta I fought the X and the X
won - Muzeul de Arta Cluj - Napoca, Cluj Romania Tina B
Contemporary Art Festival, Prague Czech Republic Casa
Massacio, San Giovanni Valdarno. Italy Kosova National
Gallery of Arts, Prishtina. The National Gallery of Arts
Tirana, 'Ballkan Metamorphosis', Tirana Albana Doria
Pamphili Palace, San Martino al Cimino, Viterbo, Italy The
National Automobile Museum of Italy in Turin. Italy
Ardian Isufi
Born 1973, Tirana, Albania
1995, B.F.A., Academy of Arts, Tirana, Albania
Assoc. Prof., Graphic Atelier, “University of Arts” Tirana,
Albania
Lives and works in Tirana, Albania
Selected Solo Exhibitions: 2012, U.O. (Unidentified object),
Solo Show at The Promenade Gallery, Vlora, Albania 2011
“Albania Post ’90 Exhibition of Poster, FAP Gallery-Academy
of Arts, Tirana, Albania 2010 “Umbrarum Theatrum” –
Theatre of Shadows, Solo Show at FAP Gallery-Academy of
Arts and Zeta Gallery, Tirana, Albania 2008, “Human Signs”,
German Embassy in Tirana, Albania
Bekim Zeqiri
Born 1972, Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo
2001, M.F.A., Dusseldorf Art Academy
Lives and works in New Jersey
Group show Josef Albers Museum, Bottrop Germany, Solo
Show in K-14 Essen Germany Group Show “urban Mythos” at
West Beth Gallery in NY
Irgin Sena
Born 1982 in Tirana, Albania
2012, M.F.A., Hunter College
2006, B.F.A., Academy of Arts, Tirana, Albania
Selected Exhibitions: 2012, Family Talk, Futura-Center for
Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic, MFA Thesis
Show, Times Square Gallery, New York, NY, Mission
Afterviews, Victoria Theater, San Francisco 2011, New
Insight, Art Chicago, Chicago, curated by Susanne Ghez,
CAA New York, Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, New
York, NY, 2010, There Has Been No Future, There Will Be
No Past, (ISCP) International Studio and Curatorial Program,
New York, Hell NO! The Convent of Saint Cecilia, Brooklyn,
NY, Espacio Entre Medio, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2009, Bad
Moon Rising 3, Boots Contemporary Art Space, St. Louis,
MO, Play, Vanessa Quang Galerie, Paris, France
5. No Past, (ISCP) International Studio and Curatorial Program,
New York, Hell NO! The Convent of Saint Cecilia, Brooklyn,
NY, Espacio Entre Medio, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2009, Bad
Moon Rising 3, Boots Contemporary Art Space, St. Louis,
MO, Play, Vanessa Quang Galerie, Paris, France
Alfred Milot Mirashi
Born 1969, Albania
1999, B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Milan
Lives and works in Florence, Italy
2013: “IO KLIMT” Palazzo dei Consoli, Gubbio, Water
Cube Museum - Beijing, 2 Edizione “Art Water Cube”,
Winner, International Picture & Calligraphy, curated by
Vincenzo Sanfo, Beijing, China 2012: “Stemperando 2012” –
5th Edition, International Biennale of Torino, works of art on
paper , Gubbio Artour-o il Must Londra 2012- “ A red carpet
for Italian interiors” “Olympic Fine Arts London 2012”, Gold
Medal in Painting, Barbican Centre Museum, London
“Barocco Austero” - International Artists, Catania
“Passepartout, La corte d’Arte Contemporanea Gallery,
Firenze “Self-Portrait”, Artists of the Third Millenium, Brindisi
“Albananian Identity”, The Garden of Beauty, 2 edizione, S.E
Llesh Kola, in collaboration with the Province of Siracusa
Comune di Noto and the Group Art Project Artour-o il Must
Villa della Vedetta, Firenze “Il paese di fronte”, Museum of
the Civilta Romana, Roma, “Ipotesi Dinamica” –MISA,
Bologna
Venera Kastrati
Born, 1975, Tirana, Albania
B.F.A., Milan and Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania
Lives and works in Milan, Italy
.
Selected exhibitions: 2012: Resident artist, Costa Rey
Sardegna; Centro 3T (Se) Brescia; Ruinas Contemporaneas,
Sardegna; 2011: Museo Marino Marini, Firenze; Fondazione
Carisbo, Bologna; Palazzo Barolo, Torino; Casa Masaccio
“Double Bind,” San Giovanni Valdarno 2010: “Who want to
use my windows?” Paolo Maria Deanesi Gallery, Rovereto,
HomeBase Berlin 2009: 25th Alexandria Biennial for
Mediterranean countries, Egypt; 53rd Venice Biennial
"Krossing"; Palazzo Rospigliosi, Roma
Parlind Perlashi
Born 1971, Lezhe, Albania
1990, Art School of Shkodra
Lives and works in Florence, Italy
In Florence Perlashi studied at the Academy of Fine Arts
(1998-2000) and subsequently (2000-2004) attended courses
in Directing, Film and Photography at the National School of
Independent Cinema. He has participated in several national
and international exhibitions of painting, photography and
video.
6. and international exhibitions of painting, photography and
video.
Armand Xhomo
1989, B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana Albania
Lives and works, Florence, Italy
Selected Exhibitions: Palazzo Pretorio, Florence Albanian
Embassy, Rome Museo dei Campionissimi Galleria Grafic
Design Art without borders, Norway Ministry of Art &
Culture, Tirana Galleria e arteve, Tirane Museo di civiltà
Romana, Roma Museum Ugo Guidi, Forte dei Marmi
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Firenze Noto, Sicilia Expo d'Arte
Contemporanea, Genova, Arezzo, Forte dei Marmi, Massa
Carrara. Winner, Contemporary Art Expo, Forte dei Marmi
Arben Sela
Born 1975, New York
1999, B.A. (Architecture), CCNY
Since graduating, Sela has worked and collaborated with
notable and award winning architectural firms such as
Studios Architecture, Michael Graves Architect and Emanuela
Frattini Magnuson
Majlinda Hoxha
Born 1984
B.F.A. (photography), Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design
M.F.A., Elam School of Fine Art at Auckland University, New
Zealand
Lives and works in Prishtina, Kosova
Hoxha is the deputy photo editor and photographer at Kosovo
2.0 magazine, where her work is regularly published. Her
“Family Portrait #1” is currently on display at Te Papa, the
New Zealand Museum. Her work was also featured in the
annual Mulsim Mulliqi exhibition, hosted by the National Art
Gallery of Kosova, as well as a curatorial project initiated by
the Photon-Centre for Contemporary Photography titled
“Aftermath. Changing Cultural Landscape.”
7. Heldi Pema
Born, Albania
B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania
Pema’s work has been shown at the 52nd International Art
Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Albanian Pavilion;
Museum of Contemporary Art - Villa Croce, Genova;
European Month of Photography, Haus am Lützowplatz,
Berlin; ViennAfair, Vienna; 2nd Tirana Biennale; The National
Gallery of Arts, Tirana; A+A Gallery, Venice and The
Promenade Gallery, Vlora
Olson Lama
Solo Exhibitions: 2010 - GRAFI DI MEMORIA - MS gallery,
Madrid (Spain) 2006 - AT EAST OF INPOSSIBLE -
Valentina Spata (curator) Vitervo (Italy) Group Exhibitions:
2012- HOT TABU- MIZA GALERI- Tirana, ARDHJA award –
T.I.C.A - Tirana
ANDATA-RITORNO, Fap Gallery, UDHA residence, Metropol
Theater of Tirana 2011 - ARDHJA award - FAP Gallery and
Zeta Gallery, Tirana, (Albania), METRONOM -Modena, (Italy)
2010 - VITA! VP CERCANDO - organized by the cultural
center Tiatiò, Bergamo (Italy) 2009 - ONUFRI 2009 National
Art Gallery, Tirana (Albania)
Rilind Kuqi
Born, Kosovo
B.F.A. & M.F.A., figurative art
Kuqi has also done work in set design at the National Theater
of Kosovo. His present work is abstract with a play on color
and shape.
Meu Luka Hajdini
Born, Albania
2004, B.F.A., Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana, Albania
Lives and works in New York City
Artist’s statement: “My art is an inner and sincere journey, a
journey that works with pure imagination and a dream state.
The result is a series of works made of confessions, silent
thoughts and reflections. It is my dream and my reality, my
perfect escape from this world. It is a form of ‘hide and seek’
– a process in which I both lose and find myself at the same
time. Despite my formal training in art, I consider my art to be
non-conventional.”
