Artists in residence
dal 30/9/2007 al 30/9/2007
Segnalato da
Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art
30/9/2007
Artists in residence
Pazari i ri, Tirana
Martin Krenn / Suela Qoshja
Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art - TICA
Organizes with OPEN STUDIOS with the two artists in residence of TICA
Martin Krenn – Vienna, Austria
Suela Qoshja – Tirana, Albania
Adress: Pazari i ri, follow road Hoxha Tasim, take the second road to the
left with the "EUROOIL" sign and follow the posters.
Suela Qoshja
In my work during the residency I have been collaborating with Martin Krenn,
an artist from Austria. The questions I raise to him in the video are part
of typical "over-the-table" discussions, which are taking place i.e. during
a dinner in Albania. In the work, I have been interested to research how
communication and creation of a dialogue is constructed differently in
different societies.
Martin Krenn
On the second day of my residency I asked at the National Museum to get a
book of Tirana in English. I got one - from under the table. It is a kind of
Tourist Guide that was published in German/English/French/Albanian in 1990.
After the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 Albania was the last country in
Europe with a communist system (Until 1992). The book is meant to be a
photographic guide where you can visit in Tirana all buildings and
attractions of Enver Hoxha and his communist party. It presents a perfect
communist town.
I decided to re-photograph the places to look how they changed after 17
Years. For example the former Enver Hoxha Museum has now a sign with
„Welcome President Bush" on its top.
In addition to the photo-series I got the possibility to do a
video-interview with the photographer of the original book, Petrit Kumi,
from whom I could get additional information about the backgrounds of the
production of the book.
My project is investigating the mechanism of ideologic rhetoric and image
politics on the example of a book, that was made during the last days of a
communist totalitarian regime in Europe. It also shows in a subtle way how
neo-liberal capitalism destroyed places that nevertheless of the
dictatorship functioned socially and economically well.
TICA is founded and directed by:
TINA FINNÄS (artist and project leader)
JOA LJUNGBERG (curator and project leader)
MONICA MELIN (artist and project leader)
EDI MUKA (curator and project leader)
GEZIM QENDRO (curator and project leader)
STEFANO ROMANO (artist, curator and project leader)
Image: Martin Krenn, Monument of the “Aryanisation” (2005)
Opening Monday 1st of October from 18.00-22.00.
Adress: Pazari i ri, follow road Hoxha Tasim, take the second road to the
left with the "EUROOIL" sign and follow the posters.