ↆ✗~2: Where the roads are paved with gold
South by the Sea, is a yearly showcase of southern voices in contemporary art. This second edition features three artists originating from the south of Albania who reflect on the invisible legacy of a people’s movement.
It was exactly 30 years ago, on August 8th 1991, that a 150 meter long ship by the name of Vlora reached the shores of Bari- Italy, while overflowing with 20 thousand newly liberated Albanians dreaming of brighter opportunities. The recent collapse of the Iron Curtain had changed the relationship between East and West Europe, reuniting a continent split on ideology, and repaving the roads of trade and migration that had artificially collapsed since WWII.
The works in view create a multifaceted narrative which aims to bring forward experimental sides of three artists whose lives have been unmistakably marked by migration. Roland Runaj presents a handcrafted ode to his compatriots’ drives and hopes from that iconic scene from 30 years ago; while Niku Alex Muçaj’s “Lonely Tools” reflects on the loss of labor and human potential; and Vangjush Vellahu concludes with “A piece to remember” a hyper-personal journey fragmented in a meticulously archived jumble.
South by the Sea 2 has been supported by the PCF RELIEF FUND FOR T.I.C.A. – AIRLAB PROGRAM.
Exhibition:
August 8th —
September 10th 2021
Galeria e Bregdetit
Partners:
T.I.C.A. Airlab
Supported by:
Prince Claus Fund
Part of the Series:
South by the Sea
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