The Grand Finale exhibition of the ARDHJE Award 2011 will be held simultaneously at Hekla Center premises as well as at Zeta Gallery on May 16.
Tirana Times
TIRANA, May 11 – After an intense research process, the selection team under the leadership of Zef Paci and assisted by Valentina Koca and Tina Finnas, has announced the list of seven talented artists, participants of the Grand Finale of Contemporary Art Award, ARDHJE (Arrival) 2011. This year’s short-listed artists that will compete for the artist in residency in New York City are Armando Lulaj, Ilir Kaso, Ledia Kostandini, Olson Lamaj, Silva Agostini, Sokol Pe詬 and Yllka Gjollesha, the Zeta gallery says.
The Grand Finale exhibition of the ARDHJE Award 2011 will be held simultaneously at Hekla Center premises as well as at Zeta Gallery on May 16. A number of selected works and projects from the participating artists will be put on display, curated by Zef Paci.
At the inauguration of the Grand Finale, the winner of ARDHJE 2011 will be awarded by the international jury composed of Alessandra Pioselli, curator and director of the Carrara Academy of Arts in Bergamo, Italy, Valadimir Myrtezaj, artist and professor at the Academy of Arts, Tirana, and Stefano Romano, artist and curator at the Polis university, Tirana.
Contemporary Art Award ARDHJE every year highlights the most exciting among young contemporary artists in Albania. Since its inception, this event maps and documents the developments in the Albanian scene of contemporary art. As in the previous events, the selected works in this year’s edition display attempts to observe the Albanian reality, with an awareness of the recent past. This attempt is a strive towards an actively critical participation in contemporary life.
Initiated in 2007, the ARDHJE Award has established itself as the leading event, entirely dedicated to the work of young Albanian artists. Created by TICA – the Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art, in collaboration with FCS – Foundation for Civil Society, New York, the ARDHJE Award is the only professional contemporary art award in Albania, consisting of a six week long residency in New York City for the winner, provided by FCS. Differing from all other award events, that mainly aim to use artists for mere marketing purposes, the ARDHJE Award is built only on the independently created artistic work of young Albanian artists, and focuses in providing high exhibition standards, production of art works and projects as well as vital connections to the professional, international art world.
Since 2008, the Grand Finale exhibition is co-organized with Zeta Gallery, the only independent contemporary art gallery in Tirana.
