“PIPIFAX for Tirana / Through the looking glass and what we found there”

TIRANA, June 8 – A photo exhibition reflecting the recent changes that have taken place in Tirana is being displayed by the Tirana Art Lab – Centre For Contemporary Art. The exhibition “PIPIFAX for Tirana / Through the looking glass and what we found there” is organized by Tirana Art Lab – Centre for Contemporary Art in the framework of the Project “Artists in Residency” supported by ProHelvetia with the participation of Haus am Gern, represented by the Swiss artists Rudolf Steiner and Barbara Meyer Cesta. PIPIFAX means nonsense and is of Hebrew origin. Haus am Gern takes this term and transforms it into an important reference point for their artistic project. PIPIFAX symbolises nonsense and at the same time, it can change its original meaning when trying to inverse or translate it. This concept of inverse plays a crucial role in conceiving the works of the exhibition. The second part of the exhibition title “Through the looking glass and what we found there” refers to the book written by Lewis Caroll in 1871. The book follows up Aliceճ adventure in Wonderland. In ‘Through the Looking Glass,’ the concept is that everything is a mirrored image of the real world. The story takes place in a parallel mirrored world where everything is in opposite and where time runs backward. “If you see the images photographed by Barbara and Rudolf they will appear quite normal. All people involved in the photographing process play an intriguing role in the setting of the picture,” organizers say. The big sizes of the photos will allow the public to see every single detail of the work. All the 13 images are mirrored and the concept and elements used by the artists to develop the project can be understood and perceived by the public only from a certain distance. For example, you will notice at once that some of the characters in the photos are holding some images, which consist of elements that we see every day in the city. These elements include the clock tower, the sign of Tirana Train Station or the billboards with the names of bars and/or hotels in Tirana. A common element repeated in all the photos is the Albanian flag. In some of the photos people are either wearing shirts with the Albanian flag or seated in front of the former Textile Factory in Tirana, with the flag image visible on their bent knees. Other images are shown backwards; including: the mosque at Scanderbeg Square, public institutions, and the green building with yellow arrows at Tirana e Re. The black eagle with two heads, the symbol of the Albanian flag, is the only element that remains the same even when the photos are in reverse. The photos taken in key places in Tirana reflect the political changes and social dynamics that took place in the city during the last month. The artists and students involved in the project have created a series of pictures as metaphors for the situation. They try to provide a mirrored situation of the reality in which we live and imply that we are all part of this converted reality. Our responsibility is to bring the situation back to the right position. This art work enables us to see the world from a different perspective and to question the role that we all play in the society. Address: Tirana Ekspres Karl Gega Street, at the Magazine Block, nearby the Tirana Train Station Opening dates: 4 – 12 June 2011 Opening Hours: 11 am – 5 pm