The University of Arts and the Faculty of Fine Arts is the organizer of “Process”, the cultural activity starting from November 29th to December 16th 2018 and will be held in the premises of the “FAB”, “Kalo” and “Zenit” galleries in Tirana. Curated by Ilir Kaso, this activity is named as such because, as it is stated in the curatorial text: “… the creative process is an essential element of the artistic activity of each of us”.
Precisely because art can not be simplified to the number of technical skills, the question he raises targets to the contemporary art schools for the kind of knowledge and skill they pass on As a result, Kasos’s proposal comes with the idea to transform the exhibition space into an exploration space where the creative process of the work is felt more than its definitive definition. The idea came from the photographic series that the world-famous Albanian artist Gjon Mili made to Picasso, a photograph of which has been placed at the entrance of the “FAB” gallery.
This activity represents the creative performance combined with the pedagogical and scientific side. In itself it carries: symposiums, workshops and open conversations on art and pedagogy issues, attended by professors (inclined to scientific studies) and former students of the University of Arts. Moreover, the “Process” activity is presented to the public with painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video art.
Artists and University of Art professors: Albes Fusha, Arben Bajo, Ardian Isufi, Ardian Pepa, Edison Çeraj, Edmond Gjikopulli, Ergys Krisiko, Ermal Baboçi, Fatmir Miziri, Florian Haxhihyseni, Gazmend Leka, Harri Aleksi, Kreshnik Xhiku, Mikel Temo, Orlis Vathi, Sadik Spahija, Shpëtim Kërçova, Viktor Ferraj, Vladimir Llakaj and Vladimir Myrtezaj become part of an activity that travels in space and time. In this exhibition, the art professors participated with new works and artworks they have worked through the years.
With no intention to reflect art serving art, this activity is closely linked to all the problems affecting society. Through numerous collaborations of artists-professors, curator Ilir Kaso has attempted to reflect how man crumbled nature in the name of development (mass concrete); the possibility of being found within a filtering bubble of knowledge (information) by deepening and strengthening personal beliefs, which can be transformed into extremities from the filtered news in a divided society (lost of trust in ruling institutions); coexistence of different religious identities as a constant challenge; the role of all natural inhabitants in its up keeping or rapid destruction (nature).
Part of the selection is also the hyper-realistic reflection of life fragments, noting, in spite of joyful coloration, social poverty in general. Illustrations of our consumer trend are also in the attention of the curator. Mankind, in both genders, appears directly and indirectly as a creature and creator, builder and destroyer of everything, god and self-slave.
* Ilir Kaso was born in 1982 in Përmet. He graduated in 2005 from the Academy of Arts in Tirana. He is the author of four personal exhibitions: “Reality Dreamers”, FAB gallery, Tirana, Albania, 2012. “Oxymoron”, Lokal-int gallery, Biel-Bienne, Switzerland 2012. “I am the river”, Beton 7 gallery, Athens, Greece and Miza Gallery, Tirana, Albania, 2013. Kaso has been awarded for the experimentation in graphic style “Balkanima” 2005, “AMC” award as the best Albanian contemporary artist 2007, audience award “TIFF” 2009, award for the best image in “Anifest ROZAFA” 2010, best Albanian animated movie award “Albanian Film Festival” 2012, audience award in “DocuTIFF” 2015. He lives in Tirana and works as a lecturer at the University of Arts of Tirana.
