Driton Selmani

Last updated
Driton Selmani
Driton Selmani portret.jpg
Selmani in 2023
Born(1987-02-08)February 8, 1987
Ferizaj, Kosovo
NationalityKosovo Albanian
Education Arts University Bournemouth
OccupationArtist
Known forConceptual art, drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, ready-made artist
Notable workLove Letters (2018 — 2024)
Manifesta 14 Prishtina
Website dritonselmani.com

Driton Selmani (born 1987) is a Kosovar contemporary visual artist whose practice spans across various media including installation, photography, text, and public art. His works often explore complex themes such as identity, politics, history, and social change, engaging viewers with a blend of humor, irony, and critical reflection.

Contents

Selmani's art has garnered international recognition, positioning him as a significant figure in the contemporary art scene, particularly within the Balkan region. He is known for his participation at the Manifesta 14, Beaufort Triennale, Maxxi Museum, Ludwig Museum, Virtualni muzej Dotrščina, MSU Skopje, Kunsthaus Graz, 019-Ghent, Kahan Art Space Vienna, and many others.

Early life and education

Driton Selmani was born in Doganaj, Kaçanik, during a period marked by political unrest and conflict in the Balkans. Growing up in a post-socialist environment, his early life was influenced by the cultural and socio-political changes that took place during the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the subsequent Kosovo War. These experiences have profoundly shaped his artistic vision, inspiring him to delve into topics of collective memory, identity, and the socio-political landscape.

Selmani pursued his education in visual arts in Bournemouth, UK, at the Arts University Bournemouth where he began to develop his unique conceptual approach to art-making. His early works already exhibited his characteristic blend of personal narrative and critical engagement with broader social issues.

Artistic practice

Selmani's artistic practice is characterized by its conceptual depth and versatility across different media. His work often blurs the boundaries between art and everyday life, challenging conventional perceptions of public and private spaces. A recurring theme in his work is the exploration of how history, memory, and identity are constructed and perceived, particularly within the context of Kosovo's complex political landscape. [1]

Site-specific projects and public art

Eye to Eye (Amsterdam Light Festival, The Netherlands) Driton Selmani--Eye to Eye 001.jpg
Eye to Eye (Amsterdam Light Festival, The Netherlands)

Selmani is particularly known for his site-specific projects and public art commissions. These works are designed to engage directly with the spaces they inhabit, creating a dialogue between the artwork, its environment, and the public.

His works often provoke reflection on the role of art in society and its potential to influence social change.

One of his most prominent public artworks is "Eye to Eye" (2018), created for the Amsterdam Light Festival. This installation, part of the Light Art Collection in Amsterdam, utilizes light as a medium to explore themes of perception and perspective, encouraging viewers to reflect on their relationship with their surroundings and with others. The work has been praised for its ability to transform public space and engage audiences in a meaningful way.

Key exhibitions

Selmani's work has been exhibited in various international exhibitions, contributing to his growing reputation as an influential contemporary artist. Some of his notable exhibitions include:

The Barking of The Clouds Does Not Hurt The Dogs

Held at MSU Skopje from 4 April 2022 to 25 February 2023, this exhibition takes its title from Selmani's site-specific work The Barking of the Clouds Does Not Hurt the Dogs, 2022, a riff on both Charles Baudelaire and a Berber proverb. Installed on the roof of the museum's atrium, the typographic sculpture is set against the sky above a pile of broken glass. The ever-shifting cloudscape provides a context and animates the text, but the real thrust of the piece is semiotic. By attributing the qualities of a dog to the clouds, the artist inhabits a poetic terrain resignifying both and wittily affecting the representational relation between word and image. [5]

Bigger than Myself, Heroic Voices from ex-Yugoslavia

Held at MAXXI Museum, Rome from 5 May 2021 to 12 September 2021, Selmani participated in his monumental work and in the limits of impossibility and destruction of public space with the title Red Tape, A brave intervention in a very sensitive place and time.

The exhibition marked a new chapter in the research dedicated to the Middle East and the Mediterranean area. Illustrating the artistic buzz in former Yugoslavian countries with a specific interpretation key. Over 50 artists read the history of the area through the gestures of contemporary heroes, who contributed to the crisis of nationalism, favoring important reflections on the themes of hospitality and coexistence.

Love Letters on plastic bags

Love Letters, Manifesta 14 Driton Selmani--Love Letters Manifesta.jpg
Love Letters, Manifesta 14

Since 2018, Driton Selmani has been developing a distinctive, ongoing project in which he writes love letters on plastic bags. This work touches on themes such as politics, ecology, art, and philosophy. By choosing plastic - an ordinary, disposable material - Selmani critiques the environmental consequences of consumerism, while transforming the mundane into a medium for intimate, thoughtful communication. His project has garnered attention for its inventive method of engaging with contemporary issues through a deeply personal lens, merging the every day with profound artistic expression. [6]

Artistic style and themes

Selmani's work is marked by its conceptual rigor and the use of humor and irony to critique societal norms. He often employs text and language as central elements in his work, creating pieces that engage viewers on both a visual and intellectual level. His art is deeply rooted in the context of Kosovo, but its themes resonate universally, addressing broader questions of identity, memory, and the role of art in society. [7]

Impact and legacy

E V E R Y T H I N G (Virtual Museum of Dotrscina, Zagreb, Croatia) Driton Selmani--EVERYTHING.jpg
E V E R Y T H I N G (Virtual Museum of Dotršcina, Zagreb, Croatia)

Driton Selmani's work has had a significant impact on the contemporary art scene, particularly in the Balkans. His ability to engage with complex themes in an accessible and thought-provoking manner has earned him recognition from both critics and the public. As he continues to develop his practice and engage with new projects, Selmani's influence is likely to grow, contributing to the ongoing dialogue about the role of art in addressing social and political issues. [8]

Books and publications

Hidden in Plain Sight (2023) is the first comprehensive monograph on Driton Selmani, a multivalent Kosovar artist whose work spans various mediums, including sketching, photography, site-specific installations, sculpture, video art, and performance. The publication, as reflected in its title, draws attention to both Selmani and Kosovar artists who have often been "hidden in plain sight" within the broader art world. This richly illustrated and meticulously researched book traces Selmani's artistic career, offering detailed documentation of his exhibitions, making it an essential archive, handbook, and reference for understanding his work and the contemporary art scene in Prishtina, Kosovo, within its broader geopolitical context.

Edited by art historian and curator Lora Sariaslan, Hidden in Plain Sight features the most extensive and interdisciplinary text on Selmani to date, positioning his work within the broader framework of art history. Additionally, contributions from notable figures such as Nita Luci, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Prishtina, and Linda Gusia, a sociologist and activist, explore the Kosovar dimensions of Selmani's art. Hana Ostan Ožbolt, curator and director of the ULAY Foundation, writes about her experience curating Selmani's exhibition in Ljubljana, highlighting the role of international cultural cooperation in his work.

The book, designed by Nita Salihu Hoxha from Studio Permanent, showcases Selmani's artistic journey through visual elements like sketches and drawings, further enriched by comprehensive documentation of his exhibitions. This English-language publication is not only a deep dive into Selmani's practice but also a valuable reference on contemporary art in Kosovo and the broader Balkan region.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Installation art</span> Three-dimensional work of art

Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called public art, land art or art intervention; however, the boundaries between these terms overlap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Deller</span> English artist

Jeremy Deller is an English conceptual, video and installation artist. Much of Deller's work is collaborative; it has a strong political aspect, in the subjects dealt with and also the devaluation of artistic ego through the involvement of other people in the creative process. He won the Turner Prize in 2004 and represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guillaume Bijl</span> Belgian conceptual and installation artist

Guillaume Bijl is a Belgian conceptual and an installation artist. He lives and works in Antwerp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Prishtina</span> Association football club in Pristina, Kosovo

Football Club Prishtina, commonly known as Prishtina, is a professional football club based in Prishtina, Kosovo. The club plays in the Football Superleague of Kosovo. It is the most successful domestic club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miško Šuvaković</span>

Miško Šuvaković is a contemporary aestheticist, art theorist and conceptual artist in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He taught theory of art and theory of culture in Interdisciplinary Postgraduates Studies at the University of Arts in Belgrade. He teaches theory of art and theory of culture in transdisciplinary master and doctoral studies at the Faculty of media and communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pristina</span> Capital of Kosovo

Pristina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.

Manifesta, also known as the European Nomadic Biennial, is a European pan-regional contemporary cultural biennale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Šejla Kamerić</span> Bosnian photographer

Šejla Kamerić is a Bosnian visual artist.

The literature of Kosovo is composed of literary texts written in Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Turkish, specifically by authors of Kosovo. Kosovo produced several prominent writers in the Ottoman era. However, Ottoman authorities banned the written use of the Albanian language until 1912. This policy continued during Serb rule until the outbreak of World War II.

This is a list of some of the major festivals and events held in Kosovo's capital city Pristina, which are common occurrences throughout the year in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Hammam of Pristina</span> Ottoman-era monument in Pristina, Kosovo

The Great Hammam of Pristina is an Ottoman-era monument in Pristina, Kosovo. It was built in the 15th century and was part of the Imperial Mosque. During the summer and spring, it was used as a meeting place. Considered one of the most important buildings of the cultural and historical heritage, the Great Hammam of Pristina was in poor condition through the years until its restoration was approved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture in Pristina</span>

As the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina is the heart of the cultural and artistic development of all Albanians that live in Kosovo. The department of cultural affairs is just one of the segments that arranges the cultural events, which make Pristina one of the cities with the most emphasized cultural and artistic traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Gallery of Kosovo</span> National Gallery in Prishtina, Kosovo

The National Gallery of Kosovo, formerly known as the Kosova National Art Gallery, is an art gallery situated at The University of Pristina Campus that focuses on 20th-century art.

Yll Rugova is one of two deputy Ministers for Culture in Kosovo. He is a political activist, information designer and typographer from Kosovo. As a political and social activist, he is known as one of the founders of the Strong Party and initiator of a series of political and social events in Kosovo, including the 2013 protests against KEK in Pristina. In 2014 he was a candidate for Partia e Fortë during national elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamiel Verschuren</span> Dutch conceptual artist

Kamiel Verschuren is a Dutch conceptual interdisciplinary visual artist, living and working in Rotterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avi Lubin</span> Israeli art curator (born 1977)

Avi Lubin ; born 1977, is an Israeli curator of contemporary art. As of 2018, he is the curator of Hamidrasha Gallery. Lubin is also the co-founder and co-editor of Tohu Magazine, and the curator of Field Hospital X – Aya Ben Ron's work, which represented Israel at the 58th Venice Biennale, 2019.

Alban Muja is a Kosovan contemporary artist and film-maker. In 2019 he represented Kosovo at the 58th Venice Biennale. In his work he is mostly influenced by the social, political and economical transformation processes in wider surrounding region, he investigates history and socio-political themes and links them to his position in Kosovo today. His works cover a wide range of media including video installation, films, drawings, paintings, photographs and performance which have been exhibited extensively in various exhibitions and festivals.

Petrit Halilaj is a Kosovar visual artist living and working among Germany, Kosovo, and Italy. The name "Petrit" literally means "Falcon". His work is based on documents, stories, and memories related to the history of Kosovo.

Jakup Ferri is a contemporary artist from Amsterdam, Netherlands and Pristina, Kosovo. He is a professor at Pristhina Art Academy and guest advisor at Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. Ferri's work has been shown at international exhibitions in museums and galleries, festivals and biennials, including Venice Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, Prague Biennale, Cetinje Biennale and Manifesta Biennale, Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Art.

Rexhep Ferri was a Kosovan Albanian painter, poet, and writer. Renowned for his contributions to the arts, he was a significant figure in the Albanian and Kosovan art scene. Ferri's work is characterized by its distinctive style and profound thematic elements, often reflecting the cultural and historical context of Albania and Kosovo.

References

  1. Caraccio, Camilla (23 January 2019). "Conceptual artist Driton Selmani is taking his work to the streets of Kosovo". New East Digital Archive. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  2. "Everything We Do is Really, Really Brilliant". Eva Kahan Foundation. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  3. Hribernik, Andreja (27 September 2023). "The Other. Re-Imagine the Future". Universalmuseum Joanneum. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  4. "Driton Selmani". Manifesta 14. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  5. Krasniqi, Erëmirë. "Driton Selmani". Art Forum. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  6. Bradley, Kimberly (11 August 2022). "Five Balkan Artists to Watch at Manifesta 14". Frieze. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  7. "Alex Fisher modifying brilliance: Driton Selmani at Kahán Art Space". Kajet Journal. Kajet digital. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  8. Šimpraga, Saša (13 September 2021). "Čitanje šume". Viz Kultura. Retrieved 10 September 2024.