Petrit Halilaj

Opening: Fri, 20 July, 6 p.m.
Art Lunch: Thurs, 20 September, 12 noon

Petrit Halilaj (*1986, Kosovo) does not shy away from using his personal biography as a source for his work. The Kosovan artist’s childhood memories, centred on the drama of war and the subsequent refugee tragedy, are the motor for the creation of complex and often monumental installations. For those affected the search for an understanding of home  is still a significant theme today. This is influenced both by world history as well as a personal definition of one’s own identity. Halilaj uses simple materials such as earth and wooden slats but also live chickens and found archives from vanished museums in Kosovo to illustrate this permanent quest. Despite his relative youth Halilaj’s exhibitions are precisely conceived narrations that know how to move an audience. We are pleased to be realising a new project by Halilaj at Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen in which the Kosovan community living in Switzerland will also play a role.