Doruntina Kastrati to Present Sculptural Installation at Kosovo Pavilion in 60th Venice Biennale

Doruntina Kastrati will represent Kosovo at the 60th Venice Biennale with a sculptural installation titled 'The Echoing Silences of Metal and Skin,' curated by Erëmirë Krasniqi. The exhibition, located in the Museo Storico Navale della Marina Militare, runs from 20 April to 24 November 2024. Kastrati's work addresses feminized labor, bodily injuries, and workplace inequalities, drawing from the experiences of women who worked at a Turkish Delight factory in Prizren, Kosovo. The installation features four aluminium sculptures: two modeled after walnut shells used in Turkish delight production and two shaped like surgical prostheses, with low-key sound activation. Kastrati notes that Kosovo first participated in the Venice Biennale in 2013, using the pavilion to counter negative international perceptions and expand cultural references. She cites influences from artists including Etel Adnan, Ayse Erkmen, Chantal Akerman, Abbas Kiarostami, Ahlam Shibli, Felix Gonzalez Torres, and Ali Cherri. Kastrati looks forward to the main exhibition curated by Adriano Pedrosa, which focuses on queer and indigenous artists. She recommends visitors explore Kosovo's history through the Oral History Kosovo archive and visit Prizren during Dokufest or Autostrada Biennale, as well as Prishtina's urban setting and feminist collectives.