Edi Hila's First Major Solo Show Outside Albania Examines Decades of Artistic Response to Political Upheaval
From March 2 to May 6, 2018, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw presented 'Edi Hila: Painter of Transformation,' which was the first solo exhibition of the Albanian artist outside his home country. Curated by Kathrin Rhomberg, Erzen Shkololli, and Joanna Mytkowska, the exhibition showcased Hila's creations spanning from the 1970s to the 2000s. A significant highlight was his 1972 artwork 'Planting of Trees,' which faced condemnation in 1973, resulting in a three-year period of 'reeducation' on a poultry farm. His 'Poultry' series (1975-1976) depicted a stark realism. Hila gained prominence in 2017 at documenta 14, with later pieces like 'Threat' (2003-2009) and 'Roadside Objects' (2007-2010) addressing Albania's socio-political issues, prioritizing artistic expression over political affiliations.
Key facts
- Edi Hila's solo exhibition 'Painter of Transformation' ran from March 2 to May 6, 2018, at the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw.
- The exhibition was curated by Kathrin Rhomberg, Erzen Shkololli, and Joanna Mytkowska.
- Hila's painting 'Planting of Trees' (1972) was denounced by the Albanian National Assembly in 1973, leading to his three-year 'reeducation' on a poultry farm.
- Hila's work was included in documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel in 2017.
- Albania experienced civil unrest in 1997, with over 2,000 deaths during six months of violence.
- Hila's 'Poultry' series (1975-1976) was influenced by Gustav Courbet's depictions of peasant life.
- In the 1990s, Hila shifted to a detached style using photography as a reference, similar to Luc Tuymans and Wilhelm Sasnal.
- The exhibition highlighted series like 'Threat' (2003-2009) and 'Paradoxes,' portraying Tirana as a place of underlying tension.
Entities
Artists
- Edi Hila
- Andrzej Wróblewski
- Ion Grigorescu
- Alina Szapocznikow
- Július Koller
- Mária Bartuszová
- Zef Shoshi
- Spiro Kristo
- Vilson Blloshmi
- Gustav Courbet
- Luc Tuymans
- Wilhelm Sasnal
- Charles Baudelaire
- Edi Muka
- Anri Sala
- Adrian Paci
- Edi Rama
- Filippino Lippi
- Nikolai Gogol
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
- ARTMargins Online
- Albanian National Assembly
- documenta 14
- Academy of Fine Art in Tirana
- Villa Romana
- United Nations
- Kosovo 2.0 Online magazine
Locations
- Warsaw
- Poland
- Albania
- Tirana
- Oxford
- Athens
- Greece
- Kassel
- Germany
- Florence
- Italy
- Soviet Russia
- China
- Eastern Europe
- Western Europe
- Hungary
- Czechoslovakia
- France