Edson Luli asks 'What is man?' in subway video project
Edson Luli, an Albanian-born artist based in Milan, created the video work 'What is man?' in 2014 by approaching strangers in the Milan metro and asking them the existential question. The project, part of the 'HUMANS. Video-ritratti della società contemporanea' series curated by Giovanni Viceconte, explores contemporary identity and societal fragmentation. Luli's practice uses photography, video, and installation to examine how individuals perceive themselves and are conditioned by society. The work was featured in the ninth installment of the series, themed 'MANKIND'. Luli's video has been exhibited internationally, including at Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani in Milan, the Cairo Prize at Palazzo Reale in Milan, and the Kosovo National Gallery. The HUMANS series, conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic, uses keywords like 'Malessere', 'Lockdown', and 'Transiti' to link video works addressing contemporary unease.
Key facts
- Edson Luli created 'What is man?' in 2014 by interviewing people in Milan's metro.
- The work is part of the HUMANS series curated by Giovanni Viceconte.
- The series includes eight installments with keywords like Malessere, Lockdown, Transiti.
- Luli was born in Shkodër, Albania in 1989 and lives in Milan.
- His work has been shown at Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani, Palazzo Reale, and Kosovo National Gallery.
- The HUMANS project started during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Luli uses media including print, photography, video, and installation.
- The video is in black and white with no subtitles.
Entities
Artists
- Edson Luli
- Giovanni Viceconte
Institutions
- Prometeo Gallery Ida Pisani
- Palazzo Reale
- Galleria Nazionale di Kosovo
- Kunsthalle West Lana
- Museo MAXXI
- Galleria Nazionale dell’Arte
- Biennale Internazionale di Fotografia
- Bienal del Fin del Mundo
- Manifattura Tabacchi
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Shkodër
- Albania
- Firenze
- Bolzano
- Prishtina
- Kosovo
- Tirana
- Durres
- Chile
- Roma