Harabel's Public Art Project Transforms Tirana with Six New Works

The Albanian nonprofit Harabel, founded by cultural promoter Ajola Xoxa and artist Driant Zeneli, has completed its Public Art project in Tirana with six permanent installations by artists Adrian Paci, Sislej Xhafa, Alban Muja, Sadik Spahija, Lumturi Blloshmi, and Silva Agostini. The project aims to make contemporary art accessible by placing works in everyday spaces such as peripheral squares, the historic center, and parks. Adrian Paci's Calligraphy (2020) features bronze plaques with propaganda phrases from a 1975 school notebook, installed on a square facing two ministries, the Orthodox cathedral, and the former National Theatre. Alban Muja's Enough is Enough spans the Lana River with a 15-meter-long iron sculpture quoting George Bush's 2007 statement on Kosovo independence. Sadik Spahija's Zâni is a 16-meter-high iron installation inspired by forests, emphasizing harmony between nature and urban life. Sislej Xhafa's Bleta, located at a former landfill site, consists of a rectangular frame with netting, symbolizing a fragile ecosystem. Lumturi Blloshmi's The Skull (2009), previously shown at Manifesta 14 in Kosovo, is installed at the University of Arts Tirana and covered with hundreds of cigarette butts. Silva Agostini's Three Times Black comprises three exposed parallelepipeds that develop surface traces from weather, reflecting on architectural remnants and environmental crisis.