Petrit Halilaj Withdraws from Belgrade Biennial Over Nationality Omission

Petrit Halilaj, a Kosovar artist, has decided to withdraw from the October Salon, a biennial in Belgrade, due to the exclusion of his nationality from the exhibition materials. While other participants had their nationalities and birthplaces included, Halilaj found his entry left blank. In an open letter, he expressed that he does not hold curators Ilaria Marotta and Andrea Baccin responsible, recognizing the biennial's compliance with Serbian government policies that deny Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008 and acknowledged by 97 UN nations. Halilaj, recalling his experiences during the Kosovo War, mentioned he would have accepted a complete absence of nationality listings. Although the biennial intends to eliminate all references to country of birth, Halilaj will not return, seeking to encourage dialogue on political agency within art institutions.