albanmuja.blogspot.com
Pristina | Kosovo

From east to the Southwest

ausstellable

Video, Fotografien, Malerei

Ausstellung vom 5. bis 26. Februar 2010

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Alban Muja was born in Mitrovica, Kosovo, in 1980. He lives and works
in Pristina, Kosovo.

Muja’s artistic work includes painting, video installation, photography,
drawing and performances. Influenced by the social and political
transformation processes in his home country of Kosovo, Muja
investigates History as well as socio-political themes and connects them
to the position of the artists and their social position in Kosovo today.

.Picture : Alban Muja -  Catch me - color print - 180 X 120 cm- 2007 - ( photo by Kiriko Shirobyashi)

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PALESTINA | 2005 | video | 6′45”

Palestina, is an Albanian girl. Her name may sound strange and unusual, but her name is Palestina. The name has been thrilling to her since she understood the real history of it. However, she feels proud of her name and how she came to her name. Palestina herself tells this history on video. Her mother, at the time when she was pregnant and was waiting to give birth to her, she was stunned by a tragedy taking place in Palestine. Israeli soldiers killed a young Palestinian in front of his girlfriend. Sad because of the cruel killing of her lover young Palestinian girl, she got into her car, filled it with explosives and clashed along with this car bomb into an Israeli soldier convoy, killing as many as 20. The event took place in 1982, weeks before giving birth to her kosova’s girl, later named after “Palestine”. Her mother, stunned with the tragic news coming from Palestine, decided immediately that if the baby she was going to give birth to would be a girl, she would be named Palestine. Her husband and the entire family were severely against this unusual name, but she was set and did not defer the pressure. On the video, Palestina herself tells how she understood the reality of her name’s history.
Through this video I wanted to present the importance of interpretation and influence of the news upon global society, including news dealing with tragic and horrifying events that spark extreme reactions as even today it is not that easy to distinguish the boundary between heroism and madness.

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TIBET | 2009 | video | 5′52”

It’s a video about a Kosovar Albanian man, who lives in Switzerland. In fact the story is about his name. Tibet is an unusual name. Apart from having a strange name, the story how of he got his name makes this more interesting, strange and unusual. We, as a society, are used to hear names, which have some kind of attachment to the history of our own country, newborn children named after the war heroes or heroines. However, I am amazed when I hear names that in fact break the usual tradition of naming the newborn children. This story I am about to present has no relation to the history of the country the character is coming from. His name does not have any relation with the conflict or the history of the conflict itself it is an act of solidarity. Tibet was the second child in the family. He was the newborn male child, which for his family was the peak of happiness, and is the meaning of the Tibet as well. Apart from showing their solidarity with the situation in Tibet, which in many ways shared the same aims and ideals as Kosovo (home country of Tibet), liberty and fighting for human rights, his family had another meaning of this name in mind. Tibet – the worlds highest region.
Through this video I wanted also to present the importance of interpretation and influence of the news on global society.

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Windows seats | 2008 | Paintings x2  | oil on canvas | 30×20 cm and 35×30 cm

Windows seats is a sequence of paintings created by artist during his last year’s constantly flights by plane in USA and Europe.

“My first impression about US and Europe made 10 thousand meters above and while approaching one country or even country or the Continent was that I’m looking at an artistic work.”

Seated near the window, Alban Muja was looking at landscape from a Windows Seat the crossings of strange lines, sometimes straight, while sometimes fractured, although like painted by a hand of a skittish child.

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Catch me | 2007 | Photography  | C-Print | 180×110 cm

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Catch me shows the physical action of the artist jumping over the american-mexican border.

Artist himself come from a place where freedom and moving from one to another country for most of people in his countryis just a dream, more or less same like most of the Mexicans when they want to pass USA’s border.

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