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SISLEJ XHAFA Fireworks in my Closet

Opening: Friday September 23rd 2016, Via del Castello 11, 6pm-midnight Until 15.01.2017, Monday–Sunday, 10am–1pm, 2–7pm

After the solo in 2012 held contemporary societies, Xhafa is at the French venue of Les interested in the phenomena of Moulins, Galleria Continua is illegality and social strategies, and marks out the way in which they are happy to host, for the first unconsciously manipulated. The artist time in its exhibition space in expresses himself by experimenting San Gimignano, the works by all media without partiality, from Sislej Xhafa. sculpture and drawing to photography, performance and video art. Fireworks in my Closet includes new works created by the artist for this Ironic and subversive, Sislej Xhafa event and conceived bearing in mind always manages to draw inspiration from the space on the lower floor of the the complexity and contradictions former cinema theatre: the stalls, the of reality. It was he, indeed, who stage, the gallery, the garden. These suggested a clandestine Albanian works, that greatly differ from one pavilion at the Biennale, used the another, ironically and light-heartedly train station as an Exchange address issues such as migration, where people’s dreams and hopes were identity, marginalisation, violence in sold instead of shares, decorated the politics and society, questioning the waiting room of a police station in complexity, unity and diversity of our like a grand palace, offered a change modern society. in perspective to the visitors of the 2013 , inviting them to Sislej Xhafa moved to Italy in 1993 and perch on the branches of a tree to get studied at the Academy, then their hair cut in a makeshift shop. The relocated to the United States, where MAXXI in is hosting until October he now lives. He left his homeland, a summa of a branch of his work that devastated by dictatorship and war: he owes its title to the large installation is a native of , referred to by created in the year 2000 in Tuscany Albanians, the ethnic group he belong with Arte Continua for Art to Art. On to, as Kosova. Renowned internationally that occasion, Xhafa dug the earth on for his research within social, economic the hill facing Casole d’Elsa and wrote and political environments associated a giant “Benvenuto” (Welcome) on the to the numerous complexities of ground. Emblematic of a nature which is always on the move (the grass has grown Sislej Xhafa was born in Pejë, Kosova, in and the writing has disappeared), this 1970. He lives and works in . He has work is an invitation to openness and held solo exhibitions in important venues: acceptance. Galeria BWA Sokol, Nowy Sacz (2016); MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome (2016); Center 42°, Cetinje, Montenegro Xhafa is capable of transforming the (2012); MADRE Donna Regina Contemporary banality of everyday life into something Art Museum, (2011); GAMeC Modern extraordinary. In this exhibition, and Contemporary Art Gallery, the footprints of a tramp left on (2007); 51st Venice Biennial, Albanian cement, or the truck covers make us Pavilion, Venice (2005); La Caixa Foundation, ponder on dramatically contemporary (2005); Deitch Projects, New issues, such as the redefinition of the York (2002); Kunsthalle Bern, Bern (2001), th concept of migrant, space, and border. Olivetti Foundation, Rome (2000); 47 Venice Biennale, the clandestine Albanian Antennas and satellite dishes dwell on Pavilion, Venice (1997). He has participated the sense of transience and lack of in collective exhibitions at the National communication. Fireworks imprisoned in Gallery of Art, Warsaw, (2016); Palazzo a closet are a metaphor for violence, Reale, Milan (2015); Centquatre, and the holy cards of saints become (2015); 55th Venice Biennale, Venice (2013); emblems of religious power. And if the Riso Museum of Contemporary Art in Sicily work placed in the garden transcends (2012); Palazzo Grassi, François Pinault art to open onto the landscape, the Collection, Venice (2011); Biennial, one set up in the stalls area denotes Havana (2009); , Gwangju (2008, 2002); Schirn Kunsthalle, a non-verifiable space, that fine line (2008); Museo Reina Sofía, Barcelona between what we know and what eludes (2007); Museum of Modern Art, us, that submerged map where legality Istanbul (2007); Mori Art Museum, and illegality are blurred. (2007), Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2002); PS1, New York (2001); III, Ljubljana (2000); S.M.A.K., Ghent (2000), 59th Venice Biennale, Venice (1999).

For further information about the exhibition and for photographs: Silvia Pichini, Communication Manager [email protected], mob. + 39 3474536136