On June 20 and 21, 2025, at the museum complex of the poet and prominent figure of the Albanian National Renaissance and Independence, Ndre Mjeda – a symbolic site of Albanian cultural and architectural heritage – the first edition of the contemporary art festival “Art, Between Dream and Reality” was held. This curatorial project aimed to create a dialogue between contemporary art and collective memory, encouraging reflection on dream and reality, memory and identity, nature and cultural heritage through works that included: installations, video art, performances, painting, photography, experimental films, and more. Inspired by the poetic work of Ndre Mjeda, the festival raised questions about the role of art as a source of collective awareness and as a form of poetic resistance to reality.
Key elements of the program included:
· A multidisciplinary exhibition
· Audio-visual performances
· An open public discussion on the intersection of poetics and contemporary art
The objective of the festival was to create a third space – a place that was both poetic and critical, where the past, present, and future communicated through art.
Specifications of the Participating Artists’ Works
Bib Frrokaj
The Flag of Light, site-specific installation dedicated to Ndre Mjeda, stainless steel and iron, 55 x 6 x 370 cm, 2025
Denada Makaj
Dream of Life, sound installation, 2025
Elsaida Musiq
NÀNA, print on forex, dimensions 100 x 70 cm, 2025
Elsamina Musiq
BORN AGAIN, polystyrene, paper & plaster, 2025
Enza Rripaj
Creatures of the Dark II – For a Little Light, installation, digital images, 2025
Fatlum Doçi
Untitled, wooden installation, 2023
Gevis Lekiqi
SPACE ODDITY, oil on paper painting, 2025
Giulia Cannas
Arveskida, performance (part of the ALBA project), 2025
Jonida Xherri
Interweaving Dreams, 3 carpet-installations:
- 45 cm x 17 meters
- 1.5 meters x 8 meters
- 1.5 meters x 12 meters
All created in 2025
Jozefina Vokrri
Traces, video art, 2025
Matias Shabani
Between Dream and Reality, marker on canvas, 60 x 70 cm, 2025
Ornella D’Agostino
Between Steps and Stones – (homage to Sardinian dance), early 90s video, performance-installation, 2025
Xhovana Precetaj
Why Remember, 7 paintings, 60 x 80 cm each, 2024–2025
Xhulian Millaj
Where the Soul Weeps in Grief and Prays for Liberation, installation with aluminum and iron, 2025
The festival was organized by Art Kontakt and supported by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation (MEKI)
