Programme

Extending his exploration of queer migration, exile, and underground networks, Sobczak weaves together personal and historical encounters, using gossip as a fleeting yet powerful means of community-building and rewriting the past.

Located in the heart of the village, Bar Tore embraces the many underground stories of bars as alternative spaces for community formation in Albania and Kosovo. Referencing iconic venues such as Bar Iliria in Tirana and Bar Janis in Prizren, the bar serves as both a site of artistic activation and a node of social memory.

Based on subjective experiences, Flaka Haliti keeps on looking at our fragmented, contradictory present. At the centre of her artistic practice is the individual and the question, how identity is constructed in a global fluid militant world. The three billboards displayed at the Art Explora Festival in Durrës follow an "ethics of proximity" and reference the contradictions of our ambivalent contemporary reality, addressing socio-political issues such as migration and racism.

Free shuttles are available: Departures every 30 minutes from Durrës town hall. Everyday from 10:30am to closing time (see programme).

Experience on reservation. Duration: 45 min.

Experience on reservation. Duration: 1h00

Liman is the exceptional meeting of 3 great musicians from the current Turkish scene: Cem Yildiz, Ramazan Sesler and Ismail Pesluk. Together, they propose a veritable ‘electro-traditional’ exploration based on the rich heritage of Turkish folk music, from Istanbul to the shores of the Black Sea, via the valleys of Anatolia and the Aegean coast.

Elsa Lila, one of Albania’s most beloved and renowned voices, will perform live at the Art Explora Festival in a rare and unmissable concert. Known for her captivating vocal range and emotive performances, Elsa has been a significant figure in both the Albanian and international music scenes. Accompanied by a piano, she will perform a selection of her celebrated repertoire in a truly intimate and memorable performance in the Port of Durrës.

Oda Haliti is an internationally acclaimed DJ and music producer based between Prishtina and Berlin. She blends old-school vibes with innovative beats, creating a unique sound that combines global rhythms with local influences.

One of the pioneers of the electronic music scene in Albania, Minimim is a promoter, provocateur, aesthetician, and an irreplaceable force in the country’s cultural life. He is the co-founder and resident DJ of Discobox and PepperOn, two well-known spaces, and is one-third of the All Shadows trio. With an active presence spanning over two decades, Minimim is a regular participant in significant local and international festivals.

Printed in large-scale, paneled vinyl, this photograph is displayed at the entrance of the Port of Durrës, inviting visitors into the image itself and into the festival through this shared, suspended moment.

With this spatial intervention, Raffaela Naldi Rossano creates an oracle portal between Durrës and Cuma, both significant Mediterranean sites. The work mirrors protective structures recently introduced at the Antro, addressing the vulnerability of historical sites.

Fwd: Reminder is a newly created installation by Bora Baboçi, reflecting on the areas by the ports and trade routes, where exchanges and negotiations shift the fragile boundaries along the Mediterranean coast.

Founded in March 2020, Radio Alhara is an online radio station based in Bethlehem, Palestine. Initially emerging as a response to global lockdowns, it has since grown into a dynamic cultural platform that transcends borders. Rooted in community, resistance, and artistic exchange, the station unites DJs, musicians, and thinkers from around the world, fostering a space for sonic experimentation and political discourse.

For three days, Aesthetic services circa 2025, 2025, a hairdressing public service is offered free of charge for the citizens of Durrës. Conceived as a conceptual and performative work by artist Iris Touliatou, the project reimagines acts of care, intimacy, and exchange within urban and institutional frameworks.