Villa Tirana - A new residency program launched in Albania

On Tuesday 17th October 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama attended the signing of the partnership agreement between the Art Explora Foundation and the Albanian Ministry of Culture.

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The Villa Tirana

Located in a building with a strong historical heritage, Vila 31, the former residence of dictator Enver Hoxha, the Villa Tirana residency programme will host up to 20 artists, researchers and doctoral students per year, who will benefit from working, production and exhibition spaces to develop their research.

With an inauguration scheduled for Autumn 2024, Villa Tirana is part of the Art Explora Foundation's commitment to supporting creation in all its forms from a transdisciplinary, transnational and transgenerational perspective. Villa Tirana will also support local initiatives, artist-run spaces, publishing houses, archives and research centers, drawing on a strong network of art professionals, curators, researchers and cultural players.

Special attention will be paid to artists and researchers based in the Western Balkan while welcoming renowned international artists. Villa Tirana will offer an ambitious and lively cultural program, designed in collaboration with art institutions, local and international galleries, municipalities, art centers, schools and associations, including exhibitions, workshops, film screenings, discussions, symposiums and festivals. The public will be regularly invited to meet the artists, discover their research and take part in the various events organised at Villa Tirana.

Agenda :

• March 2024 : Call for application
• June 2024 : Transdisciplinary seminar in Pristina
• Autumn 2024 : Start of the first residency session /Performance festival in Tirana
• March 2025 : Start of the second residency session
• Spring 2025 : Transdisciplinary seminar in Tirana / Performance festival in Skopje
• September 2025 : End of the second residency session

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