Petrit Halilaj

Born in 1986 in Kostërc (Kosovo), PETRIT HALILAJ lives and works in-between Germany, Kosovo and Italy. His work is deeply connected with the recent history of his country, and the consequences of the political and cultural tensions in the region. But while confronting a collective memory, his work often originates from a personal experience and it is usually the result of an intimate process and a shared moment with someone he loves. His unique, and sometimes irreverent, way to playfully confront the essence of reality results in a deep reflection on memory, freedom, cultural identity and life discoveries. Kamel Mennour and Petrit Halilaj have been working together since 2014.

Petrit Halilaj’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions at the Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid; the New Museum, NYC; the Fondazione Merz, Turin; the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern; the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the HangarBicocca, Milan; the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne; the Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn; the National Gallery of Kosovo, Pristina; the Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon; the Foundation Galeries Lafayette, Paris; WIELS, Brussels; as well as in group exhibitions at the 15th Lyon Biennale; the Louisiana Museum in Denmark; the Palais de Tokyo, Paris; the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles; the Palazzo Grassi - Pinault Collection, Venice; NEON, Mykonos, Greece; and the Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster.

He represented Kosovo at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013. He received the Mario Merz Prize, and the special mention of the jury at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017.

Most recently Tate St Ives presented his solo exhibition, “Very volcanic over this green feather”. In 2022, a selection of works from the same project has been featured in the group show “Adjustable monuments” at Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf. He took part in Manifesta 14 in Prishtina, Kosovo.

His works are currently on display at the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Works

Exhibition view, Frankfurter Kunstverein - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Frankfurter Kunstverein, 2022
Exhibition view, Manifesta 14, Prishtina - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Manifesta 14, Prishtina, 2022
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2022
Exhibition view, Fries Museum, Leeuwarden - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, 2022
Exhibition view, Tate St Ives - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Tate St Ives, 2021
Here to Remind You 3 - © Mennour
Here to Remind You 3, 2021
Installation view, Opéra Comique, Paris - © Mennour
Installation view, Opéra Comique, Paris, 2021
Exhibition view, Lundskonsthall - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Lundskonsthall, 2021
Exhibition view, Autostrada Biennale, National Library, Prishtina - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Autostrada Biennale, National Library, Prishtina, 2021
Exhibition view, Art Quadriennale, Rome - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Art Quadriennale, Rome, 2020
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2020
Bird Feeding stations - © Mennour
Bird Feeding stations, 2020
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2020
Exhibition view, Lyon Biennale - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Lyon Biennale, 2019
Exhibition view, Lyon Biennale - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Lyon Biennale, 2019
Abetare (Car with smoke) - © Mennour
Abetare (Car with smoke), 2020
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2014
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
With Alvaro Urbano, 27th of March 2012 (Forsythias) - © Mennour
With Alvaro Urbano, 27th of March 2012 (Forsythias), 2020
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2018
Exhibition view, Venice Biennale - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Venice Biennale, 2017
RU_ Ardeola ralloides, Threskiornis spinicollis - © Mennour
RU_ Ardeola ralloides, Threskiornis spinicollis, 2017
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Palacio de Cristal, Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2020
Moth #2 - © Mennour
Moth #2, 2017
Exhibition view, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, 2018
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Petrit Halilaj
Ru, 2019
Exhibition view  "Homeless Souls", Louisiana Museum, Danemark - © Courtesy the Artist, ChertLüdde, Berlin and kamel mennour, Paris/London, Mennour
Exhibition view, Louisiana Museum, Danemark, 2019
Abetare (Figure with square body) - © Mennour
Abetare (Figure with square body), 2015
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Si Okarina e Runikut 4 - © Mennour
Si Okarina e Runikut 4, 2014—2019
Abetare (Three Flowers) - © Mennour
Abetare (Three Flowers), 2019
Do you realise there is a rainbow even if it’s night!? (red) - © Mennour
Do you realise there is a rainbow even if it’s night!? (red), 2017
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, NEON, Mykonos - © Mennour
Exhibition view, NEON, Mykonos, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2017
Si Okarina e Runikut 3 - © Mennour
Si Okarina e Runikut 3, 2015
Moth #10 - © Mennour
Moth #10, 2017
Exhibition view, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, 2015
Exhibition view, Pinault Collection, Punta Della Dogana, Venice - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Pinault Collection, Punta Della Dogana, Venice, 2015
Abetare (A Window) - © Mennour
Abetare (A Window), 2015
Exhibition view, SALTS, Basel - © Mennour
Exhibition view, SALTS, Basel, 2015
Petrit Halilaj
ABETARE
2018
View of the exhibition “Childhood - Another banana day for the dream-fish”, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2018 - © © Petrit Halilaj
Photo. archives kamel mennour
Courtesy the artist and kamel mennour Paris/London, Mennour
Exhibition view, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2018
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, London - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, London, 2017
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels - © Mennour
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2013
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 2015
RU_Egretta cerulea, Limosa limosa - © Mennour
RU_Egretta cerulea, Limosa limosa, 2017
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2017
Poisoned by men in need of some love (Anas platyrhynchos) - © Mennour
Poisoned by men in need of some love (Anas platyrhynchos), 2013
Exhibition view, Venice Biennale - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Venice Biennale, 2017
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2017
Si Okarina e Runikut 2 - © Mennour
Si Okarina e Runikut 2, 2014
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2014
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 2015
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Abetare (A Candle) - © Mennour
Abetare (A Candle), 2015
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2017
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels - © Mennour
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2013
RU - © Mennour
RU, 2017
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2017
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels - © Mennour
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2013
Moth #4 - © Mennour
Moth #4, 2017
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2017
Abetare (Ronaldo) - © Mennour
Abetare (Ronaldo), 2015
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, London - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, London, 2017
Si Okarina e Runikut - © Mennour
Si Okarina e Runikut, 2014
Do you realise there is a rainbow even if it's night!? (white) - © Mennour
Do you realise there is a rainbow even if it’s night!? (white), 2017
Abetare (Big star with I love u) - © Mennour
Abetare (Big star with I love u), 2015
Abetare (Heart) - © Mennour
Abetare (Heart), 2015
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Exhibition, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne - © Mennour
Exhibition, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 2015
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, kamel mennour, Paris, 2014
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2018
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 2015
Exhibition view, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, 2015
Abetare (Flower) - © Mennour
Abetare (Flower), 2017
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels - © Mennour
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2013
RU_Haematopus ostralegus, Pluvialis squatarola - © Mennour
RU_Haematopus ostralegus, Pluvialis squatarola, 2017
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Abetare (Arrow in Heart) - © Mennour
Abetare (Arrow in Heart), 2018
Exhibition view, Berlin Biennale - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Berlin Biennale, 2010
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Shkrepëtima - © Mennour
Shkrepëtima, 2019
Abetare (Eye) - © Mennour
Abetare (Eye), 2017
Exhibition view, NEON, Mykonos - © Mennour
Exhibition view, NEON, Mykonos, 2019
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2018
RU_Haematopus ostralegus, Pluvialis squatarola 2 - © Mennour
RU_Haematopus ostralegus, Pluvialis squatarola 2, 2017
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Fondazione Merz, Turin, 2018
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan - © Mennour
Exhibition view, HangarBicocca, Milan, 2015
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels - © Mennour
Exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2013
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, 2015
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York - © Mennour
Exhibition view, New Museum, New York, 2017
Exhibition view, Palais de Tokyo, Paris - © Mennour
Exhibition view, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2018

Exhibitions & News

Hicham Berrada & Petrit Halilaj - Sammlung Philara - © Mennour
Hicham Berrada, Petrit Halilaj, Breathing Water, Drinking Air
12 August 2022 — 25 June 2023
Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf
Petrit Halilaj - International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Very volcanic over this green feather
23 May — 17 September 2023
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva
Petrit Halilaj - Ocean Space - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, with Álvaro Urbano and Simone Fattal, Thus waves come in pairs
22 April — 5 November 2023
Ocean Space, Venice
Le Salon de musique - © Mennour
Group show, Le Salon de musique
3 February — 18 March 2023
Opening 03 February 2023, 18:00
Mennour, 6 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris 6
Petrit Halilaj - Fries Museum - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, you used to fly, go everywhere and wake up those who are asleep
16 April 2022 — 5 March 2023
Fries Museum, Leeuwarden
Petrit Halilaj - Frankfurter Kunstverein - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Where will we go from here? Twelve Art Stories Told from Spain
14 October 2022 — 29 January 2023
Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt
Petrit Halilaj - Manifesta 14 - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Ugo Rondinone, Manifesta 14
22 July — 30 October 2022
Prishtina
Petrit Halilaj & Pierre Molinier - Christian Louboutin, L’Exhibition[niste] - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Pierre Molinier, Christian Louboutin, L’Exhibition[niste]
9 July — 28 August 2022
Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
Petrit Halilaj - Mercer Union - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Evidence
24 June — 20 August 2022
Mercer Union, Toronto
Very volcanic over this green feather (Papagall) - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Very volcanic over this green feather (Papagall)
8 June — 23 July 2022
Opening 08 June 2022, 18:00
Mennour, 6 rue du Pont de Lodi, Paris 6
Petrit Halilaj - Sammlung Philara - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, Adjustable Monuments
26 February — 26 June 2022
Sammlung Philara, Düsseldorf
Latifa Echakhch & Petrit Halilaj - NMNM - © Mennour
Latifa Echakhch, Petrit Halilaj, TREMBLEMENTS. Acquisitions récentes du Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
25 November 2021 — 15 May 2022
Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
Petrit Halilaj - Fundació Joan Miró - © Mennour
Petrit Halilaj, The Point of Sculpture
15 October 2021 — 6 March 2022
Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona

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