ARTAN
SHABANI
Was born in 1969 in Vlora, Albania and currently lives between Tirana and Turin.
In 1991 he moved to Italy, then traveled to France and Spain, constantly working on various artistic projects. Shabani is the founder of “Promenade Gallery” (2007) in Vlora , and one of the founders of Albanian Gallery of Arts private foundation.
2013 -2018 director of the National Gallery of Arts, Tirana. As an artist, he works with a wide range of media such as painting, drawing, photography, video and installation. His works have been exhibited in various museums, solo and group exhibitions, art fairs and events held in important galleries, museums and public, national and international institutions.
Shabani’s work focuses mainly on historical and social themes, in particular on the metamorphosis of those societies that have experienced the trauma of the Cold War in a local and international aspect, built mainly as an endless album of personal memories. Shaban’s works can be found in many private and public institutions, as well as in various collections, mainly in Germany, Turkey, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Finland, Canada, USA and Albania.
Education
2009 – 2012 “Pavarsia University” Vlora, Albanian Political Science / Bachelor
1984 – 1988 “Naim Frasheri” Vlora, Albanian School of Arts / Gymnasium
Work Experience
2022-2021 Expo Dubai ” Mobility Albania Pavilion ”. Commissioner Sokol Nano. Curator Artan Shabani. Dubai UEE
2021 Member of the Willingshausen Malerstübchen artists’ association. Germany
2021 Curator ‘’Vasiliev Nini, The Memory Circle ’’, Promenade Gallery. Vlorë Albania
2021 Curator ”Hajdar Danjolli exhibitions, The Past has not Passed’’, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë Albania
2021 Curator ”Hapsira që na rrethon” Toptani Space Gallery, Tirana Albania
2020 Curator ”Constructing a Dream. Socialist realism in albanian art”, Pera Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
2020 Trainer of the project “MONET – Culture in MOtion in Adriatic NETworks of Museums”, Programme INTERREG IPA CBC Italy – Albania – Montenegro
2020 Curator ‘’Drawing Room. Works on Paper , Shih Detin’’ (Look at the sea)”, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë. Albania
2020 Curator “Kinostudio Frame. Selected works from albanian films”, Kadare’s House Museum, Gjirokastër, Albania
2019 Curator “L’eterno femminino”, Italian Residence, Former Lenin’s Museum, Tirana, Albania
2018 – 2013 Director of the National Gallery of Arts. Tirana, Albania
2018 Board Member of the Albanian Sports Ambassador NPO, Tirana, Albania
2018 Curator “Albania. The spirit of the times”, Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA), Acri, Cosenza, Italy
2018 BUNK’Art Science, presenter of the artist Matteo Gelardi, Tirana, Albania
2018 – 2014 Member of Albanian National Council of Museums, Ministry of Culture. Albania
2018 \ 2014 Member of the National Circus Board – Ministry oc Culture. Albania
2018\ 2015 Member of the State Commission of Postage Stamps- Ministry of Finance Albania
2017 “Contemporary art in historical sites”, Annual meeting of museology, Palazzo Ducale Museum Complex of Mantua, Estensi Galleries of Modena, Royal Palace Museum of Genoa, National Gallery Albania, Royal Museums of Turin. Mantua Italy
2017 Personal presentation of Guri Bulollari’s exhibition ”Thjeshtësia rrënjësore”, Mantegna’s House, Mantua, Italy
2017 Albanian art and culture in the World Conference, University of Sciences, Tirana, Albania
2016 “Ideals and artworks. The collection of Ludwig Múzeum Budapest in the National Gallery of Arts Tirana”, Cocurator with Julia Fabényi, Krisztina Szipōtzc, Tirana, Albania
2016 “Remix Cities”, Santa Maria della Scala Museum Complex, Siena, Italy
2016 Curator “Talking About”, The 11th International Mulliqi Prize, National Gallery of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo
2016 Curator ”Transformation. Works on Paper”, General Consulate of Italy, Vlorë, Albania
2015 Curator “Reflections from Albania”, Museum of Modern Art Kuwait City, Kuwait
2015 Curator. Koleksioni i GKA dhe Artistë Bashkë-kohës. State Parliament (Landtag) of North Rhine Westphalia (Düsseldorf) Germany
2014 Curator “One hundred years of albanian drawing”, National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
2014 Jury member at the National competition for the selection of the commemorative logo for the 70th anniversary liberation of the Homeland, Tirana, Albania
2014 Jury member at PaMur Festival of Book and Art, Tirana, Albania
2014 Project director “Posters & Ideas”, Peter Poc’s exhibition, National Gallery of Arts. Tirana, Albania
2013 Curator ”L’eterno dissidente ”, Albanian Pavilion, Flash Art Event, Milan, Italy
2013 President of jury, coordinator and curator “Live Art, Albanian Contemporary Painting Competition”, National Gallery Of Arts. Tirana, Albania
2011 Member of the team for the redevelopment project of the Center of Tirana with the studio “Campos Costa Arquitectos”, Lisbon, Portugal
2010 Curator site specific ”The Berlin Wall”, Petro Marko Theatre and Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2009 Curator of Albania & Kosovo Pavilion, 4th Prague Biennale, Prague, Czech Republic
2007 Curator ”Independence day. Albanian and Italian Young Artists”, Vlorë, Albania
2005 Curator “Balkanica YBA”, Site Specific Porto Venere, Italy
2004 “Contaminazioni dal paese delle aquille”, Celestine Palace and Adorno Palace (with Fatos Kongoli, Liliana Qafa, Silvana Likursi), Lecce, Italy
2003 Curator ”Contemporary Albanian Artist”, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy
2001 C Center Ca Duo Cantalia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2000 The pottery of Albisola, St. George Laboratory Experimental Work, Albisola, Italy 1998 “Turin and its province” (with Massimo Colella), Teatro & Altro Project, Turin, Italy
Public collections
Museum Malerstübchen Willingshausen, Germany \ National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania \ National Gallery of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo \ Luciano Benetton Collection, Treviso, Italy \ Pohjanmaan museo/Österbottens museum, Vaasa, Finland \ Albania-American Enterprise Fund Tirana, Albania \ Ernesto e Teresa della Torre Museum, Treviglio, Italy \ Fondations CRC, Cuneo, Italy \ reception hall of the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania. Tirana\ Ambasciata d’Italia, Tirana, Albania \ Cherasco Pinakothek Collection, Italy \ Epicentro Museum, Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Messina, Italy \ Limonaia of Castle Museum, Limone sul Garda, Italy \ Rectorate of Bocconi University, Milano, Italy \ Salesian Historical Institute, Rome, Italy \ Francesco Federico Cerruti Collection, Torino, Italy \ Fondacioni Ivanaj, Tirana, Albania.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 ”Die Macht Der Farbe’’, Artan Shabani & Ben Kamili, Haus Kuns Mitte. Curated by Wilhelm Ziehr. Berlin, Germany
2021 ”Magical Flowers”, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2019 Main Exhibition | Artan Shabani ארטאן שבאני MAGICAL FLOWERS Curators: Yifat Gurion & Michal Baharav Uzrad | Tel Aviv, Israel
2016 “Paesaggi riflessi”, Santo Stefano Exhibition Center, Mondovì Breo, Italy
2014 “Atlas”, Beyoğlu Municipal Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2012 “Your only real thing is time”, Promenade Gallery & PIA Residential Area, Vlorë, Albania
2010 ”Talking About”, La Générale en Manufacture Sèvres, Paris, France
2010 “The Beatles Yeah! Yeah!”, Alexander Alvarez Gallery, Alessandria, Italy
2009 “Works on paper”, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2008 “Foreigners, ma non troppo”, Mavi Kum Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2008 “The labyrinth of memory”, Ghetto Palace, Chieri, Turin, Italy
2007 “Discourses in painting”, Jozef Gallery, Durrës, Albania
2006 “Visage d’Albanie”, BPS Suisse & Commission Nationale Monégasque pour l’UNESCO, Curator Giuseppe Maria Durazzo, Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco
2006 “Delfi dorme, e dove risuona il grande destino?”, Galleria Mikro, Turin, Italy
2006 “Balkan Metamorphosis”, National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
2006 Doria Pamphili Palace, San Martino al Cimino, Viterbo Italy
2005 “The Balkan Man Figure de Style”, Galleria Koiné, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy
2005 Villa Caruso Bellosguardo, Lastra a Signa, Florence, Italy
2005 “Via Egnatia”, National Automobile Museum, Turin, Italy
2004 “Constructed Realities”, Palace of European Councils, Strasbourg, France
2004 “History Portraits”, Palace of the Captain, Bagno di Romagna, Italy
2004 “L’acqua dei Balcani è nel mare di Venezia”, Palace of the prisons, Venice, Italy
2004 The Ducal Castle, Corigliano Calabro, Italy
2004 “Sguardo ad’Est”, Salmatoris Palace, Cherasco, Italy
2004 “The Green Room”, Villa Strozzi, Florence, Italy
2003 Pohjanmaan museo / Österbottens Museum, Vaasa, Finland
2003 “Back To The Future”, ex Upim Space Show, Treviglio, Italy
2003 “Still Life”, Serbelloni Palace, Milan, Italy
2002 “The colors of the Mediterranean” National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
2002 “Pastpresentfuture”, Barberini Palace, Rome, Italy
2002 Imagen Gallery, La Coruña, España
2002 St. Gregorio Baroque Church Show Space, Cherasco, Italy
2002 “Volti della folla”, Alfieri Palace (courtesy Aimeri Mecenas), Cuneo, Italy
2001 “Below the light”, Antibes Gallery, Antibes, France
2001 Lenka Tresnak Gallery, Bruneck South Tyrol (BZ) Italy
2001 Site specific “Artan Shabani”, Porto Venere (SP), Italy
2000 “Spectacular Optical”, Metropole Space Show, Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco
2000 “In Transito”, Congress Hall, Limone sul Garda, Italy
2000 “Memory Space”, Manini Gallery, Turin, Italy
1999 Municipal Hall, Roquebrune Cap Martin, France
1998 “Salon 3”, Scaglia di Verrua’s Palace, Turin, Italy
1997 “Extraordinary visions”, Fundamentals of St. Peter, Porto Venere, Italy
1997 “Tracce nel futuro”, Open Space, Bardonecchia Turin, Italy
1997 “Humanity Lost”, Vitruviana Space, Moncalieri, Turin, Italy
1996 ”Territories”, Ginkgo biloba space, Turin, Italy
1995 “In The Same Boat”, Open Space in Rosta, Turin, Italy
1993 “Eureka”, The Ducal Castle of Corigliano d’Otranto, Lecce, Italy
2022-2021 Expo 2020 Dubai ” Mobility Albania Pavilion ”. Dubai UEE
2021 Countless Cities the biennial exhibition of Farm Cultural Park, The biennial of the cities of the world, Favara (AG) Itali
2021 Willingshausen painters’ Symposium. Kurator Ben Kamili. Museum Malerstübchen Willingshausen, Germany
2021 Villa Meridiana “Vlora, a dream of freedom”. Santa Maria di Leuca. (LE) Itali
2020 ‘’Drawing Room. Works on Paper’’, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2018 7th Biennial of Visual Arts, Villa Farsetti in Santa Maria di Sala, Venice, Italy, (1st prize winner)
2018 “Albania. The spirit of the times” Museum of Contemporary Art Acri (MACA), Acri, Italy,
2018 “Maledetti Albanesi – Le aquile sono in volo”, curators Luigi Marastoni, Sebastiano Zanetti, Mantegna’s House, Mantua, Italy
2016 “Skanderbeg: héros des albanais et défenseur de l’Europe”, Maison de l’Albanie, Paris, France
2016 “Screening NO: 4764” (Bruno Muzzolini presents), Istituto Zappa, Brera Academy, Milan, Italy
2016 “Figurative composition re-illumination”, National Gallery of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo
2015 “Taxi”, Parallel Vienna, Vienna, Austria & Art Market Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
2015 “All About These… Ladies and Gentlemen”, Temporary Gallery, Koln, Germany
2015 “Reflections from Albania”, Museum of Modern Art, Kuwait City, Kuwait
2014 Arab Guggenheim Museum and White House Biennial, The Kennedy Bunker, Berlin, Germany
2014 “Artists for Guri i Zi auction”, Sotheby’s, Milan, Italy
2014 48th Internationaler Kunst Markt, Art Cologne, Cologne, Germany
2013 – 2014 “All About These… Ladies and Gentlemen”, Viafarini, Milan, Italy/ Co-Pilot, Pilot Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey/ Soma, Mexico City, Studio Arte Gallery, Bucharest, Romania, Curator Fani Zguro.
2013 “Oltremare”, Ibrahim Kodra Foundation, Milan, Italy
2013 ”L’eterno dissidente”, Flash Art Event, Palazzo del Ghiaccio, Milan, Italy
2013 APEN, Albanian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Network, Chelsea, New York, USA
2012 13th International Biennial of Architecture, directed by David Chipperfield | Albanian Pavilion, Zorzi Palace “In heritage”, curator Ilir Voci, Venice, Italy
2012 “Make it easy make it porn”, Gallery On The Move in collaboration with Isola Art Center, Isola Libri, Milan, Italy
2012 “Hosted in Athens BEST-OFF” / Vlorë, Blightman Bofiliou/ Berlin, Daily Lazy Projects/Athens, Greece
2012 “’Fild’ altamarpollença. Festival interdisciplinari ludic”, Pollença, Mallorca Balearic Islands, Spain
2012 International Art Festival, Ali Pasha Castle, Porto Palermo, Albania
2012 Italian Residence, Former Lenin’s Museum, Tirana, Albania
2012 “Il giardino della bellezza”, Gagliardi Space, Noto, Italy
2011 “I fought the X and the X won”, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta
2011 “I fought the X and the X won”, Muzeul de Arta Cluj – Napoca, Cluj, România
2011 “A history out of context”, curator Alberto Zanchetta, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2011 “L’Écriture Oblique d’Ismail Kadare”, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
2011 “Missing landscape” (with Bruno Muzzolini, Anri Sala, Fani Zguro), Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2011 APEN, Albanian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Network, New York, USA
2011 Cultural Center “Vangjush Mio”, curated by Suzana Kuka, Korçë, Albania
2011 “Laguna in Dolomiti”, Val di Zoldo, Sala polifunzionale Fusine, Italy
2010 Tina B Contemporary Art Festival, Curated by Lydia Pribisova. Prague, Czech Republic
2010 ‘’Double Bond”, Casa Masaccio Centre for Contemporary Art, curators Valerio Dehò, Andi Tepelena, San Giovanni Valdarno. Italy
2010 “Calling all the stations – Muslim Mulliqi prize 2009”, National Gallery of Kosovo, curators Michele Robecchi & Gazmend Ejupi, Pristina, Kosovo
2010 “Who Is Afraid of Red Yellow and Green”, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2010 “In Train”, Site Specific Group Project (with Adrian Paci, Alfred Mirashi, Parlind Prelashi), Lecce / Torino, Italy
2010 “Lottery of the Sea” (with Alkan Nallbani, Eduard Muço), Battaglie Gallery, Brescia, Italy
2010 “Sulle Tracce di Luca Giordano”, Villa Bruno, San Giorgio a Cremano, Italy
2010 “The Berlin Wall’, Petro Marko Theatre, Vlorë, Albania
2009 4th Prague Biennale, Director and general curators Helena Kontova and Giancarlo Politi, General editor & curatorial advisor Nicola Trezzi, Praha Czech Republic
2009 53rd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale “Krossing / Oltre I Confini Tra I Territori, Oltre I Confini Tra Artista e Spettatore”, Forte Marghera Venice, italy
2009 Mari & Pio Monti Gallery, curated by Paola Ballesi Civitanova Marche, Italy
2009 “Memories & Dreams”, curated by Art Kontact, Bashtova Castle, Albania
2008 “Lallazioni Lavabili Live 01 & Sconfinamenti”, Alexander Alvares Gallery, Alessandria, Italy
2008 “Thinking Architecture”, Promenade Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2007 National Gallery of Macedonia-Čifte Amam, Scopie Macedonia
2007 Art Festival in Ali Pasha Castle – Porto Palermo, curated by Art Kontakt, Qeparo, Albania
2007 “People of hope”, National Historical Museum. Tirana, Albania
2007 Limonaia of Castle Museum, Limone sul Garda, Italy
2007 “Processo Grottesco”, Zenit Gallery, Tirana, Albania
2007 Luzzati Museum Porta Siberia, Genova, Italy
2007 “Works From a Private Collection”, Iris Gallery, Shkodër, Albania
2007 “Eastern European Painting Now days”, City Arts Gallery, Vlorë, Albania
2006 “Experiment in Terror”, 12th International Onufri Prize, curated by Eleni Laperi, National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
2006 “Still Song”, Hippocampe Gallery, Saint. Jean Cap Ferrat, France
2005 “Sound Check”, Collegio Fratelli Cairoli, Pavia, Italy
2005 Henry Bronne Gallery, Monte-Carlo Monaco
2005 New Contemporaries, Porto Venere, Italy
2004 “Group show”, curated by Edi Muka, National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
2004 Mäster Olofsgården, Site Specific. Stockholm Sweden
2004 Sabir Festival of Mediterranee, Scicli, Ragusa, Italy
2004 The National Central Library, For Gen, Florence, Italy
2004 Pallavicini Palace, Mombaruzzo Asti, Italy
2003 “Albanie: Collection Printemps Eternité”, Galerie Montaigne, Paris, France
2003 Cascina Grande Rozzano, Young Albanian Artists, Milan, Italy
2003 ”Extraordinary Visions”, Bocconi University Milan, Italy
2003 Site Specific, Ceriana Mayneri Palace, Torino, Italy
2003 Dieffe Gallery for Contemporary Art, Turin, Italy
2003 NEUF Gallery, New Horizons, Dijon, France
2002 “Point of view. Congress Hall, Limone sul Garda, (BS) Italy
2002 The Salzburg World Fine Art Fair, Courtesy Lenka Tresnak Gallery, Austria
2002 The Fondation Palazzo Bricherasio, Historical Rooms, Turin, Italy
2002 Auditorium del Massimo, Week of Albanian Culture, Rome, Italy
2002 Pohjanmaan museo / Österbottens Museum, Vaasa, Finland
2002 La Place Gallery, Curated by Holta Vrioni, Calvisson, France
2001 Site Specific Harp Duo C Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2001 “Amour Erotisme Pornographie”, ORigiNalgAlleRy, Nice, France
2001 “Afrika”, Azzarie Palace Santuario, Savona, Italy
2000 Hippocampe Gallery, St. Jean-Cap Ferrat, France
2000 ”Musikanten”, Palazzo Bruno, Mondovi Piazza, Cuneo, Italy
2000 Mark Peet Visser Gallery, Heusden, Netherlands
2000 Permanente Palace Museum, Milan, Italy
2000 Torre della Filanda, Rivoli (TO) Italy
1999 International Salon of Fine Art, Roquebrune Cap Martin, France
1999 Artissima International Fair of Contemporary Art, Turin, Italy
1999 Salon Monaco Artistes, Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco
1999 Artissima International Fair of Contemporary Art, Turin, Italy
1998 Project Room, Mediatheque St. Jean-Cap Ferrat, France
1998 Teatro & Altro Project, Artan Shabani & Massimo Colella, Turin, Italy
1998 Henry Bronne Gallery, Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco
1998 Bertrand Kass Gallery, Innsbruck, Austria
1998 ”Presentation”, Victoria Gallery. Cannes, France
1997 Promoter of the Arts Museum, Turin, Italy
1996 Hippocampe Gallery, St. Jean-Cap Ferrat, France
1996 “The Painting”, Scaglia di Verrua’s Palace, Turin, Italy
1992 The Ducal Castle of Corigliano d’Otranto, Lecce, Italy
1988 City Arts Gallery, Vlorë, Albania