Driant Zeneli: Falling

As part of ART CITY Bologna 2026 and Arte Fiera, the ex-Chiesa di San Barbaziano opens to the public for “Falling”, an exhibition centred on the new film-work by Albanian artist Driant Zeneli. Curated by Video Sound Art, a Milan-based festival and production centre led by Laura Lamonea, in collaboration with Denise Tamborrino and Patrizia Cirino, the project runs from 5–8 February 2026, with the opening on 4 February at 4:30pm. The event is promoted by Musei Nazionali di Bologna in collaboration with AICS Bologna, highlighting the Institute’s support for contemporary art.

At the centre of the exhibition is Zeneli’s “When winds in Monsoon play, the White Peacock will sweep away” (2025), created with Md. Tasnimul Izaz Bhuiyan, Pulak K. Sarkar, Rafi Nur Hamid, Sondip Roy, Sumaiya Sultana, and special contribution from Mahmudul Hasan Dipu, supported by the Italian Council (13th edition, 2024).

The work is set in two iconic locations: the Parliament of Dhaka, designed by Louis Kahn, and the Srihatta Art Centre in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Through a magical-realism allegorical narrative structured around the six Bengali seasons, it follows a white peacock unable to fly, in love with its own tear. The work addresses existential, ecological, and political themes, including the pro-democracy student revolt during the “July 2024 Revolution,” in which over a thousand lives were lost.

Brutalist architecture assumes both physical and metaphorical presence, visuals were created with young local artists, and the soundtrack, arranged by Francesco Aliberti and performed by countertenor Pasquale Auricchio, blends Baroque and Bengali musical traditions. Zeneli’s magical realism integrates extraordinary events as part of daily life: the peacock and its tear inhabit a reality where physical and poetic laws coexist.

Once again, the ex-Chiesa di San Barbaziano becomes a space for reflection on contemporary issues, transforming social dynamics into contemplative visual narratives.