Petrit Halilaj: To a raven and hurricanes that from unknown places bring back smells of humans in love, 17 Jul 2020 — 28 Feb 2021
Exhibitions

Petrit Halilaj: To a raven and hurricanes that from unknown places bring back smells of humans in love

Petrit Halilaj's exhibition 'To a raven and the hurricanes that from unkown places bring back smells of humans in love' is the first to be inaugurated by the Museo Reina Sofía since its closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Calle Santa Isabel 52, Madrid, Spain

Petrit Halilaj (Kostërrc, Skenderaj, Republic of Kosovo, 1986) presents his first solo exhibition in Spain at Museo Reina Sofía, he was half-jokingly and half-seriously invited to produce “the piece of his life”.

Halilaj has turned the Palacio de Cristal into a giant nest that connects the interior with the exterior, linking visitors to their surroundings by opening windows, installing structures, and setting up feeding areas to attract the birds and other creatures inhabiting or transiting through Parque del Retiro.

Birds, a recurrent feature of his work, symbolize the transgression of the limits established by modern thought between subject and object, culture and nature. In particular, the artist has drawn inspiration from the extraordinary courtship ritual of bowerbirds, which make elaborate structures (‘bowers’) and decorate them with colorful objects to attract a mate. The idea of this ritual is closely linked to his own biography.

The nest is revealed as the setting for a ritual that lies in wait for encounters, alliances and unions among its different visitors, altering and changing with the space. Halilaj offers a refuge, and so raises hope for a possible future different to the one apparently awaiting us.

Contacts & Details
OPENING:
Mon – Sat 10:00am – 9:00pm; Sun 10:00 am – 2:30pm
CLOSING DAYS:
Tue
T: +34 91 774 1000
M: info@museoreinasofia.es
Website

ADDRESS
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Calle Santa Isabel 52, Madrid, Spain

ESTABLISHED
1992
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