Catalogue Presentation: Gani Llalloshi – Nostalgia |
PIRAN CIVIC GALLERY, Tuesday, 6 May 2025, at 6 p.m.
At the conclusion of the solo exhibition by renowned artist from the Slovenian Littoral, Gani Llalloshi, the Piran Civic Gallery will host the presentation of a multilingual catalogue, published in Slovenian, Italian, English, and Albanian. The conversation with the artist will be led by the catalogue editor, Matic Bukovac.
The publication offers an in-depth understanding of Llalloshi’s ongoing project Nostalgia, which the artist has been developing in recent years. It invites reflection on lost time and longing for the past. Large floral canvases, combined with an installation featuring a sofa and a traditional Albanian carpet, have created a meditative atmosphere in the City Gallery Piran. This setting intertwines the artist’s personal memories, rich cultural heritage, and an acceptance of life, the miracle of existence, as well as death and loss. The flowers on the canvases symbolize both paradise and hell – an aestheticized beauty that conceals pain, as often seen in war, intimate and political violence, and beyond.
The catalogue is enriched by a critical contribution from Kosovar philosopher Shkëlzen Maliqi, who explores the dynamics of this aesthetic – both gentle and haunting, ecstatic and truthful. He explains Llalloshi’s artistic power, created from a position of exile as well as one of autonomy and freedom, shaped by his life between Slovenia and Kosovo.
Gani Llalloshi is an internationally recognized artist, born in Kosovo, who has been working for decades in Slovenian Istria. His work reflects personal and cultural reminiscences, which are evident in his previous cycles as well.
To accompany the exhibition, Piran Coastal Galleries organized guided tours with the artist and curators, as well as numerous educational workshops and public events.
The book was designed upon the artist’s wish by Giorgia Simioni, digital and creative collaborator at the Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia in Florence and web designer of the Piran Coastal galleries website since 2021.
The exhibition was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the Municipality of Piran, while the cataloge was made possible by the support the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Ljubljana, contributing to the ongoing strengthening of cultural dialogue between the two countries.
The catalogue is enriched by a preface by Mara Ambrožič Verderbe, director of Piran Coastal Galleries and a critical contribution from Kosovar philosopher Shkëlzen Maliqi, who explores the dynamics of this aesthetic – both gentle and haunting, ecstatic and truthful.
You are kindly invited to the catalogue presentation and closing reception of this successful project!
