Sislej Xhafa

Artist Talk

March 10, 2017 / 18:30

Join artist Sislej Xhafa to discuss his work in relation to Pera Museum’s Cold Front from the Balkans exhibition. The artist will discuss his work Still Untitled from the exhibition as well as his other works. The talk will focus on stereotypical views, an on-going theme in many of his works, as well as how the social, economic, and political reality of today’s society are positioned around consumption culture. His Kosovan roots and the questioning of legal status constitute the basis of his artistic quest. He uses his personal experiences to study the processes such as tourism, enforced illegality, the concept of a nation, and the refusal to use the right to vote. Xhafa uses a conceptual language and an ironic, humorous, and disruptive attitude.

Sislej Xhafa was born in Kosova in 1970 and currently lives in New York. Throughout his career, he has held many exhibitions in international venues. Among selected exhibitions are MAXXI Museum, Rome (2016); GALLERIA CONTINUA, San Gimignano (2016); 55th Venice Biennial, Italian Pavilion, Venice (2013); Blain Southern Gallery, London (2013); Non Gallery, Istanbul (2012); GALLERIA CONTINUA, Les Moulins (2012). Xhafa will represent the Republic of Kosova at the 2017 Venice Biennial.

Free of admissions, drop in. This event will take place in the auditorium. The talk will be in English with simultaneous Turkish translation.

Temporary Exhibition

Cold Front from the Balkans

Pera Museum’s Cold Front from the Balkans exhibition curated by Ali Akay and Alenka Gregorič brought together contemporary artists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.

Cold Front from the Balkans

Midnight Horror Stories: <br> Witches’ Sun <br> Mehmet Berk Yaltırık

Midnight Horror Stories:
Witches’ Sun
Mehmet Berk Yaltırık

I walk over rocks hot as iron under the September sun. I can make out a few lines in the distance, and a few cracked rocks, but apart from those, not a single tree, not one plant

The Battle of Varna

The Battle of Varna

Over the years of 1864 through 1876, Stanisław Chlebowski served Sultan Abdülaziz in Istanbul as his court painter. As it was, Abdülaziz disposed of considerable artistic talents of his own, and he actively involved himself in Chlebowski’s creative process, suggesting ideas for compositions –such as ballistic pieces praising the victories of Turkish arms. 

It’s better to burn out than to fade away

It’s better to burn out than to fade away

In 1962 Philip Corner, one of the most prominent members of the Fluxus movement, caused a great commotion in serious music circles when during a performance entitled Piano Activities he climbed up onto a grand piano and began to kick it while other members of the group attacked it with saws, hammers and all kinds of other implements.