Tirana Biennial

Tirana Biennial 2009

01 Sep - 31 Oct 2009

T.I.C.A.B – Tirana International Contemporary Art Biennial

Tirana Biennial 4
THE SYMBOLIC EFFICIENCY OF THE FRAME
September - October 2009

We take this notion as a starting point to enter a discussion about the complex and manifold nature of “the real” and its many “appearances”, and the various ways how we perceive reality and relate to our history. Independently from which angle we look or what methodology we employ – be it scientific, aesthetic, or philosophical - what interest us are the inherent gaps that manifest themselves in this constantly shifting process of perception. A “frame” or its notion is something we use in order to define, discern or cut off in order to highlight. In other words, a frame or the process of enframing is our way to relate to the ungraspable essence of the reality that surrounds us. The frame thus is not merely a physical construction, but most of all a mental one, a way that helps (or hinders) our perception of the world and the society.
When talking about the reality and its appearance in his book “The Parallax View”, Slavoj Zizek mentions the example of the theatre-like structure built in the South Korean border, where a large screen-like window opens out onto the North Korean part, and he asks: ”Is this not a pure case of the symbolic efficiency of the frame as such? A barren zone is given a fantasmatic status, elevated into a spectacle, solely by being enframed. Nothing substantially changes here – it is merely that, viewed through the frame, reality turns into its own appearance.” He continues further down by saying that: “...it is not enough to display the mechanism behind the frame, the stage effect within the frame acquires an autonomy of its own.”

How are we then to read our overall current condition and recent past? Are we to believe the jolly promise of a forthcoming “consensual world”, depicted by many as the unavoidable future of a post-political world, or should we reluctantly try to “re-frame” the picture put in front of us? How far can cognitive sciences take us in such processes as knowing of the self, identity formation and other ontological problems? What possible “frames” can we use to enable a more multilayered reading of reality?
As a physical departure point informing our endeavour we shall take the empty, vandalized building of the former Hotel DAJTI. Located in the Tirana city centre the once grandiose Hotel DAJTI lies in decay waiting for its eventual future transformation. A historical and architectural landmark, a silent but vivid witness of ideologies and power structures that built it and used it during the years, Hotel DAJTI with its ravaged walls and floors presents a perfect “symbolic frame”. Inviting the artists to interact with it, we aim at interrupting the linear flow of time to which DAJTI has succumbed. This interaction we hope, will create the necessary gaps through which we’ll be able to step out of a one dimensional reading of history, opening up to critique and analysis of our historical past and seemingly non-ideological present, encouraging imagination and aiming for a deeper understanding of our contemporary condition.

Edi Muka and Joa Ljungberg
Co-directors of T.I.C.A.B 2009

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Episode 1

The symbolic efficiency of the frame
Episode 1 Curated by: Joa Ljungberg and Edi Muka
Participating artists:
Franz Ackermann / Jane Alexander / Silva Agostini / Yael Bartana / Kimberly Clark / Gazmend Ejupi / Cao Fei / Yang Fudong / Shilpa Gupta / Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba / Thomas Hirschhorn / Adam Leech / Ardian Isufi / Tala Madani / Ursula Mayer / Oskar Mörnerud / Erik Olofsen / Adrian Paci / Anila Rubiku / Alexander Vaindorf

We take this notion as a starting point to enter a discussion about the complex nature and shifting appearance of ”the real”. Independently from which angle we look or what methodology we employ – be it scientific, aesthetic or philosophical – what interest us are the gaps and disjunctions that minifest themselfs in this ongoing process of perception. A ”frame” is something we use in order to define, descern or cut off in order to highlight, and the process of enframing is our way to relate to this seemingly shrinking, but still ungraspable, globalised world.

When talking about reality and its appearances in his book ”The Parallax View”, the philosopher Salvoj Zizek mentions the example of a theatre-like structure, built on the South Korean border and opening like a window towards the North Korean part, and he asks: ”Is this not a pure case of the symbolic efficiency of the frame as such? A barren zone is given a fantasmatic status, elevated into a spectacle, soley by being enframed. Nothing substantially changes here – it is just that, viewed through the frame, reality turns into its own appearance.” He continues further on by saying that: ”...it is not enough to display the mechanisms behind the frame, the stage effect within the frame aquires an autonomy of its own.”
How are we then to read our current condition and recent past? Are we to believe in the jolly promise of a forthcoming ”consensual world”, depicted by many as the unavoidable future of a post-political world? Or should we reluctantly try to ”re-frame” the picture put in front of us? How far can cognitive sciences take us in processes of knowing the self, identity formation and other onological problems? Is there a way to look beyond the ”frame”, to reach a more multilayered reading of reality?

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Episode 2

curated by STEALTH.unlimited (Ana Dzokic and Marc Neelen)

including City Walks on 1st and 3rd of October and
Tirana Dialogues at Hotel Dajti from 3rd to 6th of October

In an attempt to critically respond to the current development of Tirana - through “wild” urbanization, fast capital investment and set within the horizon of a neoliberal context – T.I.C.A.B. this year expands beyond the field of visual arts, into the domain of architecture and processes of urbanization. By involving architects, artists, cultural workers, activists and journalists from the Western Balkans region and the wider global context, EPISODE 2 examines the deficiencies resulting from highly individual and profit driven development of contemporary cities - and points at possibilities of citizen’s to contribute to what the future of their cities could be.
Episode 2 comprises of four parts - an exhibition, a cities log of spatially important events in a number of cities in the region, a series of discussions on contemporary developments in the cities and the production of the Tirana Guide to Parallel Urban Realities – all taking place at former Hotel Dajti.

Exhibition contributors
Alterazioni Video / Laurence Bonvin / Co-plan / Deadmalls.com / Detroit Unreal Estate / Elemental / El Puente_Lab / Estudio Teddy Cruz / Bojan Fajfric / Louize Ganz and Ines Linke / Interboro / Isola Art Centre and The Office for Urban Transformation / Kartun Development Group / MAP Office / Nebojsa Milikic / Ou Ning / Leonard Qylafi / Streetfilms

Tirana Dialogues, public discussions at Hotel Dajti - 3rd to 6th of October, co-organised with Emiliano Gandolfi:

Saturday 3/10
19.00h: Hands Over the City - civil groups and investigative journalism for urban justice, with Teodor Celakoski (Right to the City, Zagreb) and Brankica Stankovic / Miodrag Cvorovic (Insider, B92, Belgrade)

Sunday 04/10
17.30h: Activating the Local - neighbourhood interventions for social engagement, with Nebojsa Milikic (artist and cultural activist, Belgrade) and Doina Petrescu (Atelier d'Architecture Autogérée, Paris)
20.00h: Exposing the City of Tomorrow - architecture Biennales as a tool for change, with Ou Ning (Shenzhen & Hong Kong Architecture Biennale) and Emiliano Gandolfi (11th Architecture Biennale Venice, 3rd Architecture Biennale Rotterdam)

Monday 05/10
17.30h: Urban Commons - policies and public involvement for the inclusive city, with Emil Jurcan (Pulska grupa, Pula) / Aleksandra Kapetanovic (Expeditio, Kotor)
20.00h: Printed Matters - architecture magazines: media strategies and societal ambitions, with Fabrizio Gallanti (Abitare magazine, Milan) / Maroje Mrduljas (Oris magazine, Zagreb)

Tuesday 06/10
17.30h: Shifting the Field of Action - a new role for architecture and planning institutes with Marko Sancanin (Platforma 9.81, Zagreb) / Dritan Shutina (Co-Plan, Tirana)
20.00h: Building Participation - making places for local empowerment with Teddy Cruz (Estudio Teddy Cruz, San Diego) / Francisco Sanin (Syracuse University, New York - Medellin, Colombia)

Cities log
with contributions from Belgrade, Kotor, Novi Sad, Podgorica, Prishtina, Pula, Skopje, Tirana and Zagreb, by: Besnik Aliaj / Branko Belacevic, Marko Miletic, Dubravka Sekulic, Jelena Stefanovic / Dafne Berc / Teodor Celakoski / Ulrike Franzel / Valon Germizaj / Zakilina Gligorijevic / Adelina Greca / Astrit Hajrullahu / Florina Jerliu / Aleksandra Kapetanovic / Ivan Kucina / Ilir Murseli / Oliver Musovik / Divna Pencic / Petrit Selimi / Pulska grupa / Aneta Spaseska / Borislav Vukicevic and others - designed with Ajdin Basic.
The Cities Log includes works by and documentation from Lorenz Aggermann, Eduard Freudmann, Can Gülcü / Sabine Bitter and Helmut Weber / Luise Donschen and Archis Interventions Prishtina / Fifth Park / First Archi Brigade / Insider B92 / Vladan Jeremic and Rena Rädle / Civil Initiative Muzil / Right to the City, Zagreb.
Tirana Guide to Parallel Urban Realities
co-organised with Polis University Tirana, with:
Ivan Kucina (Faculty of Architecture, Belgrade) / Endrit Marku (Polis University) / Gezim Qendro (Polis University) / Miguel Robles-Duran (Cohabitation Strategies, Rotterdam) / Piet Vollaard (ArchiNed, Rotterdam) / Aleksandar Zograf (cartoonist, Pancevo) and students Polis University, and
Tirana City Walks – 1st and 3rd of October with Marc Armengaud (AWP, Paris) – time and place to be announced.

Episode 2 of TICAB is partly financed by Swiss Cultural Program in the Western Balkans as part of the project ”Individual Utopias now and then – Discontinuity of generational dialogue or what do we have in common?”, a regional partnership between SCCA/pro.ba, Sarajevo, new media center_kuda.org, Novi Sad and TICA – Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art, Albania.

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Episode 3

Curated by Corinne Diserens

Francis Alys
Sandra Boeschenstein
Vincenzo Castella and Multiplicity
Tacita Dean
Marta Dell’Angelo & conversazione (guests: Mimoza Ahmeti, Ema Andrea, Ardian Klosi, Kozeta Noti, Gezim Qendro, Anila Sulstarova)
Peter Friedl
Amar Kanwar
Elena Kovylina
Pierre Leguillon features Diane Arbus: A Printed Retrospective
Sugar Jar
David Maljkovic
Aernout Mik
Santu Mofokeng
Jean-Luc Moulène, Marc Touitou and Manuel Joseph in collaboration with Milosao newspaper
Maxi Obexer
Anri Sala
Alexander Schellow
Jalal Toufic
Rosemarie Trockel
Luca Vitone
Paola Yacoub

Opening Day Performance:
Anri Sala, “A Spurious Emission”, October 2nd, 8:00 pm

Contemporary Nights Events:

Jérôme Bel, projection of the film "Véronique Doisneau (2004)" 37 min. & encounter with Jérôme Bel, October 4th, 3:30 pm. Hotel Dajti

Film program:
In collaboration with the Marubi Multimedia and Film Academy, Tirana: 11 - 18 October 2009
Sunday 11th October / Session 1
18.00 Chantal Akerman:
- Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, 1975, 193'

Monday 12th October / Session 2
18.00 Chantal Akerman:
- D'Est (East), 1993, 110'

Tuesday 13th October/Session 3
18.00 Chantal Akerman:
- De l'autre côté (From the other side), 2003, 99'10''

Wednesday 14th October / Session 4
18.00 Raymond Depardon:
- 10e chambre, 2004, 105'

20.00 Danièle Huillet et Jean-Marie Straub:
- Sicilia !, 1998, 64'

Thursday 15th October / Session 5
18.00 Charles & Ray Eames:
- Powers of ten, 1977, 9'
Mika Taanila:
- Futuro - a new stance for tomorrow, 1998, 29'

19.00 Dan Graham:
- Rock my Religion, 1982-84, 55'27"

Friday 16th October / Session 6
18.00 Korpys/Löffler:
- Nuclear Football, 2004, 30'30"
- Villa Feltrinelli, 2008, 15'

Xu Tan:
- Air is Good - traditional massage, 2005, 9'

19.00 Apichatpong Weerasethakul:
- Tropical Malady, 2004, 115'

Saturday 17th October / Session 7
18.00 Gordon Matta-Clark:
- Clockshower, 1971, 13'5"
- Splitting, 1974, 10'50"
- Day's End, 1975, 23'10"

19.00 Anri Sala:
- Dammi i colori, 2003, 16'

Jimmie Durham:
- The Man Who Had a Beautiful House, 1994, 7'27''

Wang Jianwei:
- Living elsewhere, 1998, 40'

Sunday 18th October / Session 8
18.00 Peter Fischli / David Weiss:
- The right way, 1983, 55'
- The point of least resistance, 1981, 30'

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Tags: Franz Ackermann, Silva Agostini, Chantal Akerman, Jane Alexander, Francis Alÿs, Diane Arbus, Yael Bartana, Jérôme Bel, Vincenzo Castella, Kimberly Clark, Tacita Dean, Raymond Depardon, Jimmie Durham, Ray Eames, Cao Fei, Peter Friedl, Yang Fudong, Dan Graham, Shilpa Gupta, Thomas Hirschhorn, Wang Jianwei, Amar Kanwar, Korpys / Löffler, Elena Kovylina, Adam Leech, Pierre Leguillon, Tala Madani, David Maljkovic, Gordon Matta-Clark, Ursula Mayer, Aernout Mik, Santu Mofokeng, Jean-Luc Moulène, Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba, MAP Office, Adrian Paci, Charles Ray, Anila Rubiku, Anri Sala, Rosemarie Trockel, Alterazioni Video, Luca Vitone, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Fischli & Weiss