Brass, natural feather, wood
182 x 30 x 25 cm
TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Collection


Petrit Halilaj engages with a tumultuous past that ties his narrative to the historical backdrop of his homeland, Kosovo. Having grown up during the war in the former Yugoslavia, the artist and his family migrated to Albania and later to Italy, where he received his artistic training. Central to Halilaj’s artistic practice is the act of reinterpreting historical facts and the reality surrounding them, transforming these elements into an imaginative realm aimed at awakening collective and personal consciousness. 

Within the context of historical violence, Halilaj intricately weaves daily experiences with symbols linked to traumatic events. This fixation is encapsulated in the recurring phrase: “I am here to remind you that that time you forgot something, but you survived,” reiterated until the weight of everyday life becomes unbearable and the present seems surreal.

Halilaj’s work involves transforming elements tied to this history into a symbolic lexicon encompassing birds, canaries, chickens, nests, ocarinas, Neolithic musical instruments, and moths. Instead of distancing these elements, they are reintegrated into a poetic landscape, actively shaping and modifying reality.

Birds are a persistent motif in Halilaj’s oeuvre, symbolizing the capacity to traverse geographical boundaries and sociocultural barriers freely. In the sculpture series “Here to Remind You,” each work highlights a specific species—in this case, the Coracias benghalensis or the Indian roller.