MEET ALLIANZ PARTNERS! We are happy to present Autostrada Biennale (Kosovo), one of the hub partners of the Allianz Foundation, together with Postane (Istanbul) and Studio Rizoma (Sicily).
Autostrada Biennale was established by two artists and a pedagogue in 2014. As the only contemporary art institution in Prizren, Kosovo, it functions on two speeds: one is a physical exhibition taking place in public space every two years, the second is a long-term educational center in the former KFOR camp, where the exhibition preparation process is open to the public, making creation of the artworks a form of learning and critical thinking.
Autostrada Biennale was built on the need for more cultural exchange in the region and with the world. It established itself as a connecting point, a route of the map of Western Balkans and Europe.
As the only contemporary art institution in Prizren, Autostrada Biennale functions on two speeds: one is a physical exhibition that takes place every two years since 2017, the other is the new education, production and exhibition space called “Autostrada Hangar” in the former German KFOR military base now ITP (Innovation and Training Park in Prizren). With the latter, the publicness of the platform was extended by considering art production as a sustainable form of learning and exchange that will address the needs of the communities.
Through education, onsite training, and an open exhibition-making production space, the aim is to develop new models of cultural creation that will encourage a young generation to think critically through art and to become part of the process of making, building and installing works of art. Autostrada Hangar aims to generate coexistence among communities by working and producing together as a team and will especially be used to fill the urgent need of a non-formal education and skills building programs in order to empower youth in Kosovo and the region.
The new created infrastructure with different tools and machines, technology lab, exhibition space, green pavilion, library, bar & kitchen, co-working space and other facilities will accomplish a need of a community operating in the creative and culture industry and beyond.
Moreover, the space with its two studios, the Atelier and the Technology LAB, along with its education program employing experts in their fields, will have a long-term impact on young people for future jobs related to art, technology and innovation. More specifically there will be ongoing production skills workshops on: Design and Fabrication on Wood, Metal and Embroidery; Communication and Multimedia; Robotic, Coding and Electronics, 3D Modelling & 3D Printing.
Through such an education space, it is hoped to reinforce the role of the Autostrada Biennale and contemporary art as soft infrastructure in Kosovo, supporting the community as well as the translocal solidarity in times of double isolation.
So far, Autostrada Biennale has been dedicated to institutionalise “Autostrada Hangar” as the sole contemporary art institution in Prizren through creating a yearly public program based on needs of communities and partners by following the principle of inclusivity, making the program open to different communities and more ecologically sustainable.
Visit the Autostrada website for more information!
