Dear friends,
dear representatives of art and culture,
dear colleagues and partners,

It is a great honor for me, as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports of Albania, to be here today at the opening of the Albanian National Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.

In this city that seems to float on history, Albania arrives as an authentic and strong voice. Our participation in this prestigious platform is a moment of special importance, not only for the artistic community, but also for how our country is positioned in a broader cultural context.

The Venice Biennale is one of the most important global platforms, where countries present not only the latest developments in contemporary art, but also how they understand themselves and the world around them. In this sense, the Albanian Pavilion becomes a space where we can better express who we are today, how we read our history, and how we choose to take part in this international dialogue.

“A Place in the Sun” by artist Genti Korini, curated by Małgorzata Ludwisiak, is an installation that challenges the limits of communication and understanding. By using the experimental Zaum language, this work invites us to go beyond usual ways of thinking and enter a space where meanings are not given, but created.

This project addresses an important theme for Albania: how our country has often been defined by others—through ideas, stereotypes, and outside perceptions. At the same time, the work reclaims this story in a poetic and critical way, turning Albania into a space for reflection on invisible cultures, small languages, and untold histories.

It opens a space to think about both the present and the future, and it presents identity as something that is always evolving.

This is also an important message for today’s Albania. We are building a new international identity, based not only on our heritage, but also on our ability to create ideas, encourage dialogue, and contribute to global discussions.

In this process, supporting artists who question and challenge is part of our responsibility toward freedom. We believe that a society that is not challenged by art loses its ability to look forward.

Today, Albania is at an important stage of development, where change is not measured only by economic growth or tourism numbers, but also by how our civic and cultural awareness is changing.

By supporting talent that pushes boundaries and by placing art at the center of our development, we show that Albania’s international presence grows through critical thinking and the transformative power of culture.

This year’s Biennale coincides with the long-awaited reopening of the National Gallery of Arts, in a full renewal of this institution—not only as a building, but also as a way of thinking and a creative spirit.

In our vision, the Gallery will work as a production platform. It will be a space where artists, especially young ones, can experiment and create, while also being connected to international networks.

Through cooperation, mobility programs, and institutional support, we aim to improve conditions for artists and increase the visibility of Albanian art on the global stage.

In conclusion, I would like to congratulate artist Genti Korini and curator Małgorzata Ludwisiak for this strong and dignified representation of the Albanian Pavilion. My thanks also go to Adela Demetja, Director of the National Gallery of Arts, who with her dedication is leading this new chapter of our main art institution.

A special thanks goes to everyone who worked with passion to make this project possible, and to all those who supported it. It shows that when we come together around a clear vision, Albania can communicate with the world through a strong artistic language.

I invite you all to experience this work as a space where ideas are born, change, and take shape together with you.

Thank you.