BIO
Leonard Qylafi (b.1980) is an Albanian visual artist graduated by the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana Atelier of Painting 2003 . His practice explores several mediums such as painting , video , photography and music. Deeply linked with personal experience Leonard’s artworks are a process of research and mediation between subjects and mediums.
He is actively present in the local and international art scene since his graduation, and during the last years his works were shown at : Centre de création contemporane ,Olivier Debré ,Tours-France (2021)/Belvedere21 Vienna/Austria (2019)/NiMAC Cyprus (2018) / National Gallery Tirana / Albania (2017) / MuCEM, Marseilles, Izolyatsia, Kiev in (2016) / The 55th October Salon, Belgrade (2014) / Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin and Kunst Raum Riehen Basel/Switzerland (2012) /MODEM Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Debrecen, Hungary (2011) / TICAB-Tirana International Biennial of Contemporary Art ,Bjcm- XIII Biennal of young artists from Europe and Mediterranean,Puglia / Italy and ISCP- New York /USA in (2009) among other places.
To Leonard Qylafi has been awarded several residency programs by; NIFCA-Nordic Institute of Contemporary Art, Helsinki/Finland, ISCP New York /USA, KKA-KulturKontakt Austria and T.I.C.A-Tirana Institute for Contemporary Art. He was nominated for the visual artist of the Year by the National Cultural Academy Cult and is the winner of “ARDHJE” Award for Albanian Young Artists in 2008. His work is published internationally and is collected by ; The Albanian National Gallery of Art, MuCEM- Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée/Marseille, Contemporary Art museum Belvedere 21/Vienna, video collection and several private collections.
Leonard Qylafi represented Albania at the 57th edition of Venice Biennale (2017) with the multidisciplinary project "Occurrence in Present Tense" ,curated by Vanessa Joan Müller. He lives and works in Tirana/ Albania.
CV
Education
1999 – 2003 - MFA – Atelier of painting, Academy of Fine Arts, Tirana/Albania
Selected Solo exhibitions
2024
Beyond the circle of confusion , NaaN Gallery Tirana , organized and curated by Harabel Contemporary Art platform
with curatorial text by Alessandro Gallicchio
2022
Morphological Variations , At Zeta Contemporary Art Center Tirana/Albania.
2017
Occurrence in Present Tense , Pavilion of the Republic of Albania , 57th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Vanessa Joan Müller.
2016
IMAGERY, at Zeta At Zeta Contemporary Art Center Tirana/Albania.
2013
Museum of Nature , At Zeta Contemporary Art Center Tirana/Albania.
Selected group exhibitions
2023
Pixel Row Vol 5 - Abandoned Territory at West Bund Museum Shanghai-China - from June 16, 2023 to August 6, 2023- Curated by Zhang Zhenzhong
2021
Variables d’épanouissement (Wellbeing variables) ,Centre de création contemporane Olivier Debré cccod Black gallery Tours-France , July 2021 – January 2022 curators Delphine Masson & Marine Rochard.
2019
Déjeuner avec Marubi Videos aus Albanien Belvedere21 Museum ,Vienna/Austria, curated by Anne Marie Türk.
2018
The Presence of Absence, or the Catastrophe Theory, NiMAC - Nicosia Municipal Art Centre, In association with the Pierides Foundation , curated by Cathryn Drake.
2017
23rd International Onufri Prize , "Ou fil du Temps" National Gallery of Arts / Tirana, curated by Gaetano Centrone.
2016
ALBANIE, 1207 KM EST, MuCEM-Musée des Civilisations de l'Europeet et de la Méditerranée, Marseille/ France , curated by Jean-Roch Bouiller.
The Presence of Absence , or the Catastrophe Theory , the IZOLYATSIA Foundation Kiev/Ukraine , curated by Cathryn Drake.
2015
ACAS – Albanian Contemporary Artist Salon , National Historic Museum ,Tirana/Albania, Organized by French Embassy in Tirana in collaboration with CenterPompidou Paris-France.
2014
October Salon 55th Disappearing Things, Belgrade City Museum, Belgrade/Serbia curated by Nicolaus Schafhausen and Vanessa Joan Müller.
2012
Flying , Kunstlerhaus Bethainen, Berlin/Germany curated by Christoph Tannet and Ulrich Schreiber.
Concrete in Common” Kunst Raum Riehen Basel/Switzerland.
2011
View to the Lichthof- Eastern European video art MODEM Museum for Modern and Contemporary Art Debrecen/Hungary.
2010
Albania in Backlight, ArtPoint Gallery Kulturkontakt ,Eyes On - Month of Photography Vienna/Austria.
The Culture Lobby - an archive of cultural memory, EU- Info center Tirana/Albania and Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade/Serbia. Organized by KIOSK ngo Serbia.
2009
Tirana International Contemporary Art Biennial TICAB 3-rd episodeCurated by, STEALTH.unlimited ,Ana Dzokic and Marc Neelen ,Tirana/Albania.
2008
BJCM- XIII Biennial of young artists from Europe and Mediterranean, Puglia/Italy.
Young Albanian Visual Artist Award “ARDHJE”, at FAP Gallery,Tirana/AlbaniaOrganized by TICA-Tirana Institute of contemporary art in collaboration with The Foundation for Civil Society, New York /USA.
2007
"Everything we want to know, but did not dear to ask “ AIR program TICA - Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art,Tirana/Albania.
VAD International video and digital art festival 07“ Gerona/Spain.
2006
AMC Prize for Contemporary Art “, ETC Gallery Tirana/Albania organized by TICA - Tirana Institute of contemporary art.
Awards
2016
Artistic project to represent the Republic of Albania at; 57th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia.
Jury members: Marko Scotini,Curator, Director of Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies Department at NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti and Artistic Director of FM Centre for Contemporary Art in Milan. Dr. Julia Fabényi,Director of Ludwig Museum Budapest,Flaka Haliti, visual artist, Eleni Laperi, Albanian art critic and Gezim Qendro, Albanian art historian.
2008: Nominee, Albanian Visual artist of the year, KULT Academy Albania
2008: Winer of “ARDHJE” award Albanian Young Visual Artist Award. (YVAA)
Jury members: Celia Prado, Artistic director of SKF / Konstnärshuset, Gezim Qendro, Albanian art historian . Roberto Pinto,Art critic and independent curator.
Residency programs:
2009 - ISCP New York /SHBA ,supported by YVAA and Trust for Mutual Understanding
2008 - Kulturkontakt Austria, Vienna/Austria
2005 - 2006 - West Balkan Air program, NIFCA - Nordic Institute of contemporary Art,
Helsinki/Finland
Collections
Albanian National Gallery of Art ,Contemporary Art Collection.
MuCEM- Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseille
Museum of Belvedere 21, video collection.
Private collections.
Publications
Leonard Qylafi /Occurrence in Present Tense /Ndodhi në kohën e tashme
Publisher : Sternberg Press, May 2017,
Edited by:Vanessa Joan Müller
Text by :Cathryn Drake, Vanessa Joan Müller
dESING NORM, Zurich
https://www.sternberg-press.com/product/occurrence-in-present-tense-ndodhi-ne-kohen-e-tashme/