Elisa Rusca
cultural manager and art curator
Petrit Halilaj
(Unfinished Histories)
Very volcanic over this green feather
May 25th - September 17th, 2023
Curated as Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva
Exhibition views at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, Geneva ©Mennour Archives
Petrit Halilaj (Unfinished Histories) explores the theme of post-traumatic stress syndrome. The Kosovar artist's first solo exhibition in French-speaking Switzerland is an adaptation of his installation project Very volcanic over this green feather, conceived in 2021 in collaboration with the Tate St Ives. The monumental, felt sculptures are suspended from the ceiling of the exhibition hall. Embossed on each work are enlargements of drawings selected from those made when 13-year-old Halilaj was in an Albanian refugee camp. The world of childhood and the reality of war coexist in the space, dialoguing with historical documents, uniting collective memory and individual narrative.
Very volcanic over this green feather was originally conceived by Anne Barlow, Director of Tate St Ives, with Giles Jackson. Its adaptation in Geneva is curated by Elisa Rusca.