A new artist residency and open cultural space has been established in the capital through Vila 31, the former residence of dictator Enver Hoxha. Once isolated, the villa has been transformed thanks to a project by the Albanian government in collaboration with the “Art Explora” Foundation. The goal is to create a new artistic synergy within local contemporary creation, while also opening it up internationally.
The villa has been renovated by the prestigious international studio “NeM Architectes,” and the program will host over twenty artists annually, offering three-month residencies across three sessions. A wide range of cultural events will be featured at Vila 31 x Art Explora, covering the entire Balkan region.
To mark the opening of the new residency program, a special press conference was held today with the participation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja, Executive Director of “Art Explora” Bruno Julliard, and Artistic Director of “Art Explora” Blanche De Lestrange.
The renowned “Art Explora” Foundation fosters dialogue between the arts and audiences at local, national, and international levels, with the aim of promoting the sharing of culture with the widest possible audience. Together with artists, cultural organizations, and stakeholders in this field, contemporary creation is explored in all its forms, creating unforgettable cultural experiences. Founded by philanthropist Frédéric Jousset in May 2023, this public-interest foundation has brought together many partners and mobilized over two thousand volunteers so far.
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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Good evening! I am extremely pleased that today marks the end of a very long journey of discussions about what should happen with this building, the dilemmas about what program could fit here, the temptations to demolish it and turn it into something else, and it ends in, in my opinion, the best possible way. First and foremost, I believe this is thanks to the two architects who are here—because there are many people who weren’t greeted and didn’t get recognition, but I truly believe that these two architects have an extraordinary merit for how they’ve transformed this space, into a space with a program that is diametrically different from what it originally was, while at the same time preserving some aspects of the décor that make this center more livable, more attractive, and more inspiring in many ways.
So, thank you very much for the work done. I am always impressed when I see the male partner of the architectural duo, as he always looks desperate, no matter the result, no matter the work, no matter the workload. His appearance is as if he’s ready to say goodbye to this world.
“Respect for the work done, in all cases! On the other hand, I am very pleased that this partnership was completed in record time—something that, for French bureaucracy, would have been unimaginable, right? It would have taken, I don’t know how many French presidents, for us to reach the day we could open this center. But in fact, we were here together with the President when he made the first official visit of a French president in the history of our relations. And today, I’m pleased to send him a video of the opening. When I told him it would open in less than two years, he thought he had heard a Balkan lie, one of those he reads in books. But here we are, and here is the truth.
What I can say is that, just a few days ago, I came here, took a look at all the work done, and it’s truly extraordinary. I had seen the building before, in its previous condition, and although the idea that was mentioned here was for the project to be as discreet as possible behind the building, and for the architects to remain invisible, it was easy to say, but not so easy to imagine that by making the architects invisible, the result would turn out to be this—a truly spectacular outcome in every space. Every detail, every object, every element added, every choice of position for the old paintings and items, is absolutely a work of art. So, I’m sure that when you walk through it, you’ll feel that. If not, you should go check and see where the problem is.
The last thing I want to mention is the incredible opportunity that’s being created here for young artists, for Albanian artists, regional artists, and artists from all over the world to come together in a space where each one has their own area of complete independence, but where they all share a common space as well.
It’s an experience I’ve had in some way—though not in a building as special as this one—but at the International Arts Center in Paris. And when I came here, I remembered that before I finished my stay there, I was fined for making a mess with paint on the floor. So, make sure you also get a fine like that if it happens, because as I looked at all these floors, I thought, they should put a fine here too. The French were right to impose that fine! It was quite a large fine, and it hurt a lot at the time, but I had to pay it. However, the experience was extraordinary, and I’m convinced that in this space, new synergies will be created, new opportunities not only for the artists coming here, but also for how the project has been structured. As Blanche said, in summary, many elements of the project constantly interact with the outside world—meaning with the world beyond the building’s walls and, of course, beyond the borders of Albania.”
So, there’s nothing left for me to do but wish Art Explora great success in this new journey beyond borders and wish all the artists who will have the luck and privilege to be selected the best experience. As you heard, it’s an extraordinary competition—twenty people for every thousand applicants—and I’m confident that the number of those who want to come will only increase, just like the overall number of people who want to visit Albania. So, anyone who gets this support is truly lucky, and I’m very happy that we were the reason for this, because it was something that was missing.
We’ve also talked about going beyond this, but what matters today is that we’ve taken this very meaningful first step.
In April, we’ll have the privilege of hosting the first floating museum here, which will stay for ten days in the Port of Durrës, making the entire Mediterranean tour, and in the years to come, we will surely bring more new projects. But here, in this house, for many years, lived a person who acted solely on orders. However, I would like to offer a round of applause with great respect for the architects and all the outstanding work they have done. Truly, a lot of respect! Thank you for the applause. And, of course, also thanks to Dhurata and the whole team who will continue to care for the daily life of the temporary residents of the building. Thank you very much!
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Question:
Good evening! Certainly, every space dedicated to art and culture is valuable and welcomed. However, my question specifically concerns the building. For many years, over these three decades, it was closed, and there have been delays for which the government has faced criticism. Now you’ve decided to open it, dedicating it to art, but doesn’t it seem, Mr. Prime Minister, that by doing this, we are removing the responsibility this house once represented as the residence of the dictator, as the symbol of dictatorship, of crimes, by turning it into an art space? Shouldn’t it perhaps have been a museum of responsibility? There have been such proposals over the years.
Prime Minister Edi Rama:
So, the house should bear responsibility for this? This is an opinion I don’t share, for the simple reason that I believe the most appropriate action to take with this space is exactly what was done: to use it for something that Enver Hoxha would have found more terrifying than anything else. This was, in fact, the driving force behind our thinking: whatever we do here, it should be something that would make Enver Hoxha turn in his grave in discomfort, perhaps even to the point of extreme regret: “Why did I live here and why did I build it here, for them to take it and turn it into this?”
I understand that for you, it might be hard to grasp what I’m saying, because from what I read about you from a distance, you were very young, or perhaps not even born when the owner of this house lived here. But if there was anything that made the dictatorship utterly cruel, it was the very expression of what they called “modernist degeneration.” This house will be a house of modernist degeneration — dégénérescence moderniste totale.
There is nothing more beautiful than this space being used by young artists, artists from all over the world, to serve as a place for dialogue and interaction. As for the crimes and the responsibility of memorializing the past, you already have that. You have the Museum of Leaves in the center, you have BunkArt, and we are working on the new project for the Museum of Persecution in Shkodër.
When we created BunkArt, hysteria broke out, with accusations that we were bringing back the past. When we created BunkArt 2, it turned into an ongoing protest until people arrived with pickaxes and their fingers to open the bunker and destroy it. When the statues of Stalin and Lenin were erected as a gesture of self-irony towards the past, there was an uproar.
So, no matter what we do here…
We made this choice, and I am confident that we made the best and most appropriate decision. Moreover, it came after a long period of reflection, not an impulsive “let’s do this or that.” The same goes for the other villa, which is now a welcoming space for visitors, for official meetings, etc. In the end, the conclusion from all this time and the results in both cases show that repurposing these spaces — mocking their history, but without erasing it — is the most mature and healing approach to dealing with the past.
Here’s a more refined version of the translation:
Question:
I saw the list of artists who will be participating here. Since I belong to the field of literature, which is not yet a profession in Albania, my question is: will there be a space in this villa for a small residency dedicated to writers? This is a very common practice, I would say, in the Balkan countries. This villa also has another symbolic connection. I apologize if I’m extending my question but in 1996, the greatest Latin American writer, and perhaps one of the greatest in the world, Ernesto Sabato, spent a night here. He was invited to receive an award, although he didn’t manage to sleep because, at midnight, when they told him that this was the villa of the dictator, they found him somewhere in the center, drawing. From the program, I see that there is no writer here, meaning this space isn’t dedicated to literature. Will there be young and older writers here in the future? This might contradict what the Prime Minister said because will this become an art form that the dictator tried to create but failed to achieve? He was a writer too. So, the question is: will there be writers?
Prime Minister Edi Rama:
I don’t know where you disagreed with me, because I think in this specific case, this is not a house for writers; it’s a house for artists. These are two different things, although we could invite writers as well, etc., etc. But we are working on another project, which will be a project dedicated to writers. I believe you have seen or read about this. In Gjirokastër, in the former guesthouse where the owner of this house used to stay, we will create a house for writers. Since it is also the city of Ismail Kadare, and although Ismail Kadare is no longer with us, he remains one of Albania’s most important figures. This will be the “Kadare House,” which will host writers. We are working on the project, along with another project on the paths of Ismail Kadare’s characters in Gjirokastër. It’s a project; we haven’t yet finalized the approval or details, but we will move forward with it. Once we’re fully convinced that it’s the right thing to do, we will proceed.
