Doruntina Kastrati’s second solo show named Public Heroes and Secrets opening took place [July 10] at 18:00 at the National Museum of Kosovo. The exhibition was open until July 24, 2020.

Kastrati’s second solo show, Public Heroes and Secrets, initiates new bodies of work developed from extensive research of workplace accidents, as well as in-depth interviews of workers who have been injured on the job. At the National Museum of Kosovo, Kastrati is going to present a new installation comprised of a series of three figurative sculptures displayed in scaffolding, each embodying the story of a workplace accident, along with a video that mirrors the dehumanization and hopelessness of the working class in Kosovo. The installation conjures up the injustice and grim reality of the workers whose needs are neglected and whose voices go unheard due to fear of retaliation. The exhibition also alludes to neoliberal policies of privatization and the role of the state institutions for creating the ground for this continued violation of the workers’ social rights. In a country with high rates of unemployment and fatal accidents at the workplace, Kastrati’s work reflects on a social system that is largely unregulated and often exploits workers. The exhibition title, “Public Heroes and Secrets” is a verse from Robert Bolaño’s poetry, “Godzilla in Mexico.”

This project was supported by Culture for Change, a program financed and managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo and implemented by Qendra Multimedia and Goethe Institut.