Korça, for three days the capital of international video art

2025-08-28 13:55:00, Qyteti im CNA

Korça, for three days the capital of international video art

Yllka Gjollesha

Korça has returned to the international art scene for three days, where image, sound and experimentation come to life in a unique festival. The International Video Art Festival returns for its third edition, starting its journey right where it began, at the “Gjon Mili” museum.

In this symbolic space, contemporary art meets the city's tradition, placing Korça on the international cultural map. This year, the festival brings together 62 artists selected from around the world, as well as well-known names on the Albanian scene, to present works related to the theme "Light of the Skin".

Through videos, films, documentaries and audiovisual experiments, the artists aim to open a new window on experimental art, bringing it closer to the Albanian public.

The festival's founder, Yllka Gjollesha, says that the idea is to change the mentality towards experimental films and to inspire other creators who come from different fields of cinema.

"The festival in its third edition comes to its place of origin, to the 'Gjon Mili' museum, where it had its first beginnings. This year there are 62 artists selected from all over the world, as well as a large number of Albanian and foreign guest artists. We have selected the artists based on the theme chosen this year, 'The Light of the Skin'. What we want to bring to the public is to change the mentality of experimental films and genres. Video art is very attractive and artists also inspire others who develop different genres such as film and documentary. These are very inspiring moments that videos have very poetic images and invite further inspiration for any artist.

The festival program will extend over three days at several different locations in the city, such as the Flag House, a recently reconstructed building, or the "Andon Zako Çajupi" Theater, where short films and documentaries by local and foreign directors will be screened.

"In Korça we will have a three-day program that takes place in different points of Korça, one of them is the Flag House where artists will see a reconstructed building. There is also the Korça Theater where a group of directors will screen short films or documentaries throughout the next day."

In this edition, an important part is also covered by actress and director Suela Bako, who brings special feature films and documentaries. Among them, a premiere dedicated to the memory of Pandi Raidhi, as well as Bujar Alimani's documentary, dedicated to an Albanian painter who emigrated to the United States during the dictatorship, stands out.

"I have covered the feature film section in this edition where there are very interesting entries. There are also films that bring back artists like Pandi Raidhi's memoir that will premiere in Korça at the 'Andon Zako Çajupi' theater. We have a very good documentary film by Bujar Alimani about an extraordinary painter who emigrated to the US during the dictatorship and the documentary is developed inside a single room with his paintings. The festival has many colors and is not just a video art festival, but crosses the border into films and various audio-visual experiments. I think that enjoying the 'sound' is as important as the image of the video and the work of the artists."

The International Video Art Festival is not just a calendar of performances, but a unique experience of contemporary art that brings to Korça the energy of creators from all over the world. For three days, the city is transformed into a space where image and sound, video poetry and audio-visual experimentation intertwine, placing the audience at the center of a journey unlike any other cinematic experience.

The festival turns Korça not only into a host of international art, but also into a living laboratory of ideas, where Albanian and foreign artists share their stories, memories and inspiration. Through this year's theme, "The Light of the Skin", the spectator is invited to reflect on the way art touches life, beyond the boundaries of gender, technique or tradition./ CNA