Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina is the only project institution for contemporary art and architecture in Kosovo. It was established in 2006 by artist Albert Heta and architect Vala Osmani. Besides being the first and, still, the only platform with a program dedicated to contemporary art, Stacion today is a space for artists, architects, thinkers, critics and other sociopolitical workers committed to reflecting and responding to relevant challenges in the contemporary society via a critical and emancipatory approach.

The building currently used by Stacion is ‘an alien structure’ located in the historical part of the city of Prishtina. The building is placed in the edge of the courtyard of the Ethnological Museum, but it is not related to other buildings that are part of this complex, nor to their architecture or history. This building was relocated from what was the centre of the city to the present location between 1950 and 1960. The oldest image of the Stacion building dates from 1913. During this time the building was used as a shop, and was located in a shopping district in Prishtina.

A conceptual intervention and the refurbishment of the interior of the building, designed by Vala Osmani and Stacion, was executed in the end of 2006. The primary task of this intervention was to make the place workable and hospitable for the program of Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina.

In the beginning of 2007, Stacion launched its idea to create a public collection based on the notion of collecting art to be used as social property. It came to understand at that its operational context was not ready for such an idea at that moment.

Stacion functions as an open platform that employs strategies to build dialogues with a differentiated public. It works with clear social and political intents, encourages artistic practice and advanced architectural research, stands for intellectual independence, and works to create space and conditions where contemporary thought and practice can happen.

Stacion is committed to the re-creation of the necessary momentum for the advancement and emancipation of the contemporary art scene and cultural environment of Kosovo. Stacion’s visual art program focuses on contemporary art, design, and architecture, working with locally-rooted practices as well as regional, European, and international processes. The annual program is structured around programs dedicated to interventions in specific given contexts, guest exhibitions and presentations.

In 2010, the theme of the main exhibition program was based on ‘Back to the future,’ a project by Stacion curated by Albert Heta. It was launched in 2009 with the exhibition Back to the future with Petrit Halilaj, followed by exhibitions Back to the future: Agim Cavdarbasha, Back to the future: Nysret Salihamixhiqi and Back to the future: Kader Pagarusha. ‘Back to the future’ was about showing work in another space, time and context. It was a quest to capture time through selected art works and texts, and worked to contextualize the time and geography connected with the outstanding works at the center of these exhibitions.

Stacion’s program is explored through discursive events, presentations, and publications.

An important part of Stacion’s work is its audio and video archive of all its pubic discursive events.

The publishing program of Stacion is based on its exhibition and project schedule. It currently edits between one and three publications per year. In 2010, Stacion worked on editing three new publications: ‘Are you a tourist? Or are you a traveler?’ the publication of the project ‘Politics of Contemporary Art’; ‘Back to the Future,’ part of the project ‘Back to the future’; and ‘You, Me and Everyone We Know,’ based on Flaka Haliti’s work of the same name.

The project space in the ground floor used by Stacion – Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina is around 32m². The office space in the first floor is approximately the same size. The backyard open-air space surrounding the building and used for projects is approximately 200m².

Advisory Board: Marina Abramovic, Zdenka Badovinac, Willem Houwen, Andrea Hummer, Migjen Kelmendi, Adam Kleinman, Erden Kosova, Edi Muka, Marita Muukkonen, Besnik Pula, Branimir Stojanovic, Petrit Selimi, Cornelia Solfrank, Sislej Xhafa.

Director: Albert Heta

Program Director and Senior Manager: Vala Osmani

Program Coordinator: Bekim Llalloshi