BEKIM HASAJ
Born in Bajram Curri, Albania, 1990. Currently based in Bergö - Malax, Finland.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2010–2014: Bachelor degree in Visual Artis from Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Milan (Italy), score of 110/110.
2005–2009: Diploma from J. Misja High School of Art, Tirana (Albania), score of 10/10.
ARTIST RESIDENCY
Curated by Artist Residency Swap & Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, Dublin, Ireland, March 2022.
Upcoming residency:
Moskosel Creative Lab, Moskosel, Sweden, 2024.
GRANTS (selection)
Närpes City Cultural Grant, project grant, mural opening event, 2023; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, public art, 2023; Svenska Kulturfonden, travel grant, 2022; Taiteen edistämiskeskus-Taike, working grant (two months), 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2022; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, project grant, installation - public art, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden - Frans Henriksson fond, developement project, public art, 2022; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet (SÖS), project grant, exhibitions promotion, 2021-2022; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, project grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, installation - public art, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, working grant, project Scanning Landscape, 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden, project grant, art space - exhibitions, 2020; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, project grant, art space maintenance, 2020.
HONOURS AND AWARDS (selection)
Top ten Finalist, Exibart Prize 2022-23 (Rome, Italy); Selected, 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival 2022 (Tirana, Albania); Selected, Who I am, VIZart International Biennale 2019 (Tirana, Albania); Winners, CCSA (under 35) open call, Crema Municipality with the collective La Faretra, (Crema, Italy, 2019).
EXHIBITIONS
Personal Exhibitions:
Challanging the Support at G.A.P.-Globe Art Point (Helsinki, Finland, November-December 2021); Untitled at Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, April-May 2019).
Group Exhibitions (selection):
Collision Festival, Collision Art Collective, Gammal Brandkårshuset (Jakobstad, Finland, May 2023); Yö Fest vol.3 ´Video Makasiini', Yö Galleria (Helsinki, Finland, March-May 2023); Finnish Painters' Association Sales Event at Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, March 2023); 'Dripping Cavities’, duo exhibition, curator Anni Fahler, Galleria Albert IX (Helsinki, Finland, January 2023); 'New Beginnings' Festival, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); Konstrundan 2022, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); 'Offside #1', Offside, curator Marcus Lerviks, pop-up space in Varastokatu 6, 65100 Vaasa (Finland, May-June 2022); 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival, VIZart, National Historical Museum & COD (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Finnish Painters' Association Art Fair, online & at Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, February-April 2022); Pasila Urban Art Center (Helsinki, Finland, March-April 2022); 'Dripping Cavities', duo exhibition, Makers' Gallery (Vaasa , Finland, December 2021); Konstrundan 2021, online exhibition 'Virtual Walls? Virtual Murals¿' by Black Box Genesis / Open studio, Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2021); 'The Body Lenguage', Itsliquid Group, at The ROOM Contemporary Art Space and Palazzo Albrizzi Capello (Venice, Italy, March 2021); Konstrundan 2020, open studio, Black Box Genesis (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); 'Wall Mania', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finalnd, 2020); 'Terminal', curator Stefano Monti, Sale Agello (Crema, Italy, December 2019); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennal 2019 of Self-portrait, National Historical Museum (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); 'Le Forme Dell'Uomo', curator Giuliana Nuvoli, La Casa delle Artiste (Milan, Italy, November 2018); 'Le Bestie di Brera', collective La Faretra, Sala Birolli (Verona, Italy, September 2018).
Upcoming Exhibitions:
'Dripping Cavities', duo exhibition, coordinator Silvia Rinne, Vaasa City Art Gallery (Finland, November 2023-January 2024).
COLLABORATIONS / PROJECTS (selection)
‘Awake’ mural painting for D.P.A.R.A. pilot (Övermark, Finland, April-June 2023); 'Unfolding thoughts - Requiem of a phoenix', public art installation for 'Book - the Lafkan project' (Vaasa City Library, Finland, 2021-22); 'Click', mural painting for WIC-Wasa Innovation Center (Vaasa, Finland, August-September 2021 / June 2022 ); 'Mural Rural' Festival 2021, selected artist, Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, autumn 2020, postpone to spring 2021); Vaasa Arts Night 2020, mural painting for the 30° anniversary (Finland, August 2020); Vaasa Arts Night 2019, art installation 'Glitch - sorry, there is interference' (Finland, August 2019); 'Burning Art' Festival 2018, performance 'Deep Smoke', Malkta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2018); Vaasa Arts Night 2018, performance 'Living Painting', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, August 2018); Creation of sacred painting 'La Madre Nostra' in collaboration with Fondazione Michetti and the Academy of Fine Art of Brera (Italy, 2013-2014).
BIBLIOGRAPHY (selection)
'Exibart Prize 2022-23', finalists' digital catalog, publisher - Exibart (27th July 2023); Offside #1, online exhibition archive (May 2022); ‘RINart’, Tirana Contemporary Art Festival, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Globe Art Point online exhibition archive (17th December 2021); Article about 'Mural Rural' Festival by Clara Amodeo, Another Scratch In The Wall (Milan, Italy, 31st August 2021); Interview and online article by Luca Curci, Itsliquid Group (8th April 2021); Interview and photo documentation about 'Growing' mural painting, 'Mural Rural' project, for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, May 2021); Interview and photo documentation about Vaasa Arts Night Mural Painting for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Participation in the television program, workshop and interview for Yle Strömsö (Finland, October 2020); Interview, article and video documentation by Vaasa City cultural department, about the Mural for Vaasa Arts Night 2020 (Vaasa, Finland, 1st September 2020); Radio interview and article by Yle cultural section (Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland, 31st July 2020); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennale 2019 of Self-portrait, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); Video documentation by Crem@online and article by Cultura Crema about 'Terminal' group exhibition (Crema, Italy, December 2019).
PUBLICATIONS
'Public Art in Rural Areas', Ostrobothnian Regional Museum's Cultural Blog (Vaasa, Finland, 2nd May 2023).
ARTIST TALKS AND WORKSHOP
Artist Talk, three meetings with the students of Vasa övningsskola, about the mural commissioned by Vaasa City (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Online Workshop 'Monotype', co-host Susanne Marins, Art Saturday, Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 2nd May 2020); Handmade Paper Workshop, co-host Valentina Gelain, Art Saturday, Art in Malakta (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 14th December 2019); Artist Talk, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, 27th June 2019).
ORGANIZATIONS
August 2023 – Present, Artists' Association of Finland - Artist Register
August 2023 – Present, Member of Suomen Taideyhdistys (Finland);
April 2023 – Present, Board Member of Globe Art Point ry (Finland);
November 2022 – Present, Member of Yö ry (Finland);
February 2022 – Present, Artists Bank of Rakennustieto rts sr;
January 2022 – Present, Member of Finnish Painters' Union ry (Finland);
February 2021 – Present, Full Member of Globe Art Point ry (Finland);
January 2021 – Present, Client of Kuvasto ry Visual Arts' Copyright Society (Finland);
May 2019 – Present, Board Member of Art in Malakta rf (Finland);
August 2022 – April 2023, Vice Member of the Board for Globe Art Point ry (Finland);
WORK EXPERIENCE (selection)
August 2021 – Present: Co-manager of Black Box Genesis art space (online and pop-up events).
May 2018 – Present: Founder of Black Box Genesis.
September – October 2022: Manager of Mural Rural project and Assistant Curator of New Beginnings Festival exhibition by Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland).
October – November 2021: Art Course at Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finalnd).
April 2020 – August 2021: Co-organizer and Artists Coordinator of Mural Rural Festival for Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland).
June 2018 – July 2021: Co-manager of Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland).
23rd September 2020: Guest Artist in Yle Strömsö for an episode on the monotype technique (Vaasa, Finland), areena.yle.fi | article.
2014–2017: Freelance Artist (Milan, Italy).
2011–2014: Assistant for Remo Salvadori (Milan, Italy).