Treffpunkt Bunker - An art project in Tirana

A project to remodel Albanian bunkers into a meeting space in cooperation with local artists. An artistic reactivation of lost places in public space under the motto "Nature meets Bunkers".

In the 1970s and 1980s the Albanian State under Enver Hoxha built approximately 700.000 Bunkers. Albania was then internationally isolated and the bunkers were supposed to make Albania a tough enemy in case of military confrontation.

We are going to remodel several unused bunkers with Albanian artists and in doing so provide an aesthetic and functional lift to the local landscape. The aim of the project is to stoke the controversy of Albanian contemporary history and to bring together people from different social backgrounds. This way we want to ensure, that the specific language of contemporary Albanian artists will be heard, as well as the everyday needs and interests of those are put into respect, whose near living environment we are changing. We will find suitable artists through a call for application.

Our project space, an abandoned military base, offers a spectacular view over the Albanian mountains and the city and provides a great spatial setting for creative work. Three entrances to the bunkers and their inside offer surface for artistic activities such as graffiti, sculptural or visual art. The area in front of the bunkers is situated as a plateau. It will be arranged as a garden, with wooden benches, flowers and a path through it. For that we will clear the area from garbage, renew the stairs going to the plateau and clean the inside of the bunkers. 

 

The presentation of the work will be part of a public and free of charge event on the 24th of June where we will show the area to the locals by offering guided bunkers tours. Additionally we designed a program, which includes workshops in graffiti, painting and yoga. Besides we will show a movie and stimulate discussions related historically and artistically to our topic. Moreover we will have a kids program including games, face painting and building a kite. To round down the event there will be live music, fire places and as a highlight fire artists in the evening. A foodmarket will cover the people's sustenance.

By recovering the area and celebrating the event we want to show off the potential of bunkers and the surrounded nature as a sustainable meeting point and cultural space.

We are Peri Bausch, Friederike Humpert, Fritz Tudyka, Ivo Krug, Babeta Ymeri and Niklas Krekeler. We are students of East European Studies at Freie Universität Berlin.

Project partners: Tirana Ekspres, Ostblick e.V., Deutsch-Albanische Freundschaftsgesellschaft, Philipp Landauer (ORF).

For the successful realization of our project “Treffpunkt Bunker” we are thankful for every donation. By supporting us you will be an important part of the project!

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