Modern art spaces are not something that I can find very easily around Tirana. Although it’s the capital and the economic centre of Albania, the attention dedicated to art is not what we all might have expected and this is one of my greatest regrets. Artists are often in difficulty (spiritual and monetary), but somehow they manage to stay strong and produce interesting oeuvres. One of Tirana’s artistic hubs is Tirana Art Lab (TAL).

I love hanging around in TAL because I always get to see expositions and modern art productions that come as a result not only of the work of Albanian artists, but frequently also from their collaborations with counterparts from the rest of the Balkans. The atmosphere is always nice and cosy, people are friendly and there is just something in the air marking out this art space as very innovative and inclusive at the same time.

One of TAL’s recent productions that hit the spot was called Feature #8, which brought together the work of the Belorussian artist Naprushkina and the Albanian artist Zaloshnja. The exhibition tried to show the activist role of the artist in society. Art is a way of communication, according to the producers, and artists should be the most active part of the society to reflect and criticise power structures.

TAL’s program is all available online on their website.