Albert Heta was born in 1974 in Prishtina, Kosova, where he continues to live and work.
Heta's works are often simple acts of intervention in an existing social condition, responses to a given situation, or rethinking of existing objects. While the interventions always are insurgence of an “unofficial” existing reality that appear hidden in the official condition/object/situation or are simply dismissed. His notable works ‘Happiness - Independence Day: 1 minute’ (2001), an intervention broadcasted in the program of the public television of Kosova, ‘It's time to go visiting: No visa required’, a public intervention on British Airways billboards in Prishtina (2003), 'Embassy of the Republic of Kosova in Cetinje, SCG' (2004) for Cetinje Biennale or his 'Kosovar Pavilion Venice Biennial 2005' (2005) distributed in collaboration with e-flux, are not merely the installations or acts of appropriation, but also acts of engagements with the conditions under which the works were accepted by the curators, media, politicians, and the public. His works provoke debates in relation to the social, cultural and political mechanisms, evoking sentiments and discussions rekindled as the result of the “disseminating” of these works in public context. Heta’s works were also censored and vandalized when touching issues related to colonial politics of the contemporary time, state, identity and international/ national politics
One of his latest works 'Contemporary art space' (2009), produced for Frizer Pantene in Prishtina, is about contemporary art practice in Kosova and history of today. In a specific context, this work that aims to ironically institutionalize a project in a barber shop, appears in a new country that by its' apparent relation toward contemporary art shows no need for it and further more excludes its existence as a practice. By all definitions, this is a model of a country created through a well-designed international contemporary project. So far, this model tolerates well only non-critical practices and is late to see the potential for emancipation in contemporary art practices. ‘Is this the model of future Europe?' is another question raised through this work.
Heta's work has been exhibited in a wide international context including: Apexart, New York, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, Gallery Nova, Zagreb etc.
Since 2006 his work is also channeled through a collaborative intervention, project institution Stacion - Center for Contemporary Art Prishtina. Through this platform he initiates projects, exhibitions and events and contributes regularly with presentations, positions and texts on issues that are close to his interest and work in the given context.
For additional information about this artist, visit Mutual Art
