Jakup Ferri 1981
Lives in Amsterdam / Prishtina. Works in Amsterdam / Prishtina.
Represented by:
andriesse eyck galerie
Artist's statement
While I was studying (1999-2004), my city Prishtina was invisible and isolated from the western (art) world. This became an influence for my work, its content and its appearance.
The awareness of the political situation; the invisibility of my country within the artworld and the alienation from western art from which art students like myself suffered, resulted in a series of video's where I dealt with this problematical case. It resulted in videos created with a certain spontaneity and desire to experiment. I reflect on them more as 'test' videos.
I used myself as the main protagonist in these videos to establish an ironic distance to issues of cultural identity, history and the place of the peripheral artist. Often the videos exist of just one shot.
Using my own appearance seems a necessary strategy. I show myself far away from art-history, trapped in my own house, neighborhood and my room. I wanted to challenge my own reality. Also my physical appearance distracts from the political weight and creates an imaginary space for a more universal and psychological interpretation, thus showing an absurd vision on humanity. This also applies to my drawings.
Since these last few years, I have been focusing more on the works on paper and wallpaintings. Lately I have been doing a series of drawings in the form of paper mosaics. I recycle waste packages of different products, cut them into little pieces, and use them to make my mosaics. The industrial waste then becomes a little piece of color in mosaics, and they gain a completely different function. I also like the idea of using a very simple material such as paper to gain the same effect as if it were made of stones like a real mosaic. This illusion and shift of function remains hidden behind the narrative of the drawings. Often I also use found objects as a surface for my drawings like windows from boats and trains.
My drawings portray various situations in thin, fine lines. They often show circumstances in which people are alienated from their surroundings. Moreover, questions involving identity and the status of the outsider become an important role in my oeuvre. Ordinary practices from everyday life, critique of the cynicism of the art world and memories from my personal background have all become recurring subjects within my work.
In these last few years I have made extensive research about outsider artists, folk art, naive oriented painters and their engagement with different hand made materials such as blankets, carpets, glasses etc. They have been a great influence on my works. I see a great value in works that are hand made, textiles, authentic, punctual and unpolished character of this type of art.
I use my associative and intuitive ability to guide the creation of my work, which may be the main similarity between my work and folk art and craft. Often I show situations where the human being is isolated from his/her surroundings. Isolation, wanting contact, wanting to be a part of something, desire and failure are all topics exposed. My inspiration comes from my direct surroundings. I use the dissension of living between two worlds involving my personal experiences.
j.f.
While I was studying (1999-2004), my city Prishtina was invisible and isolated from the western (art) world. This became an influence for my work, its content and its appearance.
The awareness of the political situation; the invisibility of my country within the artworld and the alienation from western art from which art students like myself suffered, resulted in a series of video's where I dealt with this problematical case. It resulted in videos created with a certain spontaneity and desire to experiment. I reflect on them more as 'test' videos.
I used myself as the main protagonist in these videos to establish an ironic distance to issues of cultural identity, history and the place of the peripheral artist. Often the videos exist of just one shot.
Using my own appearance seems a necessary strategy. I show myself far away from art-history, trapped in my own house, neighborhood and my room. I wanted to challenge my own reality. Also my physical appearance distracts from the political weight and creates an imaginary space for a more universal and psychological interpretation, thus showing an absurd vision on humanity. This also applies to my drawings.
Since these last few years, I have been focusing more on the works on paper and wallpaintings. Lately I have been doing a series of drawings in the form of paper mosaics. I recycle waste packages of different products, cut them into little pieces, and use them to make my mosaics. The industrial waste then becomes a little piece of color in mosaics, and they gain a completely different function. I also like the idea of using a very simple material such as paper to gain the same effect as if it were made of stones like a real mosaic. This illusion and shift of function remains hidden behind the narrative of the drawings. Often I also use found objects as a surface for my drawings like windows from boats and trains.
My drawings portray various situations in thin, fine lines. They often show circumstances in which people are alienated from their surroundings. Moreover, questions involving identity and the status of the outsider become an important role in my oeuvre. Ordinary practices from everyday life, critique of the cynicism of the art world and memories from my personal background have all become recurring subjects within my work.
In these last few years I have made extensive research about outsider artists, folk art, naive oriented painters and their engagement with different hand made materials such as blankets, carpets, glasses etc. They have been a great influence on my works. I see a great value in works that are hand made, textiles, authentic, punctual and unpolished character of this type of art.
I use my associative and intuitive ability to guide the creation of my work, which may be the main similarity between my work and folk art and craft. Often I show situations where the human being is isolated from his/her surroundings. Isolation, wanting contact, wanting to be a part of something, desire and failure are all topics exposed. My inspiration comes from my direct surroundings. I use the dissension of living between two worlds involving my personal experiences.
j.f.
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In museum collection:
LAM
Market position
Jakup Ferri (1981, Pristina, Kosovo, lives and works in Pristina and The Hague) is a contemporary artist and professor at the Pristina Art Academy. He studied at the Pristina Art Academy and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. In 2003 he was the recipient of two prestigious awards in Pristina: the Muslim Mulliqi Prize and the Artists of Tomorrow Award. In 2008 he received the Buning Brongers Award in Amsterdam. He has been artist-in-residence at numerous places, including the International Studio and Curatorial Program New York, Kultur Kontakt Austria. Besides private collections, his work is also part of the collection of Ludwig Museum - Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest. Ferri’s work has been shown extensively in international (solo and group) exhibitions in museums and galleries, festivals and biennials, including Istanbul Biennial, Taipei Biennial, Cetinje Biennial, Kunsthalle Fridericianum; De Appel Amsterdam; The National Gallery of Kosovo, Ljubljana Biennial of Graphic Art, Art Rotterdam, The Centre for Historical Re-enactments, Johannesburg, South Africa, The Horse Hospital, London, De Hallen Haarlem, KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin, Kunstraum Innsbruck. Ferri will represent Kosovo at The Venice Biennale 2022
CV
JAKUP FERRI
Education
2005 KulturKontakt Austria, Wien (Austria)
2004 Cultural City Network Graz, Graz (Austria)
2001-2004 Kunstacademie, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Awards and residence
2010 Artist in residence, Paramaribo, (Suriname)
2008 Buning Brongers Prijzen, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
2007-2008 Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
2006 Kunstpreis Europas Zukunft (The Future of Europe), Leipzig (Germany)
2004 NIFCA, West Balkan Air, Rooseum Museum, Malmo (Sweden)
International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York
2003 M.Mulliqi prize, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Artists of tomorrow, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Solo and group
2022 Kosovo Paviljon Venice Biennale (solo)
2021 Tintirinti, andriesse ~ eyck gallery, Amsterdam (solo)
Sunray Acrobat, Kunstraum Innsbruck, Innsbruck (solo)
2019 Autostrada Biennale, Prizren, Kosovo
Tomb of the Ordinary Man, Galerie Maurits van de Laar, Den Haag
2018 Muscle Memory, The Horse Hospital, London (solo)
2017 Drawing & More, andriesse eyck galerie
Muscle Memory, Albanische Kulturwochen, Wenen (solo)
Muscle Memory, AMC Brummelkamp galerie, Amsterdam (solo)
2016 We live upon a star, The Hannah Ryggen Triennial, Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim (solo)
THE WHALE THAT WAS A SUBMARINE – Contemporary Positions from Albania and Kosovo, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Muscle Memory, Bradwolff Projects, Amsterdam (solo)
Art Rotterdam, projections: Muscle Memory, andriesse eyck galerie, Amsterdam
2015 TRANSPARENT HULA HOOP, andriesse eyck galerie, Amsterdam (solo)
2013 Amsterdam Art Drawing, Amsterdam
2011 Weingrüll, Karlsruhe (solo)
2010 Paper Vegtables, De Hallen, Haarlem (solo)
Taipei Biennal, Taipei
The Center for Hisorical Reenactment, Johannesburg, South Africa
International Centre of Graphic Arts , Ljublijana
Village Green, Southend on Sea, UK
Schijnheilig, Amsterdam
2009 Art Brussel, Galerie de Expeditie STANDprojects
Outline, Amsterdam
Coalesce:Happenstance, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam
Art Rotterdam, Galerie de Expeditie
Standard of living - Ressources - Solidarity, Graz
28th Graphic Bienalle, International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana
Niet Normaal, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2008 Buning Brongers Prijzen, Arti Et Amicitiale, Amsterdam
U-TURN Quadrennial for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen
Open Ateliers, The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam
Quartett - Vier Biennalen im Spiegel grafischer Blatter, Tanas, Berlin
29th Youth salon, Salon of the Revolution, HDLU, Zagreb
What about power Relations, Galerija Skuc, Ljubljana
Dis-Ease, Bank Gallery, Durban
The Use of Every Sunbeam, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart
SPAPORT, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Banja Luka
For now we are here, Villa Romana, Florence
Mutatis Mutandis, The Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh
Return of the art dead, Divus Unit 30, London
Plazma, Siemens_artLab, Vienna
Alpha 2000 - The "Europe's Future" art prize, GfZK, Leipzig
Absence Recorded, Galerie Vaclava Spaly, Prague
Exception, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad
Exception, Kontekst Gallery, Belgrade
Carte Blancher: Freundliche Feinder, GfZK, Leipzig
2006 Artists Space, New York
Galerie Adler, Frankfurt am Main
1.60insurgent space, Tirana
Fainting, Stacion, Prishtina Interrupted Connections, Zacheta National Galery, Warsaw Art Life and Confusion, 47 October Salon, Belgrade Ethnic
Marketing, Azad Gallery, Tehran This is not America, ByArt Projects Gallery, Tel Aviv e-flux VIDEO RENTAL, Mucsarnok - Kunsthalle Boedapest
Eastern Alliance, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
2005 Istanbul, International Istanbul Biennale, Istanbul Pushtimi I hapesirave te reja, M. Mulliqi prize, National Gallery, Prishtina e-flux Video Rental,
Portikus, Frankfurt e-flux Video Rental, The Moore Space, Miami, Florida
e-flux Video Rental, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin e-flux Video Rental, Manifesta Foundation, Amsterdam Kosovo.exe, The Brno House
of Arts, Brno
2004 e-flux Video Rental, e-flux, New York
Mediterraneans.Arte Contemporanea, MACRO al Mattatoio, Rome Onufri prize, National Gallery, Tirana Coalesce: With all due intent, Model Arts
and Nilland Gallery
Total museum of contemporary art, Seoul Biennale of young artist, National Gallery, Bucharest 24 FPS, Galerija Skuc, Ljubljana Love it or leave it,
Cetinje biennale V, Cetinje I Need a Radical Change, Galleria Nova, Zagreb
2003 In den Schluchten des Balkan, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel Cocteil Enigmatic, National Museum, Prishtina M. Mulliqi prize, National Gallery,
Prishtina
Artists of tomorrow II, National Gallery, Prishtina Fish doesn't think cause fish knows everything, National Gallery, Prishtina
Education
2005 KulturKontakt Austria, Wien (Austria)
2004 Cultural City Network Graz, Graz (Austria)
2001-2004 Kunstacademie, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Awards and residence
2010 Artist in residence, Paramaribo, (Suriname)
2008 Buning Brongers Prijzen, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
2007-2008 Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
2006 Kunstpreis Europas Zukunft (The Future of Europe), Leipzig (Germany)
2004 NIFCA, West Balkan Air, Rooseum Museum, Malmo (Sweden)
International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York
2003 M.Mulliqi prize, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Artists of tomorrow, Prishtina (Kosovo)
Solo and group
2022 Kosovo Paviljon Venice Biennale (solo)
2021 Tintirinti, andriesse ~ eyck gallery, Amsterdam (solo)
Sunray Acrobat, Kunstraum Innsbruck, Innsbruck (solo)
2019 Autostrada Biennale, Prizren, Kosovo
Tomb of the Ordinary Man, Galerie Maurits van de Laar, Den Haag
2018 Muscle Memory, The Horse Hospital, London (solo)
2017 Drawing & More, andriesse eyck galerie
Muscle Memory, Albanische Kulturwochen, Wenen (solo)
Muscle Memory, AMC Brummelkamp galerie, Amsterdam (solo)
2016 We live upon a star, The Hannah Ryggen Triennial, Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum, Trondheim (solo)
THE WHALE THAT WAS A SUBMARINE – Contemporary Positions from Albania and Kosovo, Ludwig Museum, Budapest
Muscle Memory, Bradwolff Projects, Amsterdam (solo)
Art Rotterdam, projections: Muscle Memory, andriesse eyck galerie, Amsterdam
2015 TRANSPARENT HULA HOOP, andriesse eyck galerie, Amsterdam (solo)
2013 Amsterdam Art Drawing, Amsterdam
2011 Weingrüll, Karlsruhe (solo)
2010 Paper Vegtables, De Hallen, Haarlem (solo)
Taipei Biennal, Taipei
The Center for Hisorical Reenactment, Johannesburg, South Africa
International Centre of Graphic Arts , Ljublijana
Village Green, Southend on Sea, UK
Schijnheilig, Amsterdam
2009 Art Brussel, Galerie de Expeditie STANDprojects
Outline, Amsterdam
Coalesce:Happenstance, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam
Art Rotterdam, Galerie de Expeditie
Standard of living - Ressources - Solidarity, Graz
28th Graphic Bienalle, International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana
Niet Normaal, Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2008 Buning Brongers Prijzen, Arti Et Amicitiale, Amsterdam
U-TURN Quadrennial for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen
Open Ateliers, The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam
Quartett - Vier Biennalen im Spiegel grafischer Blatter, Tanas, Berlin
29th Youth salon, Salon of the Revolution, HDLU, Zagreb
What about power Relations, Galerija Skuc, Ljubljana
Dis-Ease, Bank Gallery, Durban
The Use of Every Sunbeam, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart
SPAPORT, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Banja Luka
For now we are here, Villa Romana, Florence
Mutatis Mutandis, The Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh
Return of the art dead, Divus Unit 30, London
Plazma, Siemens_artLab, Vienna
Alpha 2000 - The "Europe's Future" art prize, GfZK, Leipzig
Absence Recorded, Galerie Vaclava Spaly, Prague
Exception, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad
Exception, Kontekst Gallery, Belgrade
Carte Blancher: Freundliche Feinder, GfZK, Leipzig
2006 Artists Space, New York
Galerie Adler, Frankfurt am Main
1.60insurgent space, Tirana
Fainting, Stacion, Prishtina Interrupted Connections, Zacheta National Galery, Warsaw Art Life and Confusion, 47 October Salon, Belgrade Ethnic
Marketing, Azad Gallery, Tehran This is not America, ByArt Projects Gallery, Tel Aviv e-flux VIDEO RENTAL, Mucsarnok - Kunsthalle Boedapest
Eastern Alliance, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest
2005 Istanbul, International Istanbul Biennale, Istanbul Pushtimi I hapesirave te reja, M. Mulliqi prize, National Gallery, Prishtina e-flux Video Rental,
Portikus, Frankfurt e-flux Video Rental, The Moore Space, Miami, Florida
e-flux Video Rental, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin e-flux Video Rental, Manifesta Foundation, Amsterdam Kosovo.exe, The Brno House
of Arts, Brno
2004 e-flux Video Rental, e-flux, New York
Mediterraneans.Arte Contemporanea, MACRO al Mattatoio, Rome Onufri prize, National Gallery, Tirana Coalesce: With all due intent, Model Arts
and Nilland Gallery
Total museum of contemporary art, Seoul Biennale of young artist, National Gallery, Bucharest 24 FPS, Galerija Skuc, Ljubljana Love it or leave it,
Cetinje biennale V, Cetinje I Need a Radical Change, Galleria Nova, Zagreb
2003 In den Schluchten des Balkan, Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel Cocteil Enigmatic, National Museum, Prishtina M. Mulliqi prize, National Gallery,
Prishtina
Artists of tomorrow II, National Gallery, Prishtina Fish doesn't think cause fish knows everything, National Gallery, Prishtina
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