Kemil Bekteši (b. 1997) is a Kosovar visual artist of Gorani origin whose work explores food and migration. His work is often underpinned by themes of identity, geopolitics and cultural memory through a personal history marked by borders and migration. His artistic practice spans a range of media, including food, installation and sculpture, with a particular emphasis on site- and time-specific works. His art often reflects the cultural and political overlaps between the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as he has been personally connected to the region throughout his life. Bekteši’s research into social issues often focuses on the complex relationships between nations, cultures and histories and how these are expressed in contemporary visual forms. His work examines both interpersonal and geopolitical dynamics, positioning him as a reflective voice in the ongoing discourse on regional identity. He received his MA (2021) and BA (2020) from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, where he was awarded the Golden Badge for Outstanding Academic Achievement. In 2018/19 he studied contemporary art at the Faculdade de Belas Artes do Porto (Portugal), and in 2023 he participated in the WHW Academy in Zagreb, Croatia. Winner of several awards, including the Zvono (YVAA) Award for Young Visual Artists in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024, and was a finalist for the Mangelos (YVAA) Award in 2022 in Belgrade. He lives and works in Sarajevo (BIH).
2025 Slow and Unstoppable - The National Gallery of Kosovo, Prishtina (KS)
2025 Malta - Galerija Manuš, Split (CRO)
2024 250 °C - Galeria17, Prishtina (KS)
2024 Atlatnis: Intermezzo - Atelier Ismet Mujezinović, Tuzla (BIH)
2023 The Favored - Contemporary Gallery Subotica (RS)
2023 At the monument at 7 - Kula Cetinjska, Belgrade (RS)
2022 Etnos and Eros - Dom Omladine, Belgrade (RS)
2021 Making two site-specific wall drawings by Sol LeWitt - Academy of Fine Art Sarajevo (BIH)
2021 Dear Santa Claus - ex Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo (BiH)
2021 Three rooms and the backyard - Academy of Fine Art Sarajevo (BIH)
2021 Bekteši - Galerija Brodac, Sarajevo (BIH)
2026 Knots of Time - The Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig (DE)
2025 SubDokumenta: International Biennale of Visual Arts - Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo (BIH)
2025 Grids and Islands - RU House, New York City (USA)
2024 Suit of Fire - KRAK, Bihać (BIH)
2024 Gastarbeiter 2.1 - Galerija Manifesto, Sarajevo (BIH)
2024 Question of Belonging - Stakloplan, Belgrade (RS)
2024 Selling Out - Midas, Ljubljana (SLO)
2024 Gastarbeiter 2.0 - nGbK, Berlin (DE)
2023 Demode - SKC, Rijeka (CRO)
2023 POV - Galerija Manifesto, Sarajevo (BIH)
2022 New Wave - Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo (BIH)
2022 Mangelos - Galerija Remont, Belgrade (RS)
2022 Under Your Gaze - U10 Gallery, Belgrade (RS)
2022 Zvono - KRAK, Bihać (BIH)
2022 Ar(t)lantis - Galerija Novembar, Belgrade (RS)
2021 Youth Biennial - Belgrade (RS)
2020 Score #1 Ten ballets (of oscillation) - Historical museum, Sarajevo (BIH)
2026 How to Digest Secrets - Contemporary Art and The Archive, University of Texas Arlington, Dallas (USA)
2026 Kërsteç - Tavolina, Tirana (ALB)
2026 How to Digest Secrets - Vila31 x Art Explora, Tirana (ALB)
2023 Every end is the Beginning and Vice Versa - Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo (BiH)
2021 Art Summer School, 4th edition - Borders and Migrations - Kuma Intrentional, Sarajevo (BiH)
2021 Whimsical city - Ateleir Ismet Mujezinović, Tuzla (BiH)
Upcoming: MAP005:Leipzig - BFF Editions (BIH)
Upcoming: Wall Painting technologies through time, Đenita Kuštrić (BIH)Harpers Bazaar Serbia, 2023. In print
Vanity Fair Italia, 2022. In print
uKONTAKTu, 2023.
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