Bekteši’s work examines both the history and present realities of migrant labour from Kosovo, tracing the networks of labour, mobility, and survival embedded within them. By mapping cities in which Kosovar-owned bakeries operate, such as Berlin, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, and New York city, he reveals an informal geography shaped not by borders, but by economic necessity and diasporic connection. For Sofra (Leipzig), Bekteši collaborated with Sofra Bakery, the only Kosovar-owned bakery in Leipzig. The sculptural work draws connections to the networks of the Kosovar diaspora, whose unity is forged through shared labour, mutual support, and collective resilience. Bread becomes a marker of cultural continuity and economic endurance. The sculpture is accompanied by a work titled My dad loves me so much, he let me be an artist – a photograph of the artist’s father at work in a bakery in Sarajevo. The image underscores a generational shift. As a migrant worker, the father represents a life shaped by sacrifice and physical labour. His “blessing” for his son to pursue an artistic career reflects a quiet yet profound act of love: the willingness to relinquish his own unrealised aspirations so that another may pursue theirs.

Installation: 

Bread / Rope / Wall drawing / Photography

In collaboration with: Sofra Bistro

Curator: Simon Kurti

Photo-documentation: Alexandra Ivanciu

The Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst

Leipzig, Germany

2026