[BRUSSELS]
A vibrant corner of Albania, bursting with colours and a welcoming atmosphere greets visitors at ShqipVille, located in the heart of Brussels’ iconic ‘Grand Place’. Through its inviting windows, lined with original books and spontaneous messages, ShqipVille offers far more than a reiterated stereotype of Albanian hospitality. Instead, it presents a genuine, multifaceted embrace that exceeds expectations, and so stands apart from the chocolate shops and other tourist-oriented attractions increasingly populating the area.
Here, Ledja Canaj and her team’s creative vision have profoundly transformed a unique and sinuous corner of the Grand Place into a cosy and open-hearted ‘home’ that welcomes the world. The space draws inspiration from the rich hues and cultural spirit of Albania, featuring colourful “post-it” notes at the entrance, where visitors are invited to share their thoughts and wishes in any language. There is a vibrant sense of community and connection that infuses every aspect of its interior and exterior design. As the founders passionately explain, the essence of this place reflects a universal longing that emerged following the end of the dictatorship in Albania in the 1990s: the desire of people to connect, to know others, and to be known after years of isolation.
As soon as visitors step inside, they all immediately become ‘residents’, a sentiment and a practice embodied in the tastes, colours and sounds on offer, and above all, in the art that lies at the very heart of ShqipVille. This clear commitment was beautifully showcased during the opening of the exhibition “On Orcas, Longing and Being Human” by Ujeza Ademi, an event that also offered an opportunity to interview the artist, who paused her global explorations to share her story while in Brussels.
Humanity Embedded in Art and Exploration
Ujeza, a young artist and global traveller, weaves her life experiences into her work and loves to define herself as “human”, as simple and complex as that might be. “Drawing is my way of understanding the world”, she explains, illustrating how her curiosity drives the ideas and projects that culminate in creative output and the unveiling of knowledge.
Having studied in the United States and engaged in learning experiences across three continents, Ujeza embraced the challenge of visualising the stories of the ancient indigenous Illyrians that populated the Balkan region, starting with her academic work. Through meticulous research, she catalogued reference materials, designed characters, and brought to life ‘Ora’, a mythological figure (‘orë’ in Albanian) associated with human destiny and fate, who is believed to maintain the order of the universe and enforce its laws. This character was reimagined in her work with novel visual representations of epic creatures. By drawing on symbols from artefacts, traditional clothing, and literature, Ujeza crafted designs that bridge history and art. She further enhanced her work with a website showcasing her findings and integrating digital features, providing a modern platform to share her interpretations of ancient myths.
We are in the very heart of Brussels, and today, 11 January 2025, marks the official opening of my exhibition and the first one in Europe. The inaugural exhibition was held in San Francisco in May 2024, where the artwork was displayed on clothes racks. This represented digital scrolling in a tangible, physical form, allowing visitors to ‘scroll’ through the art with their hands. This time, the exhibition takes on a different format, on walls, and it feels incredibly special to present it here in our ‘Albanian home’ at the core of Europe: ShqipVille.
–How do you feel presenting your work today in such a central and symbolic location as Brussels?
“Brussels, with its Grand Place at the heart of Europe, holds immense significance. Albania and Kosovo are undeniably part of Europe geographically, culturally, and historically, though political recognition remains a challenge nowadays. Here, in a place and a square where anything can happen, and possibilities are endless, I feel excited to share my work. For Albanians like me and also for Ledja, who manages ShqipVille and opens its doors every day, it is heartwarming to be in a space where our shared identity as Albanians matters more than our specific origins.”
–What messages do you aim to convey through your art, particularly as it travels across continents?
“My art reflects the intense emotions and challenges of recognition and identity. Having lived in San Francisco, South Korea, Brussels, Argentina, Taiwan, and Germany, I have encountered very diverse perspectives. For instance, in just three months, I visited three countries, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, that do not recognise Kosovo, the country where I was born.
Navigating these spaces was not only burdensome in terms of paperwork and certificates but also deeply ‘revealing’. Indeed, it was a very profound experience. In particular, visiting countries where my passport does not hold weight felt like an achievement and it affirmed my existence and the struggle many people face for recognition on a daily basis.”
Finding Community Across Borders: Working with with Kiliii Yüyan
When Ujeza came across the story of Kiliii Yüyan, a National Geographic explorer, prominent journalist, and award-winning photographer, their dialogue became the foundation for her current art exhibition. Together, they explored themes of community and connection, loneliness, and the complex emotions and practices connected to leaving the place considered “home” until a particular phase in one’s life.
“Kiliii and I share similar paths despite our different origins. He is part of the Nanai community, an indigenous group in Siberia, and travels extensively for his work. Our conversations delved into the erosion of community in a world increasingly shaped by individualism and digitalisation. Inspired by these discussions, I sought to merge old and new storytelling methods in my art. Using scrolls, a very traditional medium, I incorporated digital elements to highlight the coexistence of heritage and modernity.”
Ujeza remembers how “it all began when I decided to reach out to Kiliii directly, asking if he knew about the Illyrians. He replied simply that he did not. This marked the start of a fascinating exchange for both of us. I interviewed Kiliii and created a graphic story based on the transcript of our conversations, delving into the culture of his tribe, the responsibilities inherent in his work, and the loneliness of continuous travelling across different time zones.
I started to learn more and more about the cultural references he helped me to understand, cataloguing art files and assets to produce a comic-style article that resonated with the artistic traditions of the Nanai. I designed Kiliii’s character based on his portraits, orcas, and other figures inspired by the people and animals he has documented throughout his journeys.”
The Nanai are the largest indigenous people of the southern Far East, living along the border between Siberia/Russia and China, and they primarily speak a language from the Manchu-Tungusic family. As a person of Chinese and Siberian Indigenous (Nanai/Hezhe) descent, and a member of the Nanai community (‘Hèzhé’ in Chinese), Kiliii has travelled extensively across the polar regions, mostly covering arctic stories and cultures, wildlife, and underwater environments. Since beginning his work with National Geographic, Kiliii has been on assignment across the globe for close to entire years at a time, rarely able to return home due to the constraints of his work and geopolitical challenges such as the Russian war with Ukraine.
“Another interesting coincidence we discovered – Ujeza highlights – is that Kiliii began working for National Geographic in 2019, the same year I embarked on my own global travels. Despite coming from different countries, communities, and tribes, we always found surprising similarities in our experiences. Both of us have spent the last five years searching for a sense of community amidst constant travel, unable to establish a consistent connection with our respective homes. This shared experience became thus a focal point of our conversation, a genuine exploration of the value of community, concerned about the growing tide of individualism, and the profound consequences this shift has on our sense of belonging.”
“As Kiliii expressed – she reports – the world’s increasing focus on individualism is ‘killing us from the inside’. Community brings warmth, care, and values that transcend individual pursuits. Yet, the demands of our lives often make such connections difficult. Kiliii’s family, for instance, is scattered across time zones: his parents are in Washington, D.C., his brother is in San Francisco, and his work keeps him perpetually on the move. The time difference alone becomes a barrier, as I experienced myself when I was in San Francisco and needed to reach family members in Europe during times of illness.
Through our conversation, I really wanted to reflect on this tension in my art: the challenge of finding community in many forms, even when it does not stem from shared blood or nationality. Kiliii and I are part of a unique community, that of a group of individuals who travel for a living but yearn for a life grounded in connection.”
Countering Individualism Through Art and Dialogue
–Individualism is indeed and increasingly often seen as a dominant trend in modern societies, especially in the Western hemisphere. How does your art address this?
“My work invites people to gather into shared spaces, encouraging a sense of community. The scrolls in this exhibition represent a tactile, collective experience in stark contrast to the isolation often associated with digital interactions.
During my travels, I have observed how individualism is increasingly celebrated, particularly among younger generations. Practices such as self-improvement, therapy, and even gym routines very often focus solely on personal growth. As a result, phrases like ‘staying on themselves’, ‘working on themselves’, and ‘reflecting on yourself’ have become more prevalent in the common narrative, at least in English. While these practices hold value, they sometimes overshadow the importance of connection and shared experiences. In places like Kosovo, for instance, community remains a cornerstone of daily life. Time is shared, and the tasks of living in a space are achieved collectively. Asking for and offering help is deeply ingrained in our culture. This spirit of exchange, whether it is of goods, support, or experiences, is something I strive to reflect in my art. My work serves as a tangible and mindful bridge between the digital and physical worlds, fostering connections rooted in authenticity and shared humanity, often inspired by true life stories, personal sharing, friendships, and synergies like the one sparked by my conversation with Kiliii.”
In the work behind the entire exhibition, Ujeza also aims to illustrate this duality between isolation and community in terms of the specific formats and concepts that are exemplified by merging traditional storytelling techniques, such as scrolls, with modern digital elements. The result is a fascinating dialogue between heritage and modernity, showcasing the necessity of finding and nurturing community within increasingly fragmented and self-referential societies.
Images by Ujeza Ademi and staff
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