The article is an interview with artist Genti Korini about his video installation "A Place in the Sun," featured at the Albanian Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale. The three-channel video uses live actors, puppetry, animation, and an original score, communicating through Zaum, an experimental transrational language invented by early 20th-century Russian futurist poets. Korini explains that the work re-enacts an absurdist theatre piece from a century ago, referencing the 1916 "Albanian Issue" published by Russian futurists, which satirized imperialist and orientalist views of Albania. The installation explores how cultural identities are forged, especially for "minor cultures," and draws parallels between the anxieties of the early 20th century and the present.
This matters because Korini's work engages with pressing contemporary themes—identity, language, power, and historical narrative—through a highly conceptual and interdisciplinary approach. By reviving Zaum and connecting it to Albania's complex history, the artist challenges viewers to reconsider how meaning and place are constructed. The piece also highlights the role of smaller nations in the global art scene, as the Albanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale offers a platform for underrepresented perspectives. The interview provides insight into the creative process behind a work that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant, reflecting broader conversations about art's ability to address political and cultural instability.