POIEIN - Endri Dani

About

In his work Endri Dani searches elements of history and memory in popular objects and practices, questioning their relevance in consumerist societies. POIEIN, a Greek word meaning to make, to compose, and to create goes back to the origins of the word poet and a time when poets where considered artisans. In this exhibition the artist translates POIEIN into the local context by collaborating with Mexican musicians and artisans.

The main piece of the exhibition, the video POIEIN contemplates artisan practices and what they possibly incorporate into our contemporary societies. Dani documents the action of an artisan Pippo Moresca from Puglia, Italy. He asked him, to apply his craftsmanship to produce different sounds in conjunction with the land, not by shaping an actual object, but by acting directly on the clay. The artisan created a whistle directly in the soil, which produces sounds that get lost in the surrounding nature and become part of the landscape.

In the video/installation “Souvenir of my homeLAND” Dani collects souvenirs from Albania and unveils their symbolism and notion of national identity by scratching off their colors. In this way he confronts us with the difficult relationship of cultural heritage in consumerist societies.

Endri Dani was born in Skodra, now he lives and Works in Tirana, Albania. He has participated in Kochi-Muziris Bienal, Bienal “ Fin del Mundo” and the Marrakech Bienal. His work has been presented in Museums such as Centre Pompidou in France, Mucem Marseille, Ludwig Museum Budapest, ACAS, National Historic Museum in Tirana among others. He has participated in different projects in Italy, New York, Toronto, Berlin and Los Angeles.