BEKIM HASAJ

Born in Bajram Curri, Albania, 1990. Currently based in Ostrobothnia, Finland.

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PORTFOLIO > Artists´ Association of Finland - Artist register

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2010-2014, Bachelor degree in Visual Arts from Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Milan (Italy), score of 110/110; 2005–2009, Diploma from J. Misja High School of Art, Tirana (Albania), score of 10/10.

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ARTIST RESIDENCIES

Pihatto Artist Residency, South Karelian Artist Association, Lappeenranta (Finland, 10-16 November 2025); Moskosel Creative Lab-Northern Sustainable Futures, Moskosel (Sweden, 31 October- 3 November 2024); Artist residency curated by Artist Residency Swap & Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, Dublin (Ireland, 11-26 March 2022).

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Next Artist Residency

Galerie Pleiku Exhibition-Residency, Berlin (Germany, 11-31 May 2026).

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GRANTS (selection)

As individual:

Working grants: Arts Promotion Center-Taike, two months, 2022. / Project grants: Korsnäs Municipality, Art Trail, 2026; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, Art trail, 2026; Project grants: Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, 'The Shell Cracked', 2024; Svenska Kulturfonden, 'Scanning Landscape' project, 2021. / Travel grants: Svenska Kulturfonden, Ardhje Award, 2025; Svenska Kulturfonden, Contemporanea 24, 2024; Svenska Kulturfonden, Venice Biennale, 2022.

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Working group:

Working grants: Finnish Cultural Foundation, six months, 2026.

Project grants: Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, 'Fall-Translucid Skin' premiere/video-audio work, 2026; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, 'Translucid Skins' project, 2025 for 2026; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, 'About What is Left in the Temple of Memory' event/artist talk, 2025; Svenska Kulturfonden, 'The Shell Cracked' exhibition cycle, 2025; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, 'Translucid Skins' project, 2023 for 2024; Eugène, Elisabeth och Birgit Nygréns stiftelse, 'Dripping Cavities' exhibition, 2023; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, exhibition, 'Dripping Cavities' 2023; Närpes City Cultural Grant, 'Awake' mural inauguration, 2023; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, 'Awake' / D.P.A.R.A. pilot, 2023; Svenska Kulturfonden, 'Dripping Cavities' exhibitions, 2022; Bröderna Gröndahls Stiftelse, 'Book - the Lafkan project', 2022; Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, 'Dripping Cavities' exhibitions, 2021 for 2022; Vaasa City Cultural Grant,  'Book - the Lafkan project', 2021; Svenska Kulturfonden,  'Book - the Lafkan project', 2021.

Others: Svenska Kulturfonden-Frans Henriksson fund, development project, (public) art events in rural and natural areas, 2025; Svenska Kulturfonden-Frans Henriksson fund, development project, public art, 2022; Svenska Kulturfonden, Black Box Genesis art space exhibition program, 2020; Vaasa City Cultural Grant, Black Box Genesis art space maintenance, 2020.

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Others:

Ardhje Award 2025, Zeta Contemporary Art Center, new art production, 2025; Finnish Institute in UK and Ireland, salary, short artist residency, 2022.

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HONOURS AND AWARDS (selection)

Shortlisted artist for Ardhje Award 2025, Zeta Contemporary Art Center (Tirana, Albania, 2025); Selected, Contemporanea Prize 2024, ARTEiX (Tagliacozzo, Italy); Top ten Finalist, Exibart Prize 2023-24 (Rome, Italy); Selected, Yicca Art Prize 23/24, Aps MOHO (Udine, Italy); Top ten Finalist, Exibart Prize 2022-23 (Rome, Italy); Selected, 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival 2022 (Tirana, Albania); Selected, Who I am, VIZart International Biennale 2019 (Tirana, Albania); Winners, CCSA (under 35) open call, Crema Municipality with the collective La Faretra, (Crema, Italy, 2019).

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EXHIBITIONS

Solo Exhibitions: 'Nature into Geometry', art trail in Waterloo natural area (Korsnäs, Finland, August-September 2026); 'Challanging the Support', G.A.P.-Globe Art Point (Helsinki, Finland, November-December 2021); 'Untitled', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland, April-May 2019).

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Duo exhibitions: ´The Hidden Spots´, site-specific duo installation/exhibition in century-old house, Vaasa Museums, ´What is Left in the Temple of Memory´ project (Övermark, Finland, July-August 2026); 'The Shell Cracked', duo exhibition, Galerie Pleiku (Berlin, Germany, May 2026); ´The Shell Cracked´, Korsnäs Library (Finland, March 2026); 'The Shell Cracked', Taidekeskus Itä-Roikka Gallery (Lappeenranta, Finland, November-December 2025); 'The Shell Cracked', Varikko Gallery (Seinäjoki, Finland, October-November 2025); 'The Hidden Spots', site-specific installation/exhibition in century-old house, ´What is Left in the Temple of Memory´ project / event (Övermark, Finland, September-October 2025); 'The Shell Cracked', Rajatila Gallery, (Tampere, Finland, September-October 2025); ‘The Shell Cracked’, Rådhuset gallery (Nykarleby, Finland, January-February 2025); 'The Shell Cracked', 3H+K Gallery (Pori, Finland, January 2025). 'Dripping Cavities', coordinator Silvia Rinne, Vaasa City Art Gallery- Vaasa City Museums (Finland, November 2023-January 2024); 'Dripping Cavities’, curator Anni Fahler, Albert IX Gallery (Helsinki, Finland, January 2023); 'Dripping Cavities', Makers' Gallery (Vaasa, Finland, December 2021).

 

Group exhibitions: Ardhje Award 2025, finalists exhibition, curator Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Zeta Contemporary Art Center (Tirana, Albania, autumn 2025); 'Contemporanea Prize 2024. Costruire Nuovi Mondi’, curator Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, Palazzo Ducale Orsini-Colonna (Tagliacozzo, Italy, August-September 2024); Yö Fest vol.4, 4.3 'Fishes of the paradise city', Yö Galleria (Helsinki, Finland, March-May 2024); Yicca Art Prize 23/24, curators Massimo Toffolo & Margherita Jedrzejewska, Luciana Matalon Foundation (Milan, Italy, January 2024); 'Papertopia', Vaasa City Library (Vaasa, Finland, June 2023); Collision Festival, Collision Art Collective, Gammal Brandkårshuset (Jakobstad, Finland, May 2023); 'New Beginnings' Festival, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); 'Offside #1', Offside, curator Marcus Lerviks, pop-up space in Varastokatu 6, 65100 Vaasa (Finland, May-June 2022); 'RINart', Tirana International Contemporary Festival, VIZart, National Historical Museum & COD (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Pasila Urban Art Center-Helsinki Urban Art (Helsinki, Finland, March-April 2022); 'The Body Lenguage', Itsliquid Group, The ROOM Contemporary Art Space and Palazzo Albrizzi Capello (Venice, Italy, March 2021); 'Wall Mania', Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finalnd, 2020); 'Terminal', curator Stefano Monti, Sale Agello (Crema, Italy, December 2019); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennal 2019 of Self-portrait, National Historical Museum (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); 'Le Forme Dell'Uomo', curator Giuliana Nuvoli, La Casa delle Artiste (Milan, Italy, November 2018); 'Le Bestie di Brera', collective La Faretra, Sala Birolli (Verona, Italy, September 2018).

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EVENTS (selection)

‘About What is Left in the Temple of Memory Project’ event​, Museum of Old Vaasa (Vaaasa, Finland, 20th February 2026); 'Deep-Scape', site-specific video/visual art event, Bock's Corner Village (Vaasa, Finland, 24th February 2024); Performative acts during the day, 'Dripping Cavities' duo exhibition, Vaasa City Art Gallery-Vaasa City Museums (12th December 2023); Finnish Painters' Association Sales Event at Cable Factory (Helsinki, Finland, March 2023); Konstrundan 2022, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2022); Konstrundan 2021, online exhibition 'Virtual Walls? Virtual Murals¿' by Black Box Genesis / Open studio, Malakta art Factory (Malax, Finland, September 2021); Konstrundan 2020, open studio, Black Box Genesis (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Vaasa-Night of Arts, 'Glitch-sorry, there is interference' urban installation (Vaasa, Finland, 8th August 2019); Vaasa-Night of Arts, 'Living Painting' performance (Vaasa, Finland, 9th August 2018); Burning Art Festival, 'Deeps Smoke' performace, Malakta Art Factory (29th September 2018).

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Others: ‘Studio Visit’ on ‘Grandi Stazioni Retail’ project by Exibart, video presentation on monitors in the main Italian stations (Italy, 27th May-2nd June 2024).

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Next Exhibition/Event: 'Nets of Memory, Remains of Time', site-specific installation/exhibition 'Rahkola metal factory', Vaasa City (Vaasa, Finland, October-November 2026); ´The Shell Cracked´, duo exhibition, Studio Fremdeling (Kristinestad, Finland, October-November 2026); 'Fall~Translucid Skins' premiere, Ostrobothnia event (Vaasa, Finland, 28 November 2026); Duo exhibition, Tempus-Jakobstad Museum (Jakobstad, Finland, January-March 2027); Site-specific duo exhibition, Öjen forest (Vaasa, Finland, April-May 2027); Ars Libera Gallery (Kuopio, Finland, May-June 2027). Duo exhibition, Ars Libera Gallery (Kuopio, Finland, May-June 2027).

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COLLABORATIONS / PROJECTS  (selection)

Personal: ´Scanning Landscape​´ multidisciplinary project and ´Shells´series by Bekim Hasaj, 2021-2025.

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Artist duo: ´What is Left in the Temple of Memory´ interdisciplinary project, site-specific exhibition and events by Valentina Gelain & Bekim Hasaj, 2025-present, ´The Shell Cracked´ multidisciplinary project and exhibition cycle by Valentina Gelain & Bekim Hasaj, 2024-present; ´Translucid skins~strands~of~us´ multidisciplinary project and out-door exhibition by Valentina Gelain & Bekim Hasaj, 2024-present; 'Unfolding thoughts - Requiem of a phoenix', public art installation for 'Book - the Lafkan project' (Vaasa City Library, Finland, 2021-22).

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Mural paintings: 'Nature into Geometry' mural painting (Korsnäs, Finland, June-July 2026);  ‘Awake’ mural painting for D.P.A.R.A. pilot (Övermark, Finland, April-June 2023); 'Click', mural painting for WIC-Wasa Innovation Center (Vaasa, Finland, August-September 2021 / June 2022 ); 'Mural Rural' Festival 2021, selected artist, Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland,  autumn 2020, postpone to spring 2021); Vaasa Arts Night 2020, mural painting for the 30° anniversary (Finland, August 2020); 

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BIBLIOGRAPHY (selection)

Interview by Reija Penttinen for ´Followers of the Movement´ column, Regional Dance Center of Ostrobothnia (31 January 2025); Article by Elsa Barbieri about 'The Shell Cracked' exhibition, Exibart (12 January 2025); 'Exibart Prize 2023-24', finalists' digital catalog, publisher Exibart (19th September 2024); 'Abruzzo contemporaneo. Focus sull'arte emergente', Contemporanea 24, curator Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, publisher Metilene, printing house Polistampa (Firenze, Italy, July 2024); Interview by Kirsi Koivuporras, Magazine Y 1/24 (March 2024); 'Yicca 23/24', International Contest of Contemporary Art, digital and printed catalog, publisher - Aps MOHO (1st December 2023); Interview by Elsa Barbieri about 'Dripping Cavities' exhibition, Exibart (12 November 2023); '222 Artisti emergenti su cui investire / 2024', book, curator Cesare Biasini Selvaggi, publisher - Exibart/Exibartlab (Rome, Italy, 12th October 2023); 'Exibart Prize 2022-23', finalists' digital catalog, publisher - Exibart (27th July 2023); Offside #1, online exhibition archive (May 2022); ‘RINart’, Tirana Contemporary Art Festival, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, May 2022); Globe Art Point online exhibition archive (17th December 2021); Article about 'Mural Rural' Festival by Clara Amodeo, Another Scratch In The Wall (Milan, Italy, 31st August 2021); Interview and online article by Luca Curci, Itsliquid Group (8th April 2021); Interview and photo documentation about 'Growing' mural painting, 'Mural Rural' project, for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, May 2021); Interview and photo documentation about Vaasa Arts Night Mural Painting for the Vaasa Museum Archive by Silvia Rinne (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Participation in the television program, workshop and interview for Yle Strömsö (Finland, October 2020); Interview, article and video documentation by Vaasa City cultural department, about the Mural for Vaasa Arts Night 2020 (Vaasa, Finland, 1st September 2020); Radio interview and article by Yle cultural section (Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland, 31st July 2020); 'Who I Am', VIZart International Biennale 2019 of Self-portrait, exhibition catalog, publisher - VIZart (Tirana, Albania, September 2019); Video documentation by Crem@online and article by Cultura Crema about 'Terminal' group exhibition (Crema, Italy, December 2019).

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PUBLICATIONS 

'Taide', Yö Lehti #4, edited by Henrik Pathirane and Atte Karttunen, Yö ry (Helsinki, Finland, 2023); 'Public Art in Rural Areas', Ostrobothnian Regional Museum's Cultural Blog (Vaasa, Finland, 2nd May 2023).

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ARTIST TALKS

‘About What is Left in the Temple of Memory Project’ event, Museum of Old Vaasa (Vaaasa, Finland, 20th February 2026); Public Art Seminar on public art in urban and rural areas, organised by Vaasa City Museums, Ostrobothnian Museum (Vaasa, Finland, 29 April 2025); Guest artist for the Kuvata Webinar with focus on ‘As an Artist in a Sparsely Populated Area', organised by Tampere University of Applied Sciences, the University of Lapland’s Faculty of Art​ and Globe Art Point, 20 January 2025; ‘Dripping Cavities’ duo exhibition, finissage, Vaasa City Art Gallery (Vaasa, Finland, 4th January 2024); 'Papertopia', duo exhibition, Vaasa City Library (Vaasa, Finland, 15th June 2023); Artist Talk, three meetings with the students of Vasa övningsskola, about the mural commissioned by Vaasa City (Vaasa, Finland, September 2020); Invitation, Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finland, 27th June 2019).

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WORKSHOPS

'Kroki-Figure Drawing', with a live model, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, 20th April 2024); 'Figure Drawing', workshop on the analysis and drawing of the human anatomy, with a live model, in collaboration with Regnbågsallians rf and Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland, 16th November 2023); 'Papertopia' exhibition, handmade paper workshop, co-host Jenni Österlund, Vaasa City Library (Vaasa, Finland, 29th June 2023); Online Workshop 'Monotype', co-host Susanne Marins, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 2nd May 2020); Handmade Paper Workshop, co-host Valentina Gelain, Art Saturday by Art in Malakta rf (Malakta Art Factory, Malax, Finland, 14th December 2019).

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ORGANIZATIONS

August 2023-Present, Artists' Association of Finland - Artist Register; November 2022-Present, member of Yö ry (Finland); February 2022-Present, Artists Bank of Rakennustieto rts sr; February 2021-Present, full member of Globe Art Point ry (Finland); January 2021-Present, client of Kuvasto ry Visual Arts' Copyright Society (Finland); August 2023-December 2025, member of Suomen Taideyhdistys  (Finland); January 2022-December 2025, member of Finnish Painters' Union ry (Finland); April 2023-April 2025, board member of Globe Art Point ry (Finland); May 2019-September 2023, board member of Art in Malakta rf (Finland); August 2022-April 2023, vice member of the Board for Globe Art Point ry (Finland).

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OTHER WORK EXPERIENCES (selection)

August 2021-Present, co-manager of Black Box Genesis art space (online and pop-up events); May 2018-Present, Black Box Genesis co-founder as visual artist, creative freelancer & cultural worker / Visual artists and visual art experts | Organisation of exhibition and cultural events | Planning and management of projects, including long-term ones | Collaborations​ ; February 2024, guest teacher at Novia University to hold an intensive workshop on handmade paper for second/third-year visual art students, the position is shared with colleague Valentina Gelain (Jakobstad, Finland); October-November 2023, guest teacher at Novia University to hold the course Ateljestudier 7 for second-year visual art students, the position is shared with colleague Valentina Gelain (Jakobstad, Finland); September-October 2022, manager of Mural Rural project and assistant curator of New Beginnings Festival exhibition by Art in Malakta rf (Malax, Finland); October-November 2021, art course at Malakta Art Factory (Malax, Finalnd); April 2020-August 2021, co-organizer and artists´ coordinator of Mural Rural Festival for Art in Malakta rf  (Malax, Finland); June 2018-July 2021, co-manager of Black Box Genesis art space (Vaasa, Finland); 23rd September 2020, guest artist in Yle Strömsö for an episode on the monotype technique (Vaasa, Finland), areena.yle.fi | article; 2014-2017, freelance artist (Milan, Italy); 2011-2014, assistant for Remo Salvadori (Milan, Italy).

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