Artists have long been exploring natural contexts, drawing inspiration and unfolding connections, to the point of ​probing ​one´s own immanence through them.​ The results of this research eventually led to their first joint exhibition​ between 2022 and 2023​.

Following the exhibition ‘Dripping Cavities’ at Vaasa Art Gallery, Bekim Hasaj was carrying forward the sculpture series ‘Shell’, in a sense continuing and going beyond the ‘Scanning Landscape’ project, ​while Valentina Gelain was working on the new project and art film ‘The Peaks’.​

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Once again, a dialogue and exchange occurred​​ between the productions from two complementary perspectives, which were becoming increasingly ​essential to one another. Matter, physicality, and presence were encountering​ the liminal, the suspended, the impermanent. 

Between conception, process, and interpretation, Hasaj and Gelain were seeking transposition through rocky entities found in ​sylvan settings​: Hasaj ​in the exploration of these bodies and their crystallization into metallic surfaces​, and Gelain by delv​ing into symbologies and the transfiguration of the psyche.

 

This simultaneity not only prompted​ them to juxtapose the ​artwork​s once again, but ​also to create new ​pieces as a duo. ​Indeed, the exhibition cycle ‘The Shell Cracked’ features distinct works by the two artists, as well as their first collaborative piece​; ‘Protrusion’ was the first large-scale​ installation​ conceived and realized ​in tandem, and was presented at the first exhibition in Pori/Björneborg in January 2025. 

The​ main​ ​body of work ​spans video art, poetry, floor/hanging sculptures made of metal, wax, textiles, and large-scale sculptural installations with sound and interactive components. The artistic​ corpus​ is constantly evolving and each iteration offers fresh viewpoints and details, as the exhibitions will continue until 2027. 

 

The ​art ​profiled in the exhibition will intersect with the production of​ 'Translucid Skins~strands~of~u​s', another of the artistic duo’s early projects.​ In addition, the metals used are second-hand, sourced from recycling centres, scrap yards or private individuals.

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Exhibition Cycle

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Exhibition Cycle Overview:

2025 - 3H+K Gallery, Pori, Finland; Rådhuset gallery, Nykarleby, Finland; Rajatila Gallery, Tampere, Finland; Varikko Galleria, Seinäjoki, Finland; Taidekeskus Itä-Roikka Gallery, Lappeenranta, Finland.

2026 - Korsnäs Library, Korsnäs, Finland; Pleiku Gallery, Berlin, Germany; Studio Fremdeling, Kristinestad, Finland.

2027 - Tempus, Jakobastad Museum, Finland; Ars Libera Gallery, Kuopio, Finland.

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The artists also worked on the art during the short residency at Moskosel Creative Lab in Sweden in the autumn of 2024. In November 2025, they were invited by Etelä-Karjalan Taiteilijaseura to the new Pihatto Residency in Lappeenranta, which officially opens in December 2025.

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The project is supported by Svensk-Österbottniska Samfundet, Svenska Kulturfonden and Arts Promotion Centre-Taike.

Collaborators: Elokuvakesku Botnia ry / Filmcentrum Botnia rf, Eyra and Stefan Backas.

Thank you to Annika Sillander, Andreas Westerberg and Rosenberg Metallåtervinning.