painting with ship and people on beach — Edi Hila, Under the Hot Sun, From the series Paradox, 2005 Courtesy Brian Mccarthy and Daniel Sager Collection, New York

Edi Hila

Fractured Horizons

8.11 2025 – 12.4 2026

Malmö

Opens in 12 days

Edi Hila is regarded as one of Albania’s most significant artists. As a painter, he has captured his country’s dramatic social transformation while evocatively conveying the shifting conditions of the world we share. .

In his paintings, fragments of reality are transformed into timeless poetry, making the invisible visible – moods, relationships, and changing values. Public buildings rise like sealed monuments, bearing the memories of faded utopias and the hubris of former regimes. Against a darkening sky, a solitary ship cleaves the fragile seam where sea meets sky.

Despite their contemporary themes, Hila’s works are deeply rooted in the aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance. With pink, blue, and golden tones set against the greyness of concrete, they conjure both the fragility of dreams and the weight of history.

Born in 1944 in Shkodra, Hila lives and works in Tirana. His oeuvre has established him as one of the most influential artists in the Balkan region. Moderna Museet Malmö is proud to present his first solo exhibition in Scandinavia.

The exhibition is initiated and curated by Joa Ljungberg, Moderna Museet Malmö, and Corinne Diserens, Hamburger Kunsthalle. It is jointly produced by the institutions and accompanied by a multilingual publication.