The story of Petrit Halilaj’s life, punctuated by uprooting and trauma is deeply entangled with that of his country, Kosovo. Having experienced war and displacement with his family during his childhood, his works often use a personal narrative as starting point for much further reaching, through his optimistic, poetic and oftentimes very humorous practice.

He completed his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Brera in Milan and represented Kosovo at the Venice Biennale in 2013. In 2015 he had a solo show at Hangar Bicocca, Milan. Among other projects, he has started the Hajde! Foundation in 2015 in order to support young artists from Kosovo.

He had solo exhibitions at Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne (2015); Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn (2015); Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon (2015); Galeria e Arteve e Kosovës, Prishtina (2014); Wiels, Brussels (2014); Fondation d’Enterprise Galeries Lafayette, Paris (2013); Kunsthalle Sankt Gallen (2012); Kunstraum Innsbruck (2011). He participated in group exhibitions at S.A.L.T.S., Switzerland (2015); Punta della Dogana, Venice (2015); Palazzo Cavour, Turin (2014); Villa Romana, Florence (2014); Museum Schloss Moyland (2013); Museion, Bolzano (2013); Kunstverein Nürnberg/Albrecht Dürer Gesellschaft, Nürnberg (2012); New Museum, New York (2012); 6th Berlin Biennale, Berlin (2010).