Kosovo Festival Transforms Pristina

This Yugoslav-era monument was once a testament to the different ethnic groups in Kosovo. Today it stands wrapped in rose-colored foil applied by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone as part of the Manifesta 14 biennial in Pristina.

The cultural event means art pieces, such as this defunct gas pump manned by an attendant, can currently be seen throughout Pristina, and in the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica. 

Visitors look at an installation called Tell Me Your Story by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota in Pristina on August 16.

Manifesta 14 is driven by what organizers say is "Pristina's call and the global need to reclaim and reimagine public spaces."

 

An artwork inside a former brick factory in Pristina.

The first Manifesta biennial was held in 1994 in Rotterdam "in response to the political, economic, and social changes following the end of the Cold War and the subsequent steps towards European integration," according to the organization's website. Since then, the event has been held in different cities across Europe. 
 

People paint an open-air artwork onto the tarmac outside Pristina's former brick factory. 

Manifesta 14 opened on July 21 and will run until October 30. The event is exhibiting the work of artists mostly from the Balkans.

 

On August 8, British-Kosovar singer Dua Lipa was photographed visiting some of the exhibits of Manifesta 14.
 

An artwork inside Pristina’s Grand Hotel.

Manifesta 14 has drawn mostly praise from art journalists, though even some of the more accommodating critics who have visited note some of the exhibits seem half-baked.

A mural painted for the biennial.

An EU grant, as well as various funds from the Netherlands, provided more than $1.5 million to the event.