THE GALLERY OF THE COAST
Galeria e Bregdetit – Qendra për Peisazhe në Ndryshim (EN: Gallery of the Coast – Center for Changing Landscapes) is a seasonal contemporary exhibition space and artistic research center which runs its program during the tourist season of the Albanian Riviera in the coastal south of the country. The gallery aims to use contemporary art and research-based projects to investigate the invisible links that are shaping and transforming the territory.
Galeria e Bregdetit was established in 2018 in Radhima – a remote location in the Albanian seaside – seeking to challenge the narrative of this territory as a one-dimensional tourist destination by creating a platform for artistic investigation and promotion. In the last five seasons the gallery has affirmed itself as a prominent voice in the budding contemporary art ecosystem of the country, creating a distinctive voice which proudly represents the Albanian Seaside South in the international art scene.
Galeria e Bregdetit has several long lines of research, such ARTiLERIA Sazan → which aims to use cultural planning in the rehabilitation of the abandoned island of Sazan; South by the Sea, a yearly showcase of southern voices in contemporary art; and the Off Season Artist Residency → which brings contemporary artists to the seaside when the “pressure of tourism” is turned off.
Mission
To foster and promote contemporary art and culture in the context of the Albanian seaside south, and the exchange between artists, curators, researchers, and the wider public in this peripheric context by showcasing emerging and established artists from the region and around the world. This is mainly achieved by interacting with the landscape of the Albanian Riviera through the lens of contemporary art as an investigative tool for territorial transformations.
Vision
The name of the space (translating to “Gallery of the Coast”) clearly underlines the close relationship that it intends to nurture with the context and landscape. We strive to be an avant-garde cultural institution that nurtures creativity, innovation, and experimentation, by providing a dynamic platform in a unique context and mindset for possible creative inspirations and expressions. A more ambitious vision is the ability to influence the politics and dynamics of development in the Albanian seaside through its research, exhibitions and projects.
