Biography

ZGJIM ZYBA (Bukosh, Kosovo, 1994) is a multimedia artist based between Kosovo and Italy. Completed his bachelor studies in conceptual art and new media and received his MA in contemporary art at the Faculty of Arts of Pristina and in multimedia communication and creation events at the University of Florence. He worked for the education program of the Venice Biennale and as cultural mediator for international pavilions.His practice is rooted in installation and multimedia works that intertwine personal and collective memory, gender identity, and the lasting repercussions of conflict, displacement, and trauma. Shaped by the historical and social landscapes of post-war Kosovo, Zyba’s work acts as a living archive preserving silences, questioning inherited narratives, and reimagining how memory informs both individual and communal identity. His projects often reflect on resilience and fragility, making visible the subtle ways history marks bodies, objects, and spaces. He destabilizes the function of structures and materials, shifting rigidity into fluidity or solidifying what is usually flexible. Through this process, Zyba transforms familiar forms into ambiguous presences that blur distinctions between utility and symbolism.

Artistic project

The project explores themes of transitional justice, collective memory, and psychological trauma in post-war Kosovo, while examining how gender roles are learned, enforced, and inherited across generations. The first part of the project reflects on how, during and after the Kosovo war, humanitarian aid ensured physical survival but largely overlooked the psychological consequences of violence and displacement. As a result, many personal stories remained untold and collective trauma remained unprocessed. Even today, more than two decades after widespread violations of human rights, Kosovo still lacks a comprehensive national framework addressing the long-term mental health consequences of war. The installation under development is based on collecting humanitarian aid blankets distributed by international organizations during and after the war, together with stories gathered from families across Kosovo. These thick, rough blankets rarely provided comfort; instead, they were often repurposed to cover broken windows, build makeshift beds, or protect household objects. Through their transformation into an installation and performance, these blankets become a living archive of resilience and memory

Format: installation and performance

Size of audience: 100

Specific location: indoors

Timing/duration: night perormance 30 min