Karolina Halatek: Terminal for Tirana

Artist: Karolina Halatek
Curator: Adela Demetja
Landscape Architect: Elian Stefa
Architect and Urban Designer: Apparat Studio / Dea Buza
Managing Institution: Tirana Art Lab—Center for Contemporary Art
Commissioned and Financed by: Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of Albania

Tirana Art Lab—Center for Contemporary Art is delighted to present the permanent installation of Terminal for Tirana, an immersive light sculpture by contemporary artist Karolina Halatek in the public space of Tirana. Karaolina Halatek’s project Terminal for Tirana, curated by Adela Demetja and implemented by Tirana Art Lab, has been selected as one of the eight winning art works by the international jury for the competition “Art in Public Spaces 2022” launched and financed by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of Albania. Terminal for Tirana offers a contemplative space where visitors can experience a sense of euphoria, peace, and the feeling of transcending physical boundaries.This site-specific installation draws inspiration from the profound recollections of patients experiencing near-death experiences (NDEs), creating thus a space where art, spirituality, and science intersect. 

Halatek’s brilliant sculpture is composed primarily of a single polyethylene cylinder of 6x3m diameter, illuminated from within by solar-powered LED neons. This tunnel of light invites visitors to step into an otherworldly experience, reminiscent of those reported in NDEs—a journey through a dark tunnel towards an enveloping, radiant light. The artwork finds its roots in echoing common experiences recorded in the databases of the Near-Death Research Foundation (NDRF), adding a profound exploration of human consciousness to the stunning visual spectacle.

Terminal for Tirana reaches further than an art installation; it is a meditation on life, death, and the persistence of consciousness. Situated at the entrance of the University Hospital Center Mother Teresa, Tirana, the work gains an added layer of significance, resonating with those contemplating life’s fragility and the mysteries beyond. This approach is also reflected in the site’s transformation which has been designed by Elian Stefa and Dea Buza to create a variety of moments of intimacy and pause. The installation, placed as a crown jewel, invites viewers to immerse themselves in the transformative power of light, offering a glimpse into what might lie at the threshold of life. It is a reminder of the eternal continuity in the world of light, urging the audience to reflect on our existence and the universe’s boundless mysteries. 

Karolina Halatek is a polish artist who uses light as her primary medium to create experiential site-specific spaces that incorporate visual, architectural, and sculptural elements. Halatek forms installations with immersive characteristics, which are often the result of collaborations with quantum physicists, superstring theorists, and precision mechanical engineers. Halatek’s fascination with light as a medium has been shaped by her studies at the University of Arts London and Berlin University of the Arts, as well as her participation in Olafur Eliasson’s workshops. Influenced by the Light and Space Movement and artists like James Turrell, Halatek uses light to create experiences that are minimal yet profoundly impactful. Her works have been exhibited globally across Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East.

Tirana Art Lab—Center for Contemporary Art is a contemporary independent art institution, founded as a non-profit organization, on the initiative of Adela Demetja in 2010. TAL aims at promoting emerging artists and contemporary art from Albania as well as from Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe. The center is process and research oriented. Through different events like residencies, exhibitions, lectures as well as publications and alternative educational programs, TAL has managed to create a space for emergent critical and reflective thoughts. The center initiates and supports new productions by national and international artists, and projects critically engaged with artistic, cultural and social issues of transitional and contemporary societies.

Press inquiries
Elian Stefa, T +355697997389 / info [​at​] tiranaartlab.org