Alban Muja (1980) is a Kosovo based visual artist, who currently lives in Prishtina, having completed his BA&MA studies in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Prishtina.
His works cover a wide range of media including video installation, short film, documentary film, drawings, paintings, photography, performance, and has been exhitibited extensively in international exhibitions, festivals and shows including personal presentations as well. Mostly influenced by the social, political tranformation in Kosovo and the surrounding region, Muja investigates history and socio-political themes and links them to his position in Kosovo today.

Anita Baraku (1983) was born Prishtina. Having graduated from the Academy of Arts in Prishtina, she is currently finishing her MA in Graphic Design. Her previous group exhibitions include: 2001 “Girl in a Box” Installation, National Gallery, Prishtina. 2002; “What if…? “Installation, National Gallery, Prishtina, 2002; “Is this normal? “Installation, National Gallery, Prishtina; 2003 “Art is Art “Installation, Collective exhibition “Art without borders”, Prishtina,2004; “Going soon… “Installation, National Museum, Prishtina,200; “Is this normal? “Installation, “Nova Galerija” Zagreb,2005; “Missing me “Installation, National Museum, Prishtina,2005; “Missing me “Installation, Porticus Gallery, Frankfurt, 2006; Sound Workshop, Installation and instruments, Youth Center, Macedonia; 2007 “Anything 1 euro“ Installation, Rizoma Gallery, Prishtina.

Dren Maliqi (1981) was born in Prishtina, Kosovo, where he works and resides. He studied at the University of Prishtina, Faculty of Visual Arts. Maliqi explores images that display the tensions of a world triumphantly taken over by liberalism and individualism, but a world that is still strongly influenced by the legacy of collectivist ideologies and institutions. He affirms the creative powers of the individual and his ego (in his work titled „As“ he courageously portraits Christ, Mohammed, Albanian national hero Skenderbeu, etc, with his own face!), while at the same time he records the yielding fatalities that threaten the individual by eliminating and annihilating his freedom.

Driton Hajredini (1970) is a visual artist who works in various fields – alongside painting; he also devotes himself to video and installations.
The paintings and videos explore the topics of journeys, identity and borders – themes that for him represent the “daily bread of his art”. Alongside ironic/mocking self-portraits, suitcases are often at the heart of his painting. They act as symbols for the reality of the artist and his origin.

Genc Kadriu (1975) lives and works in Prishtina, Kosovo. His work explores para-structural possibilities of sense.
Untitled (ghost rider and star rider) / Two colour photographs.
A national hero’s motorbike is a living monument of an imperialistic war.  It is true witness of a historical mobilization while maintaining the property structure. A Kosovo born international star’s pushbike with speakers from the making of a music video acquires special powers form the emic standpoint and experience; a post-war hero within the competitive world of music industry and entertainment.

Jakup Ferri, born on 1981 in Prishtina is one of the foremost Kosovar contemporary artists. His work has been presented in various individual and collective exhibitions in many prestigious galleries and museums such as De Appel, 9th Istanbul Biennale, De Hallen Haarlem, Artists Space New York, 28th Graphic Bienalle Ljubljana, MACRO al Mattatoio Roma, Total museum of contemporary art Seoul, etc.

Lulzim Zeqiri is a visual artist from Kosovo, based Prishtina. His works cover mostly video, paintings and drawings. He received both his BA  and MA in the faculty of Arts in Prishtina between 1999-2007.
His recent work, paintings and drawings 2005-2008 are a continuation of his creative reflection on the events that play back as reminiscence within the quotidian. The fundamental idea of these works, probably counted for one from within his mind's void, is man in relation to his surroundings, in relation to the socius and territorial body.

Majlinda Hoxha (1985) was born in Prishtina, Kosova. In 1999 she moved to New Zealand where she was based for eleven years. In 2006 she graduated with the Bachelors of Fine Arts majoring in photography from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design and then in 2008 gained her MFA from Elam School of Fine Art at Auckland University. She has continually exhibited in New Zealand and currently one of her works is being exhibited at Te Papa the New Zealand Museum. Hoxha made her debut in Kosova with a duo-show in July 2010 at ‘’Tetris’’. She currently resides in Prishtina.

Venera Mustafa (1981) was born in Prishtina, Kosovo. She graduated in 2008 in fashion design, with a specialization in men's wear from ESMOD Paris. She also holds a degree in Sculpture from University of Fine Arts in Prishtina, Kosovo. She had internships with Anne Valerie Hash, in women's wear and with Luise&Franck in men's wear, got her the first glimpses of professional fashion companies in Paris. Venera Mustafa experiments with the current retro trend, and blends it with local details. Eagles, crows, isolated embroidery are scattered all over her.

Vigan Nimani (1981) lives and works in Prishtina. He holds a degree in painting from the Academy of Arts in the university of Prishitna. His solo exhibitions include: Book shop 1001 Prishtina, Kosovo (1995) Postpesimist art club Prishtina, Kosovo
(1996), Gallery Odenon Prishtina, Kosovo (1998) and Gallery A Prishtina, Kosovo (2001).

Group exhibitions: The Kosova art gallery “artists of tomorow“ Prishtina (2005), Kosovo
2007 Rizoma contemporary art space “to be a kunstler you have to arbeiten“Prishtina, Kosovo (2007)Rizoma contemporary art space “art is not a miror ist a hamer“ Prishtina, Kosovo
(2007) Rijksakademie “amsterdam“ Amsterdam, Holland
(2007), TICA Tirana Institute of Contemporary Art “rezidenca 3“ Tirana Albania
(2008), Kontekst Gallery “Exception“ Belgrade, Serbia (2008)
Ministry of culture gallery “Paushall“ Prishtina (2011), Kosovo
Nacional Museum of Slovenia “Aftermath“ Ljubljana, Slovenia (2012).

GRUPI GAZMOR
Arbër Salihu - acoustic guitar & vocals
Tomor Kuçi - electric guitar, flute, laptop & vocals
Nesim Maxhuni - drums & percussions
Genc Salihu -  guitars, bass, keyboards & vocals
Enes Bajramliqi - bass, keyboards & vocals


A new band comprised of old loves. The 2 members of Cute Babulja, Genc Salihu & Enes Bajramliqi, are back together reinforced by Arber Salihu, a great new singer-songwriter, and Tomor Kuci, who exells with his band The Freelancers. The acclaimed drummer Nesim Maxhuni, a life-long colaborator and friend, is still there with his sharp groove and smooth touch. Here are masterful songs performed by an all-singing band of brothers and close friends, coming together to celebrate and drive forward a songwriting style established in 2004 with the album 'Cute Babulja', and further explored with Genc Salihu's 'Kangë e vene'.

Shpat Deda and friends
Shpat Deda - vocals, acoustic guitar, mouth harmonica
Nesim Maxhuni - Drums
Visar Kuçi - Bass guitar, mandolin
Taulant Mehmeti - Electric guitar
Ilir Bajri - Keyboard

"Shpat Deda and friends" is a group of accomplished and aspiring musicians brought together by their unconditional love for music and for each other. Based in Prishtina, this ensemble of musicians is truly one of the best Kosova has to offer. Individually, each band member is an active astronaut of his own artistic journey, exploring music in all of its forms and shapes and propelling their artistic potential into new dimensions. As a group, their paths cross in order to give way to a honey dripping harmony of sounds, always governed by truth and love.

Sezgin Boynik (1977) was born in Prizren, Kosovo. Boynik is a sociologist and writer based in Helsinki, Finland. He completed his sociology studies in Mimar Sinan University of Istanbul with a thesis on Situationist International in 2003. As an author for and editor of journals for art and cultural studies he has written on such topics as the subversive resistance movements in Yugoslavia in the 1960s and 1970s, radical political ideas, and Neue Slowenische Kunst. He co-edited the critical reader Nationalism and Contemporary Art with Minna Henriksson and History of Punk and Underground Resources in Turkey 1978-1999 with Tolga Güldalli in 2007.

Shkëlzen Maliqi (1947) is an Albanian philosopher, art critic, political analyst and leading intellectual in Kosovo. During the early 1990s Maliqi was also directly involved in politics. He was one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo and served as its first president from 1991 to 1993. He also held leading positions in civil society organizations such as the Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (1995–2000) and the Kosovo Helsinki Committee (1990–1997). Maliqi has published several books on art and politics in Albanian, English, Italian, Spanish, and Serbian. From the beginning of 1980s, Maliqi has been a regular contributor to the most important media outlets in Kosovo and ex-Yugoslavia. Maliqi lives in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. He currently heads the "Gani Bobi" Institute for Social Studies.

Aliriza Arënliu, is Professor Assistant at Department of Psychology at University of Prishtina since 2001 and holds a PhD degree in psychology from Ludwig Maxmillian University at Munich.
His research work and interests focus in risk and protective factors associated with suicide behavior among adolescents, personality factor structure focusing on psycholexical study of personality, and posttraumatic growth. Additionally works as a free lance consultant on research projects mainly opinion polls and evaluation of projects. Until 2008 Mr. Arënliu has worked as National Professional Officer on mental health issues at World Health Organization office in Prishtina.
He was until 2012 executive director of Dokufest, International Documentary and Short Film Festival in Prizren, Kosovo (still active in the organization). Dokufest is the largest cultural event in Kosovo that takes place every summer. Besides the festival the organization runs project that focus on usage of documentaries as educational materials on various social and political issues.

Elmaze (Eli) Gashi possesses an MA in Sociology from the New School for Social Research University as well as Bachelor degree in Sociology from Prishtina University. She is currently the Executive Director of Alter Habitus - Institute for Social and Cultural Studies which is an alternative academic and feminist institute, aiming to create space for knowledge and critical and creative thinking that will further shape political and cultural engagement in Kosovo. In addition to her engagement with the Institute, she has also experience working with foundations, international non-governmental organizations, and government agencies and overseeing USAID-funded projects. In her previous position as Project Director for EWMI. Ms. Gashi oversaw and managed the UK DFID funded program that led to the establishment of the Kosovo’s Constitutional Court and, at the same time, she was responsible for managing a USAID grant that promoted security.
 
She has published a numerous articles and research papers and was engaged in number of research projects in Kosovo. Her publications include: “Shifting the Gaze – Forgotten through the Act of Remembrance”, Lirindja, 2011, “Return to a ‘Newborn’ state”, Transregional Center for Democratic Studies, TCDS Bulletin, New York, 2008, Kosovar Women in Civil Society: 1980 – 2004, Researcher, Kosovo Gender Studies, 2006, “Effects of Globalization on Victims of Trafficking”, Frauen Solidarität, Vienna 2002 , WOMEN 2000, Co-authored chapter on Kosovo, International Helsinki Federation, 2000.

Eli Gashi currently chairs the Executive Board of Kosovo Women Network.
Gjejlane HOXHA is an Engineer of Architecture and practitioner at the cultural heritage sector in Kosovo. Her professional education specifically consists on built heritage conservation, obtained from the Postgraduate Studies ‘Conservation of Build Heritage’, at the Center for Conservation of Build Heritage in Split (1987/90), Department of Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb, Croatia. In addition, she has successfully accomplished several Regional and international training courses, such as ‘Conservation of Built Heritage’ (CBH/2009), ‘First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict’ (FAC/2010), organized by ICCROM, Rome, Italy, ‘The Management of Archaeological Sites’, organized by EC, UNESCO Regional School Training Modul on ‘Sustainable Energy Governance’ 2012), organized by UNESCO Venice Office, Régional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, etc.
Actually she is the Executive Head of the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage (KCCH), national authority for evaluation and designation of the cultural heritage properties of Kosovo. In international domain  she has been elected Director of the Architectural Heritage Program at the International Union of Architect (UIA) for a Region II/Meddle East and South Eastern Europe (March 2012).  In both working position, her fundamental task is the preservation of cultural heritage for benefit of present and future generations, and contribution to the perception, appropriation and understanding of cultural heritage in respect to its significance, physical property and environmental context.

Besa Luci (1984) is the editor-in-chief of Kosovo 2.0, an online new media platform and biannual print magazine.  Kosovo 2.0. In the past few years, Besa has worked as senior researcher with the Foreign Policy Club think tank. She has also worked as a freelance researcher for Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Prishtina office, as well as a reporter for a few online and print media in the U.S. Besa holds a BA in political science/international relations and journalism/mass communications from the American University in Bulgaria, and an MA in journalism/magazine writing from the Graduate School of Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia.

Petrit Çeku was born in 1985 in Prizren, Kosovo where, at primary music school, he received instructions from Luan Sapunxhiu. In 2002 he moved to Zagreb, where he continued his music education under the instruction of Xhevdet Sahatxhija. Later he entered Darko Petrinjak's class at the Music Academy in Zagreb and graduated from the program in 2008. His first solo album was released that year under the Naxos Records label.

He has taken part in master-classes led by Manuel Barrueco, Leo Brouwer, Zoran Dukic, Carlo Marchione, Ehat Musa, Scott Tennant and Ana Vidovic.

He currently studies with Manuel Barrueco at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA.

He also performs regularly with symphony orchestras as well as in chamber music setting with various musicians.

Petrit has won first prize in the All-Croatian Competition in Dubrovnik in 2003 and in the international Anna Amalia Guitar Competition in Weimar. He has won the 2003 Anna Amalia Competition for Young Guitarists (Germany). The next year he won the Emilio Pujol Guitar Competition (Italy) and the Andrés Segovia Competition (Velbert, Germany).
He was awarded the Silver Medal in the Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu, California and second prize in the Belgian Printemps de la guitare in Charleroi in 2006.
In 2007 he placed first in the Michele Pittaluga Guitar Competition (Italy).
On March 6, 2011, he won the 15th annual Edwin H. and Lehigh W. Schadt String Competition following a public performance at Symphony Hall in Allentown.
On June 2, 2012, he won the Gold Medal in the Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu, California.

Veton Nurkollari (1962) was born in Prizren, Kosova. He studied Economics as well as English Language and Literature at University of Prishtina, Kosovo. In 2002 he co-founded DokuFest, the largest and most important film festival in Kosovo, where he is currently serving as the Artistic Director and Head of the Programme. Veton is also the curator of DokuPhoto, an annual showcase of documentary photography that runs alongside film festival. Currently, he is involved in promotion of film through the weekly screenings of socially engaged as well as educational documentaries under the series "Documentary Mondays".
Veton is a member of the selection committee of Cinema Eye Honors, an organization that recognizes and honors exemplary craft in nonfiction filmmaking in the world. He is also member of the board of Balkan Documentary Centre, Sofia based organization that promotes and encourages co-operation between documentary filmmakers of the Balkans.

Sislej Xhafa  (1970) born in Peja, Kosovo, is based in New York and is known for his artistic investigation into the social, economic and political realities associated with the various complexities of modern society, such as tourism and forced illegality. Xhafa’s works are minimal as well as ironic and subversive. He operates in various media, from sculpture and drawing to performance and photography. His works aim to challenge viewers to recognize the symptoms and cracks of contemporary global society.

TRIO OF LOVE One of the newest members of the jazz movement in Kosovo, Trio of Love is a band formed by three jazz lovers, Taulant Mehmeti (guitar), Fatlind Ferati (bass guitar) and Enes Bajramliq (drums)  who had previously performed with some of the foremost local bands. The group has published its first album named “Pinxhur n’Pestil” the previous summer, after having performed at the Prishtina Jazz Festival. The trio offers quite a unique style of jazz, where a scent of local and regional elements can be felt. Currently they are preparing to tour the Balkans, Austria, and Switzerland.

After having performed in "Prishtina Jazz Festival", "Tirana Jazz Festival", "Shkodra Summer Jazz" and other local performances, currently they are preparing to tour the Balkans, Austria, and Switzerland.

Gipsy Groove was formed in 2010-2011 and plays authentic Balkan Roma music, which they infuse with other musical influences: Jazz, Reggae, Funk, Ska, DnB etc. Their performances are charismatic, energetic and often improvised.
Gipsy Groove is the first and only band in Kosovo who play original Roma music. The band members are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and they bring this cultural diversity, as well as their interest in human rights and peace, into their performances.
Some of the shows Gipsy Groove has performed at are Great Anatolian Meeting of the World Cultures (TUR), Ngom Festival (KS), Green Festival (KS), National Theater (Ks), Culture Week of Roma, Ashkali , Egyptian festival (KS), Dosta campaign (Ks) Berlin- Youth Center –Roma Day (GER), Tirana Express- Alternative culture space (AL) , Big Brother Albania live show (AL), Opening Act of ESMA REDZEPOVA in Festival of culture of Roma , Ashkali and Egyptian (KS), International Romani Art Festival"IRAF" (RO), NGOM Festival*2 (KS),Roma Rythem2012 (KS).