“Transitioning Into Green” is the title of the solo exhibition by artist Olson Lamaj, opened at the Zeta Gallery during December 1, 2023 – February 10, 2024. The exhibition is curated by Lívia Nolasco-Rózsás. The subject and research of the artist in this exhibition are based on the human connection in relation to nature.
Two photographic series and an installation are presented in the exhibition space. In each of the images of the first photo series, a different bush is shown. Their commonality lies in their shape and remodeling according to the intervention of the human hand. The bushes are located along the Lana River. They reflect the transformation from the natural process into different forms as a decorative and aesthetic element. Gardeners shape the bushes depending on the exercised method.
The second series of photos shows several variegated canaries that lean mostly towards yellow with different shades of feathers on each of them. Canaries are presented as specimens, as a unique result of their breeding. Their positioning in the picture remains the same everywhere on a gray background.
Between the two photo cycles, an installation of several tennis balls is exhibited as a bridge. “Green Point” starts from the actual color of the tennis ball, i.e. yellow, and gradually develops towards green. This transition shows a kind of dualism between nature and culture.
Olson Lamaj (b. 1985) is an Albanian artist living and working in Tirana. His work investigates social and political issues related both to contemporary life in Albania and to more universal and timeless systems of meaning extending beyond immediate conditions.
As one of the co-founders of MIZA Gallery in Tirana, Lamaj’s own experience as an artist has been related to the establishment of artistic spaces and institutions in Tirana. Lamaj’s projects emphasize the semiotic oversaturation – and the mysterious, almost mystical qualities – of objects and images related to political ideologies of various kinds. His artëorks function as a collective mythography of the present, laying the groundëork for the projection and creation of new myths.
