In the presence of the Curator of this edition Carlo Ratti, there was inaugurated our pavilion with the theme “Building Architecture Culture”, curated by Anneke Abhelakh. Attending the event was Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation Blendi Gonxhja.

The Albanian pavilion offers a deep reflection on architecture as a social language, a tool for dialogue, inclusion and transformation.

Attending the inauguration event were also some of the most renowned names in world architecture such as Bjarke Ingels, Winy Maas, as well as representatives of some of the most renowned international studios, evidence to the increasing attention that Albania is attracting in the global arena.

The Albanian pavilion will be open to the public from May 10 to November 23, 2025. /j.p/p.s./

Curated by Anneke Abhelakh, Albania’s pavilion highlights the reciprocal relationship between architecture and society, with this discipline extending beyond practice to academia and the broader public sphere, where spatial ideas are shared, debated, and reflected upon.

Leading names of the international architecture, Bjarke Ingels, Winy Mass and representatives of some most renowned architecture firms attended the inauguration ceremony, reflecting Albania’s growing reputation in the global stage.

Participation in the Venice Biennial is more than an artistic presence. It is an evidence of Albania’s true transformation. Architecture is becoming an instrument of development, a means of identity building, economic development, urban innovation and international cooperation.

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition will be held from Saturday 10 May to Sunday 23 November 2025 with central theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”

The International Architecture Exhibition will showcase national architecture pavilions at Giardini and Arsenale, as well as at Venice’s historic centre.

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Madrid tourism and travel fair is a global meeting for policymakers, entrepreneurs and tourism professionals with a focus on the inbound and outbound markets of Latin America.

Prime Minister Edi Rama took to the social media on Sunday to reveal the impressions of visitors to Albania’s pavilion, saying that the country is the next destination on their travel and tourism plans.

Not only have that, but young people studying in Madrid, said they even see Albania as their employment destination during the summer season.

“Albania has attracted incredible interest with the Albania All Senses stand, which according to the organizers themselves became the most attractive station for visitors, a promising sign for another fantastic tourist year,” Rama wrote.

“I haven’t been to Albania, but I plan to. I’m a travel writer and Youtuber. Albania has been on my list because it looks amazing. I would like to explore Albania’s beaches. I also love wine. So my husband and I plan to visit Albania, because we love discovering hidden gems,” a visitor said.

She also notes that travelling and visiting Albania is affordable and this is another reason why they wished to visit the country soon.

Another curious visitor to the “Albania all senses” pavilion says she has come across many social media ads and she thinks that Albania is a very interesting country, home to stunning beaches.

“The truth is that I would like to learn more, as I travel constantly and want to visit to get to know another country different from ours,” another visitor said.

Another visitor said he would love to learn more about Albania, adding that his family loves rafting or hiking.

Albania recorded a successful tourist year in 2024 and expects the visitor number to significantly increase in 2025.

Tour operators say they expect a 35% growth in visitor number compared to 2024, with the number of foreign tourists visiting Albania expected to surge to over 13 million.

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The Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro, other officials from the Ministry of Tourism, National Tourism Agency, Air Albania, and Albania Agritourism Association, tour oprators, private and public sector representatives attended the opening of Fitur 2025.

In her remarks at the ceremony at Albania’s pavilion, Tourism Minister highlighted the consolidated offer of the Spanish market in terms of visitors and investments.

“Albania is attending Fitur international tourism fair for second time, showcasing the country’s diverse tourism offerings with a more beautiful and fresher pavilion, alongside many partners, including Albania Agritourism Association and firm partner Giz, as well as a new partner Air Albania, Albania’s national carrier. It is important for the country to present its tourism potential in Fitur, the first in a series of international tourism fairs, considering also the significant growth in number of Spanish visitors to Albania by 26% in 2024. Over 110 000 Spanish tourists visited Albania last year and tens of thousands of visitors from Latin America thanks to the country’s participation in this fair,” Kumbaro said.

During the five-day FITUR 2025 tourism fair, Albania’s pavilion is set to host a series of events scheduled by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, conceived as a mix of experiences that present Albania as the most exciting destination in Europe: from experiences through virtual exploration of the country, to “Albanian Nights” inspired by the rich heritage of cultural traditions and community life, to tasting experiences offered by the Albanian Agrotourism Association.

A day ago, Tourism Minister Kumbaro met with the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism and the Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez Grau, with talks focusing on an agreement to enhance tourism cooperation and deliver on joint innovation, digitization and human resources projects.

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The Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, attended the opening ceremony and visited the Albanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Gonxhja said that the exhibition project “Love as a Glass of Water” by Iva Lulash revolves around these eternally revolutionary universal subjects, capable of transcending differences and overcoming borders, not just geographical ones. It delves into the dimensions of visual culture and the tension between consciousness, the public, and intimacy, evoking feelings that have long been treated as taboo, especially in the communist-era Albania.

“Albania has not always had the face it has today; it used to generate interest about the danger and insecurities it evoked, while today it is a well-known attraction, so close to this art center where we are now,” he added.

In her exhibition project, the painter Iva Lulashi evokes the “glass of water theory”, dating back to the Russian pre-revolutionary period and linked to the feminist thinker Alexandra Kollontai (1872–1952).

The theory is based on the idea of a sexual revolution, in which impulses are perceived as a need to be satisfied with the carefreeness that a glass of water is drunk with. It had a significant influence on artistic and literary circles of those years, but was immediately opposed by revolutionary political establishments.

Entitled ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, the 2024 Venice Biennale, curated by the Brasilian artist Adriano Pedrosa, has at its core the exploration of identity.

“Although the metaphor of the glass of water may seem to only raise the aspect of simplicity in the gesture of drinking, it crucial not to forget that water is the basic condition for life, just like love. And it is bizarre that themes such as love and sexual desire cover a tiny fraction of the art produced and exhibited today, as if they were taboos or minor topics, not worth of attention,” the work’s curator Antonio Grulli said.

Iva Lulashi embodies the theme of the 2024 Venice Biennale, Stranieri Ovunque—Foreigners Everywhere. Her style mixes the Albanian pictorial tradition with the Italian and Venetian one. The spaces of the pavilion are created following the stylized and simplified architectural plan of the artist’s home- studio. Visitors can admire her works among the spaces in which they are born and live, between intimacy, voyeurism and institutional critique. Born in Albania, Iva Lulashi trained as a painter in Venice by attending the local Academy of Fine Arts.

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The pavilion draws the visitors’ attention in the early days of September, as Albania marks the sixth anniversary of canonisation of Gonxhe Bojaxhi – Saint Teresa.

Despite the small number of exhibited items, that corner of the museum attracts curiosity with it stands showcasing photographs from the charitable activities by Saint Teresa.

The exhibited objects include a crucifix is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as well as a book of psalms, entitled “Let’s praise the Lord together.”

Mother Teresa donated these church items to Father Zef Pllumbi in 1991 and the latter handed them over to the National History Museum in 1997.

One of the most important items is Mother Teresa’s rosary for her most impassioned prayer for the salvation of the world. She gave the rosary away to Sister Teresina on March 10, 1991.

Some pictures and documents show her life and hard work to help the people in need and photos of global personalities who met Mother Teresa as Jacques Chirac, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Ibrahim Kodra, etc.

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