Lucia Pietroiusti Named Curator of the 6th Autostrada Biennale

Lucia Pietroiusti. Photo Talie Rose Eigeland. Courtesy Autostrada Biennale

Autostrada Biennale has announced that Lucia Pietroiusti will curate the 6th edition of the contemporary art biennial taking place in Prizren between July and September 2027. Known for her cross-disciplinary work at the intersection of art, ecology, and systemic thinking, Pietroiusti brings a globally recognized voice to one of Southeast Europe’s most dynamic and community-grounded art platforms.

Founded in 2014 by Leutrim Fishekqiu, Vatra Abrashi, and Barış Karamuço, Autostrada Biennale was initiated in response to the urgent need for spaces of encounter, learning, and dialogue through contemporary art. Conceived as a bridge between people, places, and ideas, it creates lasting connections across geographies through long-term engagement and critical artistic production.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Lucia Pietroiusti noted:

“Autostrada Biennale has reshaped the cultural life of Kosovo and I am grateful to be involved in the next edition. Looking toward 2027, we want to remember to bring tenderness to the table; to place our trust in art’s capacity to make space for life, joy, sensuousness and interconnection in a time shaped by fear. The sixth edition follows a path opened by Autostrada Biennale’s founders… Autostrada Biennale is unique: as its editions come and go, what is built endures. Crucial cultural infrastructure remains and grows. This is a model for temporary festivals committed to supporting the wider cultural ecosystem.”

The founders echoed this alignment in vision, stating that Pietroiusti’s “long-standing engagement with contemporary art and ecological thinking resonates deeply with the questions we have been exploring over the years.” They emphasized her way of working across institutions and disciplines as a natural fit for Autostrada’s mission of “art as a space for connection, care, and shared responsibility.”

Lucia Pietroiusti (based between London and the Netherlands) is internationally renowned for her work at the intersection of art, ecology, and systems. She currently serves as Head of Research & Emergence at Hartwig Art Foundation in Amsterdam, supporting the development of the new Hartwig Museum, opening in 2028. Until 2025, she was Head of Ecologies at the Serpentine, London, where she founded and led the influential General Ecology project (2018–2025).

Pietroiusti was the curator of the Golden Lion-winning opera-performance Sun & Sea by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė (58th Venice Biennale and subsequent tour), and has developed projects for leading international platforms including:

• Songs for the Changing Seasons, Vienna Klima Biennale (2024)

• Persones Persons, 8th Biennale Gherdeïna (2022)

• Bodies of Water, 13th Shanghai Biennale (2021)

• More-than-Human, a publication and editorial collaboration with Andrés Jaque and Marina Otero Verzier (2020)

She also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Forma, London, and sits on the board of the Gallery Climate Coalition, further underscoring her commitment to ecologically informed artistic infrastructures.

Autostrada Biennale is the only contemporary art institution in Prizren, Kosovo. Since its inaugural edition in 2017, it has operated not only as a biennial exhibition but also as a year-round cultural platform through the Autostrada Hangar – Center for Contemporary Art, established in 2021. Located in a repurposed German KFOR military base at the Innovation and Training Park Prizren, the Hangar is now home to ongoing programs in production, education, artist residencies, exhibitions, and public engagement.

Further details on the curatorial concept, artist list, and program will be shared later in 2026. Keep following autostradabiennale.org and all their social media outlets!