Adrian Paci Albanian, 1969

Adrian Paci (Shkodër, Albania, 1969)

Born in Shkodër, Albania, in 1969, Adrian Paci studied at the Academy of Arts in Tirana. In 1997, following the political and social turmoil that affected his country of origin, he moved to Milan, Italy, an experience that would profoundly shape his artistic practice.

His work spans a wide range of media, including video, photography, painting, sculpture, and installation. His personal experience of migration forms one of the central pillars of his artistic research, fostering a profound reflection on themes of identity, memory, belonging, and displacement.

Through works that intertwine individual experience and collective history, Paci explores the conditions of transition and transformation that characterize the contemporary world. Particularly emblematic is Home to Go (2001), one of his best-known works, in which the artist portrays himself carrying an upside-down roof on his shoulders. This powerful and symbolic image evokes the idea of home as both a physical and mental space, the condition of the migrant, and the search for belonging beyond geographical boundaries. These themes reflect his enduring attention to the human and relational dimension.

Through an essential yet deeply evocative visual language, the artist gives shape to stories of waiting, work, family, and community, transforming personal experiences into images that resonate on a universal level.

Exhibited in major international museums and institutions, Paci has participated in numerous prestigious exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, the Sydney Biennale, Kunsthaus Zürich, MAXXI in Rome, PAC Milan, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Among his most celebrated works are Centro di Permanenza Temporanea (2007), The Column (2013), and Interregnum (2017).

His works are included in the collections of important public and private institutions worldwide, and he is regarded as one of the leading voices in contemporary European art thanks to a practice that addresses major social and cultural issues with sensitivity and depth.

Today, the artist lives and works in Milan.