Driton Selmani approaches the idea of perceived reality by deconstructing formations of social, political, and cultural topics that have been embodied around him. At a young age, he was told to worship a country that no longer existed, which caused him to form a basis of skepticism towards any supposedly given reality. He later used this as a beneficial tool to reconstruct his beliefs into visual artifacts. In 1999, old simulacra have been replaced by new simulacra; the ornaments of a previous space have been refurbished in order to unfold with new meanings but also new uncertainties. Selmani confronts himself as a spectator of this “ongoing event”, but rather positions himself as an actor, enacting his performances based on his personal histories, beliefs, and doubts.

Alchemy, 2023
Dimensopns: 850 x 600 cm
16/10/2023 – 04/12/2023
Courtesy of the Artist & 019 Ghent ©
Images: Valentijn Goethals