The Durrës International Contemporary Art Biennale was founded in 2023 in Durrës, by the artist, art historian and curator Ph.D. Oltsen Gripshi, a polyhedral figure in Albanian visual art. The first edition of the DIBoCA had a duration of 54 days, namely from October 5 to November 24, 2024.
The structure of the International Contemporary Art Biennale of Durres was organized in the National Pavilion and with an international jury composed of professionals in the field of visual arts such as: Massimo Scaringella, curator, chairman of the jury (Italy); Prof. Ph.D. Tatiana Berdnik, museologist, member, Rostov-on-Don State Polytechnic University (Russia); Ph.D. Realda Abdija, art historian, member (Albania); Ph.D. Yan Laichao, curator, member, Jinian State University (China); Alfred Mirashi Milot, contemporary artist, member (Albania) and FatmirJuka, Director of the Shkodër Visual Arts Gallery, member (Albania).
The theme of the first edition of DIBoCA was "Artificial Intelligence: The Hybrid Future". In the first edition of DIBoCA, 16 National Pavilions and 39 artists participated, some of whom are well-known internationally and among them, a special guest artist such as:
National Pavilion of Albania: Artiol Izri, Bujar Luca. of painting), Elio Bajramaj, Erisa Bekteshi, Harri Aleksi, Jonida Xherri, Marsel Zara, Qazim Kërtusha, Rubin Mandija, Sadik Spahija and (Senad Xhexhovi); National Pavilion of the Country of America (Gregory de la Haba & [dNASAb]) (winner of the grand prize for the best national pavilion of the Durrës Biennale. 2024); National Pavilion of Argentina (Joaquín Fargas); National Pavilion of Ivory Coast (Valerie Oka); National Pavilion of Finland (Hannu Palosuo); National Pavilion of Germany (Claudia van Hasselt & Nicolas Wiese); National Pavilion of Italy (Arturo Casanova, Enrico Dedin, Fabrizio Passarella, Michele Stanzione, Oliviero Rainaldi (winner of the work award in the art of sculpture) and Rosa Mundi); National Pavilion of China (Lai Junjie) (winner of the special grand prize for the best young artist of the Durrës Biennale 2024), Liu Ruowang, Zeng Yi (winner of the work award in the art of artistic photography); National Pavilion of Kosovo (Eshref Qahili); National Pavilion of North Macedonia (Monika Moteska and Robert Jankuloski); National Pavilion of Peru (Antonio Paucar); National Pavilion of the Dominican Republic (Victoria Thomen); National Pavilion of Romania (Maria Bordeanu); National Pavilion of Turkey (Kemal Kahveci & Sibel Akataş); National Pavilion of Sweden (Alice Wexell & Ryan Koopmans); National Pavilion of Switzerland (Andreas Lüthi) and a special artist, Mu Tuan.
The National Pavilions of the First Edition of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Durrës were exhibited in 12 state institutions among the most iconic of the city of Durrës such as:
Durres Municipality (National Pavilion of Italy); “Aleksandër Moisiu” Theater (National Pavilion of Albania, Italy, Dominican Republic, Peru, North Macedonia, United States of America, Ivory Coast, Turkey); Public Library (National Pavilion of China); Children's Library at the Martyrs' Mausoleum (National Pavilion of Finland); Durres Children's Cultural Center (National Pavilion of Albania, Kosovo, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Argentina and Special Guest Artist) (under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Durres); Venetian Tower (National Pavilion of Albania); Medieval Hamam (National Pavilion of Germany); The Byzantine Forum and the Roman Amphitheater (National Pavilion of Albania) (under the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation); Durres County Prefecture (National Pavilion of Switzerland) and The Royal Palace, Villa Zogu I (National Pavilion of Sweden and Italy).
Throughout its duration, the BNABD also held a busy didactic program with well-known lecturers in the field of visual arts such as:
Ena Bulku (conversation with the gallerist), Andi Tepelena (conversation with the curator), Dr. Sukhrob Kurbanov (conversation with the art historian), Harri Aleksi (conversation with the artist) and Dr. Dorina Xheraj Subashi (conversation with the museologist).
The First Edition of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Durrës was supported by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, the Municipality of Durrës and the International Cultural Weeks , it also had a host of local and foreign partner institutions such as: the Cultural Center “Aleksandër Moisiu” Durrës, the Museum Center Durrës, the Cantina Duka, the International Baroque Music Festival “Vox Baroque”, Eurosig, Insig, UBA – United Bank of Albania, the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Tirana, the Embassy of Sweden in Tirana, the Italian Institute of Culture, the Metropolitan Municipality of Bari, the German Institute of Culture Goethe-Zentrum, the Romanian Institute of Culture, Başkent Üniversitesi Ankara, the Museum of Contemporary Art “Andreas Lüthi” Macal Orsara di Puglia, Rome Art Week (Festival of Contemporary Art of Rome), Miami New Media Festival / Italia Media Art Festival, the National Foundation for Culture and the Arts of Taiwan, Galerie Barbara Thumm, Rotary International.
BNABD was invited to be part of two important international activities, thus increasing its cooperation with central domestic and foreign institutions such as: the Albania-Kosovo International Cultural Weeks, where it presented the artist Eshref Qahili, organized by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of the Republic of Albania and the Giornata del Contemporaneo (Day of the Contemporary) where it presented the artists Rosa Mundi and Fabrizio Passarella, organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, as well as AMACI – Associazione dei Musei d’Arte Contemporanea Italiani (Association of Italian Contemporary Art Museums).
In addition to partnerships with various institutions, BNABD had a broad partnership with local and foreign media such as: Bordo Magazine (Albania), INews Kunst Magazine and Medi@Presse Swiss (Switzerland), Il Corriere Nazionale and Corriere di Puglia e Lucania (Italy).
The First Edition of the Durrës International Biennial of Contemporary Art had an international resonance, thanks to 80 publications in various electronic media (shows, specials and chronicles) and in written media (articles and interviews) in: Albania, China, Turkey, Romania, Italy and Switzerland, becoming at the same time part of the well-known international platform, Darz Art https://darz.art/en/biennales/durr%C3%ABs-international-biennale-of-contemporary-art/177, dedicated to biennials around the world.