20th October 2020 (Pear), 2025

Petrit Halilaj & Álvaro Urbano, 20th October 2020 (Pear), 2025, Stainless steel, canvas, acrylic paint, thread, 2 elements, each: 170 × 170 × 110 cm

This work belongs to a series of large flower sculptures, made of handpainted canvas and a delicate steel framework. Blooming and suspended from the ceiling, the sculpture was conceived as part of the set design for Petrit Halilaj’s opera Syrigana before appearing in his solo exhibition at the Hamburger Bahnhof (2025 – 2026). Its title is a reference to the date of Halilaj and Urbano’s wedding.

Part of a series of various types of flowers that represent private moments in the artists’ personal history, exposed in all their intimate significance to the public, the series was first shown on the occasion of Halilaj’s solo exhibition at the Palacio de Cristal, Reina Sofia in Madrid (2020). Later iterations have also been shown at: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (2020 – 2021); 3rd Autostrada Biennale; Prishtina (2021); Opéra Comique, Paris (2021); ChertLüdde, Berlin (2022); Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt (2022 – 2023); Nobel Peace Center, Oslo (2023 – 2030).