Abetare (LOVE), 2024 – ChertLüdde

Petrit Halilaj, Abetare (LOVE), 2024, Bronze, patina, 55 × 120 × 5 cm

Photo by Marjorie Brunet Plaza

Abetare is the name of a series of metal sculptures by Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj, new versions of which are currently on display at Met’s highly anticipated 2024 Roof Garden Commission in New York. These metal sculptures are inspired by children’s doodles, drawings, and scribblings found on desks at the school he attended in Runik, Kosovo, as well as schools in Albania and countries from the former Yugoslavia, which are now undergoing significant cultural and sociopolitical change.