Helidon Xhixha is a contemporary artist born in Durrës, Albania, in December 1970. Xhixha is known for his stainless steel sculptures, which is often fused with other mediums such as marble or brass.
Early life and education
Born into a family of artists, Xhixha inherited his interest for the Fine Arts and passion for sculpting from his father, whom among other things, was a state portraitist for the Albanian government. Following secondary school he first attended and graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tirana, where he was a part of a rising period for Albanian art. He then moved to Italy, where he attended the Brera Art Academy of Milan in 1991. In 1998 Xhixha was awarded a scholarship to Kingston University, London, where he developed techniques in engraving, sculpting and photography. Graduating from the Brera Academy in February 1999 his creations included works in Murano glass and sculptures in stainless steel using innovative and specialised techniques. He is known for his use of polished stainless steel in his sculptures.
Works
2000s
In 2003, Xhixha sculpted the work Monument to the Prancing Horse, a work inspired by the logo of the sports car producer Ferrari. It was initially displayed on the grounds of the Gallerio del Vento, and is now located in the Rotonda Via Grizzaga of Maranello, Italy. In June 2007, Xhixha presented a sculpture at the Cornice Venice International Art Fair to pay tribute to the victims of 9/11. The six-meter-tall monument entitled Renaissance of the Twin Towers has been exhibited in numerous cultural capitals including Florence and Berlin. Utilising the imagery of the American Flag, the work becomes a symbol of civilisation whilst invoking contemporary ideas like those explored by Jasper Johns and Donald Judd.
2010s
In the early 2010s, Xhixha began producing sculpture works inspired by Dubai and the UAE. He initially visited Dubai in 2001, but delivered his first public monument to the city in 2012, entitled Elliptical Energy. He then exhibited at the festival "Design Days Dubai". In 2014 Xhixha collaborated with PMG, located on Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. The building was designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, and Xhixha was commissioned to make a sculpture for each of the 68 residential units, stating to the New York Times that he envisioned the project as "my very own private museum."
In addition to this, Xhixha's five meter tall sculpture entitled Vela was unveiled in June 2014 at the New Yacht Club of Monaco. The monument, sculpted in 316 marine grade, mirror polished stainless steel, resembles a sail and stands tall next to the entrance of the club house at Quay level. The piece is inspired by the call of the sea, the contrast between life on land and at sea, between home and the unknown, and the passion for adventure. In London, Xhixha started a collaboration with the ContiniArtUK gallery, exhibiting his artworks in their space located in Mayfair.
In 2015 Xhixha created the work Iceberg for the 56th Venice Biennale, a monumental mirrored polished stainless steel sculpture that was left floating in the Venice lagoon until it moored to San Servolo Island. It reflected the city of Venice and its endangered water environment, while at the same time, emphasising the growing threat of global warming and its effect on the sea level rise. Xhixha also installed another two monument sculptures on San Servolo Island, Pillars of Light and The Four Elements.
Later in 2015 Helidon Xhixha installed Everlasting at the Milan Malpensa Airport, Milan, Italy. Twelve pillars, made of polished stainless steel, stood before twelve panels depicting Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Supper painting. Each stainless steel column represented one of the twelve apostles. In contrast, Xhixha also created a column made of Corten steel to depict Judas Iscariot, the traitor.