The ZETA Center for Contemporary Art, in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture, has unveiled the exhibition The Sun Also Sets, marking Anila Rubiku’s first solo exhibition in Albania.

In her work, Rubiku reflects on the arrogance of rulers who attempt to immortalize their legacies in public spaces, only to see their grandeur erode over time. The title of the exhibition draws on the notion that, although landscapes evolve, the sun will always rise and set upon them, signifying the cyclical nature of time and change.

The exhibition showcases 60 intricate drawings, engravings, and watercolors created by Rubiku, documenting the transformation of both urban and rural landscapes in Albania, particularly in Tirana and Durrës. The works, produced between 2016 and 2018, are displayed for the first time at the ZETA Gallery.

Through rigorous archival research, Rubiku reconstructs the history of iconic locations such as Skënderbej Square and Liria Square, which have been shaped by Ottoman, Italian, and Soviet architectural influences. These places carry the traces of Albania’s past, reflecting both what has been preserved and what has been erased.

The exhibition also includes three pieces from The Inner Door, a series of nearly 100 embroidered works created over the past four years. These pieces portray abstract and vibrant doors of Milanese buildings that captivated Rubiku during her walks through the city. In a collaborative process, the artist’s photographs of these doors were meticulously translated into embroidery by artisans in Guri i Zi, a village in northern Albania.

Anila Rubiku is an Italo-Albanian artist, having graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tirana (1994) and the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan (2000). She currently works between Milan, Toronto, and Durrës.

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