Brilant Milazimi: Hard Teeth
Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel, Venice, 2026

Hard Teeth (Dhëmbë të Fortë) is an immersive painting installation by Kosovan artist Brilant Milazimi (b. 1994, Gjilan), representing the Republic of Kosovo at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by José Esparza Chong Cuy and commissioned by Hana Halilaj of the National Gallery of Kosovo, with support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo, the pavilion is presented at the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Pianto — a 17th-century octagonal church facing the Venetian lagoon, designed by Francesco Contino and inaccessible to the public since 1970 — marking its first public reopening in over 50 years.

The work comprises a 17-metre-long canvas mounted on a self-standing structure and depicting a line of figures packed tightly together across Kosovo's mountainous terrain, their posture evoking endurance and collective strain. The installation addresses waiting as both a political and psychological condition — a lived experience shaped by political transition, contested sovereignty, and the prolonged pursuit of recognition. Exhibition design is by LANZA Atelier, with sound composition by Liburn Jupolli.