Since January 2025, as part of the ARTS IN EXILE residency at Villa Decius, Albanian visual artist Redina Qose has been working on her artistic installation, Some Paths Lead Somewhere. Each day, the artist weaves on a loom in the space of the Villa, engaging in a slow, meditative process of creating a five-meter-long woolen carpet while reflecting on the theme of migration. The space remains open to visitors, who can not only observe the process but also participate—engaging in conversations and contemplating themes of forced displacement, survival, and hope. By making the process visible and interactive, the project transforms the act of weaving into a collective experience, inviting audiences to participate in this journey—both physically and emotionally.
The final work of this process will be presented at Villa Decius on Sunday, March 30. The five-meter woolen carpet, placed directly on the floor, symbolizes the journey undertaken by migrants to reach Europe—from Turkey to Germany—one of many perilous paths. The work invites viewers to embark on this journey, experiencing the physical and symbolic textures of displacement, hope, and survival.
Woven in natural wool tones, the carpet features layers of interventions—interruptions, changes in texture, and color variations—reflecting the unpredictability and fragmentation of forced migration.
A question emerges from the fabric: “Is escape the end?”—woven in a darker shade, as an open-ended question hovering over the piece, embodying the uncertainty of every stage of exile. Does leaving a place mean true escape if we continue to repeat the same patterns? What awaits after fleeing?
At one end of the carpet, long fringes extend into the space, creating an unexpected threshold between departure and the unknown. The fringes stretch toward a square blue silk cushion, upon which rests a sphere—placed carefully, almost absurdly. This is a complex confrontation of softness and violence, where pain and death take on a delicate form, as if deserving of being placed on a pedestal—without further action. On one hand, it may seem like a decorative response to the crises migrants face on their journey to Europe—where every step is a testament to instability and tension carried by the journey.
*”I am the daughter of a migrant father, the sister of a migrant brother. I was a migrant myself before I even learned to speak, carried across borders (into Greece) at the age of one. I come from a country where absence is as present as the mountains, where more hearts beat outside its borders than within. Albania. A country whose history is written in departing footsteps and longing glances back. A country of centuries-old exile, of abandoned homes, of voices carried by the wind.
This is more than words; these are stories of survival, sacrifice, and transformation. For me, they represent the search for belonging, the weight of nostalgia, and the resilience of those who leave everything behind to build a future elsewhere.”* – says Redina Qose.
Born in 1996 in Patos, Albania, Redina Qose currently lives and works in Tirana. In 2019, she earned a degree in multimedia arts from the University of Arts in Tirana. Her artistic practice spans various media within visual and conceptual arts, including photography, video, performance, and audiovisual installations.
The project operator is the Villa Decius Association. The project is carried out as part of the Culture Moves Europe program financed by the European Union.
