Astrit Ascending
Astrit Ismaili is a special artist. Their art performances, life story, daring designs and ideas explore, provoke, but also inspire us - and this TenTen interview was also super fun. Read it now!
I know Astrit Ismaili for almost two decades and he has always been a dashing dandy, daring artist and a dear friend. But their story starts much further back in time: from the kiddy age of five, Astrit was already captivating audiences, performing alongside their sister Blerta at the 'Akordet e Kosovës' festival. Raised in Pristina, Kosovo, in a household where creativity was nurtured—thanks to their mother, Selvete (a composer and very special woman in herself—and a guest in our podcast Suzanne) Astrit's early experiences kinda laid the foundation for a life dedicated to artistic and identity exploration. You can totally see how regular visits to the Dodona Theater, where their aunt Violeta worked as a puppeteer, further ignited Astrit's passion for performance, turning everyday moments into moments of self-expression.
Sooo, where this is how Astrit’s journey started and today their work is a testament to resilience and transformation, present in galleries and performance spaces across Europe. Astrit just loves to bring forward the fluidity of identity and prove to us the limitless possibilities of the human body, often incorporating alter egos, different weird mechanical body extensions, using old Albanian and sometimes self-invented wearable musical instruments, inviting audiences to envision new sci-fi/hi-fi/defy realms of existence. Realms in which he's a real princ(ess).
And then, there’s also Astrit the musician! Their debut album, "The First Flower," exemplifies his artistic ethos. Inspired somehow by how plants develop flowers to enhance reproduction, the album serves as a metaphor for personal and collective metamorphosis. Collaborations with artists like Mykki Blanco and Lotic awesome pop sound, relevant to global audiences.
Buuuut, Astrit's performances are not just mere displays of creativity; they are also acts of both vulnerability and courage. If you witness Astrit’s works, you can confront and celebrate the complexities of identity and existence. As Astrit beautifully puts it in this TenTen interview, "It's all about emotions, babe; otherwise, it's boring."
In this intimate conversation, we go into the heart of Astrit's creative world. Oh yeah, Astrit was also author of my wedding photography, a really spectacular photo shoot and I asked him whether he’ll photograph me again? He had a cheeky answer. Check it out.
Were you always a performer, even as a kid?
Always a performer, figuratively and literally!
Was there a particular moment or person in your childhood who made you feel seen as an artist?
My auntie Violeta used to work as a puppeteer at the theater Dodona. As a child, I would go every Saturday also because I grew up walking distance from the theater. I could barely speak but I knew every line of the script by heart. I would perform in my bed in pajamas before sleeping. Maybe this was the beginning of realizing that everything can turn into a stage. A few years later, at 5 years old I was on stage with my sister Blerta singing a song at the last ‘Akordet e Kosoves’. Never left the stage ever since.
My mother Selvete saw us both as artists. She is an artist herself, a composer and the reason why I am who I am today.
Your work often explores the boundaries of the body and identity—what draws you to those themes?
I am interested in the transformational potential of bodies and spaces because I acknowledge that change and transformation are inevitable. On the other hand, there are so many boundaries created socially and culturally that try to distrurb this natural flow. I aim at creating spaces of contemplation where there is friction, tension and in general intense energy that fuels the body to commit and claim a route it needs to take and be what it wants to be.
Your music often feels like a performance in itself—do you see your songs more as sound sculptures or pop tracks?
I heard people refer to me as the pop queen of performance art and I find that funny but I also quite like that. haha..
There’s tension between pop music and performance art but there are moments when they perfectly meet.
Performance allows for experimentation and it doesn’t cater the masses. It is a space in which I explore the limits of the body and imagination without the pressure of the mainstream. On the other hand pop music is my narrative language. It is a tool I can express myself best. The catchy aspect of a pop song creates a sense of familiarity. I am moved when the audience leaves the venue humming my songs or ask me where can they listen to my music. Thats why I put ‘The First Flower’ album out last year.
In the process of music production me and my collaborators look for unusual sounds, like sounds of machines, landscapes, processed voices, etc. avoiding traditional instruments or trying to extract new sounds from them.
So far I have developed two new instruments. They are quite sculptural and get activated by the movement of the body through sensors.
In my music, the foundation is pop but the structure and approach are quite experimental so I would say it’s both. Performance art pop?
If you could collaborate with any musician or sound artist—alive or dead—who would it be and why?
I would love a songwriting session with Mariah Carey because she is the best, a music video with Bjork because she is our alien mother, a work dinner with Pierre Hyughe because he still is one of my favorite interdisciplinary artist, an art residency with Arca because we would make something really insane together, a walk in the park with PJ Harvey because she taught me how to write lyrics and a studio session with Sophie because she changed pop music forever.
There’s often a strong emotional charge in your work. Do you ever feel emotionally exposed on stage?
Thats the whole point. Its all about emotions babe otherwise its boring.
What’s the last poetic thing you’ve seen or heard?
Laurie Andersons performance at Rewire festival. I was impressed by her virtuosity as a performer and the use of text and sound in a such a eloquent, accessible and powerful way. The courage to be direct and political today by speaking up from a place where she belongs; acknowledging both privilege and responsibility. The longevity of her career gives hope. If you keep doing it and you do it consistently, diligently and with true heart, no one can stop you from being the highlight of a festival that programs cutting edge artists, mostly from younger generations.
If your personality was a coctail, what would it be?
It would be a cocktail that doesn’t exist yet! There would actually be 3:
The first one would be called ‘Astro Boy’. It would definitely have Rakia as a base, Albanian mountain tea with lemon, kombucha and star dust.
The second one would be called ‘Sex Machine’. It would have whiskey as a base and the sweat of a bodybuilder as mixing liquid. It would be completely black and it would smell like morning sex and gasoline.
The third one would be called ‘Alien Chic’. It would be something lime a more sophisticated version of a gin and tonic. Simple, fresh and strong. The gin is extracted by the tears of an alien, the tonic, the rosemary and lime by the perfume of a gorgeous Egyptian prince.
Photo by: La Becque / Emilien Itim
I was lucky to have you as the designer and photographer of my avant-garde wedding photoshoot. Can I hope for another photo-shoot soon?
Sure! Are you planning to get married again?
What does “home” mean to you today?
Home means Kosovë zemër!
