The theme of the First Tirana Biennale was 'Escape'. Ahu Antmen, one of curators of the biennale suggested that the biennale represented not only an escape from the accustomed way of carrying out such international events, but also an escape in the sense that the biennale was held in a place that was circled by war-stricken territories where suvival and migration had always been life's foremost realities. In addition, it was one of the many positive ways in which Albania could escape the introversion of nation marred by a Stalinist past. The biennale was the result of the choices of more than 35 curators who worked completely independently from each other. And the works of the invited artists reflected the theme of escape and explored issues of migration, cultural identity, borders, homelessness, social escapism and psychological alienation.

Images of works are accompanied by individual texts and artist biographies.