Shqipëria
2016
After graduating I decided to go with some friends on a road trip through Eastern Europe, Albania being the main dish on the menu. For me this was a good opportunity to see what a (mostly unknown) country has to offer: Beautiful landscapes, decadent displays of wealth, humbling poverty and relatable things that would remind me of other places I had been. It’s the state in which Albania finds itself right now that reminded me of my childhood in Portugal and China, a decade ago or so, when I could see the similarities and feel a slower and laid back pace of life.
Yet I was unable to capture everything I wanted. To make such a long trip in such a short amount of time meant we had to constantly move from one point to another. These conditions limited my creative flexibility but at the same time forced me to learn to make the most of what’s given to me. What I want to show in these series isn’t a portrait of Albania, there’s nothing political about it either. It is an impression of my trip, not only through the country of the double-headed eagle, but a trip to places of my childhood from the backseat of a stinking car.
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