Ahead with the Past

The Transition of Albania: Capturing Everyday Life After the Fall of Communism

When Albania’s communist regime disintegrated in 1991-1992, the Albanian people were told they had embarked on a significant transition. They envisioned this transition as a long journey, beginning in one place and ultimately leading to another. Some imagined it as a ship navigating through the turbulent waters of backwardness toward a haven of prosperity and the rule of law. In this process, Albanians were leaving behind the constraints of socialist Albania to embrace a new identity: capitalist Albania, a European Albania. This transition was anticipated as a profound metamorphosis, transforming the country's appearance and essence.

In this project, my goal was to document the daily lives and struggles of Albanians in the aftermath of the Iron Curtain's fall. The captured scenes reflect the remnants of a socialist past and highlight Albania’s longstanding poverty, with some even depicting unsuccessful attempts to overcome these challenges.

While the characters in these photographs may be tethered to their past, they possess rich inner worlds that the images aim to unveil.