Unseen: Looking at Europe / Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Beyond the urban centers, a lesser-known Europe exists, inhabited by people who often go unnoticed. The “In the Shadows – Families in Europe” project brought together four photographers from Albania, Belarus, Germany, and Italy, who traveled through their own countries as well as one other, each accompanied by local journalists. My own journey took me across Albania and into central Germany, once part of the GDR.

Each destination inspired its own title, reflecting the unique stories and perspectives encountered. In Albania, the project was named "Children of the Adriatic City," while in central Germany, titles like "Until Now," "Curtain Up," "Romy," and "Coffee and Cakes at Christine's and Other Stories from Central Germany" emerged. Each title encapsulates a theme that developed spontaneously, shedding light on diverse narratives and experiences within the project, which was supported by the Goethe Institute Milan.

Children of Adriatic City, Albania 2018

“I’ll show you a place in Albania you won’t soon forget.” Hervé, a Frenchman who, like me, had been living in Albania for years, was right—Adriatic City stayed with me after my first encounter. This ghost town feels like a place from a dream: four blocks of buildings constructed during Hoxha’s regime, intended for factory workers, but the factory was never completed. After the fall of communism, the residents remained.

What struck me most were the children—playing, running from house to house, exploring old bunkers, and showing me the dilapidated school. This vast, isolated landscape was alive with their energy, despite the desolation surrounding them. They told me, “We’re just waiting ‘til we grow up, then we’re out of here.”