The exhibition "Vjosa the wild pearl of Europe" opened yesterday at the National Museum and presented to the public the artistic works of 7 Albanian and foreign photographers, showing the beauties and special aspects of this river.
It is not the first time that the "EcoAlbania" organization organizes events to protect Vjosa and highlight its values through art. 2 years ago, the "Don't touch Vjosa" concert took place in Skënderbej square in Tirana, which also aimed to sensitize citizens to not build the planned dams in Vjosa.
Not only from the artistic side, but also from the scientific side, there have been awareness raising activities and initiatives. 30 foreign and Albanian scientists have conducted studies in Vjosa and have taken a stand against the construction of settlements in this area.
Also present at the exhibition were some of the photographers who have documented the beauties and features of this river.
"As I have an early cycle with foreigners in Albanian costumes, I took to Vjosa and photographed the vice-president of the European Parliament, who accepted and went out by Vjosa in a costume from the area, or more precisely, from the Berat area. The most beautiful is when 5 art-designers came who all danced, from California, a very powerful firm in America called Patagonia, and those in awareness and protection of Vjosa. They came, accepted, dressed in these costumes of the area and went out and made a very beautiful photo cycle by Vjosa". said photographer Roland Tasho for Citizens Channel.
As for the other photographer Adrian Guri, the first contact with Vjosa was when he was offered to work for him. He says that he did not have any specific information about this river before.
"That was my first impact and the most important moment and after that we started 6 other documentaries, always with the theme of protecting it to highlight its values to bring out the values of everything that it is not just the river, it is the entire valley and villages", he said.
Olsi Nika, biologist and head of "EcoAlbania", who has a long experience in the study and protection of the environment, said that:
"The idea for Vjosa is to increase the awareness of local communities and through the increase of awareness to exert pressure on the decision makers so that the values that Vjosa carries, which are natural values but also historical, cultural and wider values; to be preserved as they are and to be transmitted to future generations".
While the American photographer Nick St. Oegger said that when he came to Albania for the first time by accident, everyone told him that it is a country where you don't see what you see or what you do. But his first impression was quite the opposite of what he had been told. He contributed to this exhibition with several photographs of Vjosa and expressed that he was impressed by the surrounding area.
"What I think was most interesting is that it seems that there is an issue (land) that unites many people in Albania and they seem to fight for it", he said to Citizens Channel.
The exhibition will remain open at the National Museum until Sunday. In the lens of photographers Roland Dorozhani, Artan Rama, Gregor Subic, Robert Hackman, Nick St. Oegger, Adrian Guri and Roland Tasho; Vjosa is presented in several perspectives.
*Citizens Channel /fs/
