TIRANA, September 24 /ATA/ – “Unbounded Voices: Women of the Balkans – Strength & Legacy,” a photo exhibition by Agence France-Presse (AFP) opened today at the Vila No 31 x Art Explora space in Tirana, with the support of the L’Oréal Group.
The exhibition features intimate portraits of nine women from across the Balkans, documenting their daily lives, careers, passions, and personal experiences in cities like Tirana, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Banja Luka.
Combining photography and personal narratives, this project challenges oversimplified stereotypes surrounding Balkan women, instead illuminating their diverse stories of resilience, pride, adversity and everyday joy.
In Tirana, the exhibition showcases photographs by AFP photojournalist Adnan Beci, who captured the portraits of Blerina Vrenozi, Elida Zhulati and Luna Causholli.
At the opening ceremony—attended by the French Ambassador to Albania Catherine Suard, as well as guests from the arts, culture, and media sectors—photoreporter Beci thanked the attendees and the women who participated in the project, emphasizing that creating the exhibition was a major undertaking and a significant process.
Blerina Vrenozi, a spider specialist, researcher, and lecturer at the University of Tirana, shared her experience as a woman in science and the challenges she has faced throughout her professional journey. She emphasized that there have been numerous challenges—not only in the scientific field, but also due to social gender prejudices.
“So, never give up, everything is possible,” Vrenozi stated.
She also spoke about her research—particularly her studies on spiders and butterflies—linking her personal experience to the importance of perseverance and the opportunities available to women in science.
Also featured in the exhibition is Elida Zhulati from Gjirokastra, who preserves the craft of traditional embroidery. She spoke about her connection to her profession, her city and tradition, highlighting that she has continued to safeguard this heritage despite difficult times.
Meanwhile, young singer-songwriter Luna Causholli expressed her gratitude to her family and everyone who contributed to the project, describing it as a unique experience for women.
The exhibition is conceived as an opportunity to hear the voices of women from the Balkans and to look beyond the stereotypes that have often surrounded them. Spanning from Tirana to Banja Luka, the stories of nine women reflect their lives across various professions, environments and circumstances, addressing themes such as freedom, work, motherhood, economics, appearance and confronting prejudice.
The photographs are accompanied by personal narratives that present the protagonists’ perspectives on what it means to be a woman in the present-day Balkans.
This photography project was produced by AFP contributors in the Balkans—Adnan Beci in Albania and Elvic Barukçiq in Bosnia—under the editorial direction of Andrej Isaković. Curation and interviews were handled by Camille Bouissou, with contributions from AFP journalists in the region.
The physical exhibition is complemented by a multilingual online platform featuring an expanded photo gallery, written narratives and audio material.
“Unbounded Voices: Women of the Balkans – Strength & Legacy” will be open at Vila 31 x Art Explora until October 2, inviting visitors to discover the stories and voices of the women behind the images. /p.s./
