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Gold 2024 Book / Documentary

Kukës, Albania. Three Cities and One Nomination

  • Photographer
    Sonia Corbo
  • Prize
    Gold in Book / Documentary

In the poorest area of Albania, in a suggestive naturalistic context, a city, Kukës, saw profound renovations during the last 50 years. In the 70s, a completely new city was born when the old urban settlement was flooded for the construction of an hydroelectric power plant. Moreover, due to the persecutory delusions of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, another city was built 30 meters underground, to set the entire population in case of foreign attack. Finally, Kukës is the first city to receive a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Today the renovation continues: the new airport is on the cover.

I am Italian and I was born in Siena, Tuscany. My passions are traveling and taking pictures. At the beginning I devoted myself more to landscapes and architecture. Then to a modern still-life that revolves around geometries and colors. Finally my attention was seduced by portraits. I like color photos but black and white has won me over. Anyway, in my opinion, no matter what it is: to capture a moment of our existence is a real magic.