Smogscape
Smogscape was an in-depth research project exploring towns and villages affected by the Kosovo B power plant and the surrounding mines, documented through photography and video.
From this research, I created a booklet presenting my findings through photography that unveil the reality of destructive practices affecting villages and towns across Kosovo, including Obiliq, Hade, Plemitin, and the area surrounding Kosovo B. Each image captures moments of research and reflects the lasting impact these practices have had on the land and the communities living within it.
My visual documentation tells the story of how destructive practices have shaped both the land and its people over many years. Through these images, I aim to bring awareness to the places and lives being affected, and to express the urgent need to support the wellbeing of both the land and the people who call it home.
As part of this project, I also presented my findings at Foundation 17, combining sculpture with visual research to showcase the work. Smogscape as a whole explores how I use my artistic practice as a form of journalism , giving a voice to the stories of people whose lives have been shaped by decisions beyond their control, and communicating those stories directly to the audience.
During this project I created three videos, each focused on a different location: Hade, Kosovo B, and Obiliq. Each one explores a distinct theme on soil and water pollution, a journey through the mines, and the lives of the people working inside the power plant.
Visiting the power plant itself became a catalyst for deeper understanding. A place I had long held strong negative views towards revealed itself to be something far more complex, somewhere that generations of families, including my own, had depended on for their livelihoods. Witnessing this first-hand, and knowing that my grandfather had once worked there himself, shifted my perspective in ways I had not anticipated.
Meeting and presenting alongside locals allowed their personal stories to surface, stories of their lives, their connections to the land, and the unexpected ties between their histories and my own family’s.
