The Visual Memory Archive Aoos/Vjosa Valley

The Visual Memory Archive Aoos/Vjosa Valley project aims to comprehensively document the Vjosa/Aoos habitat through photographic means, tracing its course from northwestern Greece to the Adriatic Sea. Simultaneously, we will conduct an ethnographic exploration of the Aoos/Vjosa valley and its tributaries—Lengarica, Lumica, Drinos, Bënça, Shushica—collecting and curating historical and contemporary photographic records.

This rich visual database will be meticulously compiled from diverse sources, including private collections, vintage stores, libraries, archives, and the photographic collections of the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies in Tirana. The collaborative effort involved in gathering these images enhances the depth and authenticity of our records.

The creation of this image database serves to preserve and showcase the visual heritage of the cultural region of Vjosa/Aoos. Selected segments of this data will be integrated into the established Visual Archive Southeastern Europe (VASE), forming a comprehensive repository for the Aoos/Vjosa Valley and its adjacent cultural and natural landscapes. This repository not only serves as a valuable resource for research but also aims to be widely accessible to the public, contributing to a deeper understanding of the region's cultural and environmental dynamics.

See also Explorations into the river culture of the Vjosa region.