Works by Albanian Photographer Zeni Alia on View at CDS

Two students in the Documentary Studies course “Photo Fever: Curating Photography Exhibitions” (DOCST 333S/733S) are the curators of a photography series, “Waiting for a Train,” and an installation, “Good Luck!”

Ama Kyereme is a graduate student in the MFA Experimental and Documentary Arts program at Duke who explores cultural interpretation and storytelling through curation. Annie Tong is a third-year student and photographer from Duke Kunshan University whose work explores the self and its relation to a sense of community.

Zeni Alia’s works are on view at the Center for Documentary Studies, 1317 W. Pettigrew St. in Durham, through February 28, 2025. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

“Waiting for a Train”

“While traveling through different spaces, the train has traveled in time, carrying with it all the changes that we went through and are going through.” —Zeni Alia

“Waiting for a Train” captures Albania’s gradual shift away from its reliance on the country’s oldest and only remaining train. As European Commission funding for a new railway threatens the current railway’s existence, Zeni Alia’s work reveals the life surrounding the train and the citizen’s nostalgic attachment to it.

During Albania’s period of economic and political isolation from 1975–1991, when personal vehicles were prohibited, travelers relied solely on the train for long-distance travel. The train accommodated all passengers, regardless of age, gender, background, culture or religion. Despite these idyllic memories of the train, the possibilities of life abroad are becoming more appealing to younger generations. In this way, the train operates as a link between the past and the ever-changing present. The black-and-white photographs of “Waiting for a Train” evoke a nostalgic feeling, weaving together an imperfect yet deep history of the train and its relationship to Albania — an archive that exists beyond official records.

—Ama Kyereme and Annie Tong

“Good Luck!”

For many Albanians, a chance at the American immigration lottery is highly sought after. “Good Luck!” contends with the legacy of political and economic isolation in Albania and the current trends in migration by embodying the experience of waiting, longing and the desire for a better life far from home. In representing the complex realities of emigration, “Good Luck!” speaks to the multifaceted experiences and reflects the emptiness and mixed emotions that arise when leaving home for another place.

—Zeni Alia, Ama Kyereme and Annie Tong