“Mediterranea: Visions of an Ancient and Complex Sea” is the title of the exhibition that opened on Wednesday at the “Gocat” Gallery in Tirana, as part of the activities for “Tirana, Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.”

The exhibition, curated by Viviana Panaçia, presents the history, beauty, peoples, and myths of the Mediterranean, a region with great historical values, today holding even more significance in terms of geography, politics, and interconnectivity.

“Why are we here today? We want to show three things: First, the Mediterranean! A sea that has primarily connected us and given us many things, including pain, but has kept us united. The second promise we must make is culture. Culture is the territory of dialogue, and what we need to do today is respect dialogue,” said Marco Alberti, the Ambassador of Italy to Albania.

The connection between Mediterranean countries, shared culture, origins, and religions are “told” in this exhibition through satellite images from above, inviting us to visit the Mediterranean in its entirety.

“This is an exhibition that belongs to all of us because we are part of the Mediterranean, like Italy and Albania. As we know, the Mediterranean is the cradle of European and world cultures and civilizations. You will have the opportunity to see satellite images displayed for the first time, learn about the vegetation, and view old maps of the Mediterranean. This exhibition aims to highlight the connections between Mediterranean countries,” said Alessandro Ruggera, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Tirana.

This exhibition aims to represent the current state of the Mediterranean by offering data and images that show undeniable signs of ongoing climate change, from the reduction in rainfall to heatwaves, characterized by long periods of drought, interspersed with extreme weather events, as well as changes in marine habitats.

The “Mediterranea” exhibition has been presented in Seville, Spain, and will later be showcased in Rome.