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Over the past ten years Robert Hackman has travelled extensively to Albania to photographically document the reuse of Albania’s bunkers built during the communist era.

From the end of the Second World War until 1991 Albania was closed to the outside world and was firmly under the control of its communist dictator Enver Hoxha, who died in 1985.  During the cold war years Albania built thousands of bunkers to protect itself from possible invasion.   Today these concrete structures are reused in a variety of ways, such as agricultural barns, cafes, water tanks and swimming pools.  

This extensive collection of images has now been published under the title of Metamorphosis by Dewi Lewis Publishing.  With over 90 colour plates, a rare interview with General Moisiu (who was in charge of manufacturing the bunkers), and an informative foreword by UCL graduate Genti Gjikola, this book gives a unique insight into the unusual relics of Albania’s recent past.

Panel:

Dr Luca J. Uberti   -  Chair (UCL  SSEES)

Prof. David Betz (War Studies Department, King’s College London)

Robert Hackman (Photographer)

Emily Glass (PhD Candidate, Anthropology Archaeology, Bristol University)

Dewi Lewis (Publisher)