TIRANA, September 27 /ATA/ – Thirty-eight of Albania's most unique and threatened species—ranging from the Balkan lynx to the Dalmatian pelican—have been brought together in a new artwork now on display in Skanderbeg square.
Created by Kledi Eski in collaboration with Anna Paola Franceschi and an international team, the “Albania is Biodiversity” mosaic conveys a message of nature conservation into the heart of the capital through hundreds of thousands of glass fragments.
The mosaic serves as a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic “Albania” mosaic located on the façade of the National History Museum, blending artistic heritage with a direct message about preserving the country's natural wealth.
The initiative, which began as an awareness campaign in 2023, aims to place the protection of nature and biodiversity at the forefront of public attention.
This image was first unveiled in 2023 as a temporary installation in Skanderbeg square. In 2026, it returns in a new, permanent form as a monumental glass mosaic. Hundreds of thousands of individual pieces come together to create a single image, reflecting the concept of interdependence that lies at the heart of an ecosystem: combined diverse elements form a greater whole.
Alongside the mosaic, the informative exhibition "Albania is Biodiversity" has opened, while an educational program featuring workshops, discussions and film screenings focused on Albania's natural wealth is taking place at the Temporary Pavilion near the National History Museum.
Attending the opening ceremony were PPNEA leaders, representatives of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, German Ambassador Karl Bergner, as well as young people and nature enthusiasts.
Through art and education, the initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of preserving Albania's endangered species and natural assets, bringing this message to one of the capital's most frequented public spaces.
Albania is a region of particular importance for biodiversity in Europe. Within a relatively small territory, there exists an extraordinary variety of wildlife species, habitats and landscapes, including ecosystems that have become increasingly rare elsewhere on the continent. More than 350 bird species have been recorded in Albania, and the country provides habitats for iconic and endangered species—ranging from the Balkan lynx and the Egyptian vulture to the Dalmatian pelican and the Mediterranean monk seal.
This natural wealth is an asset not only for Albania, but for Europe as a whole. However, biodiversity faces mounting pressures, including habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, wildfires, uncontrolled development and climate change. /k.s/a.f/p.s./
