Gjama
Zgjim Elshani

Gjama explores the seldom-practiced Albanian mourning ritual traditionally performed by men over centuries. Through shouted phrases and a meticulously choreographed performance, the ritual serves both as a gesture of respect for the deceased and as a means of processing grief and loss. Elshani captured the ritual on video, presenting it as part of an installation at the Palace of Youth in Prishtina. Through audiovisual simulation, the installation offered the public access to this rare ritual, and simultaneously created a space for reflection upon and re-interpretation of collective emotive experiences.