Archival photographs, video & sound installation
Christina Rosi was born on October 12, 1990, precisely the year Albania emerged from the communist regime established by Enver Hoxha, under which religion was banned from 1967 to 1990. Christina belongs to a Greek-Orthodox family, part of Albania’s minority population. Her early years unfolded during a transformative period in Albanian history, marked by the transition from the stringent controls of the Communist era, which included the suppression of religious practices.
Throughout Hoxha’s regime, religious ceremonies, be it those of the Greek-Orthodox faith or Albanian Islam, were strictly prohibited. It wasn’t until communism’s fall in 1990 that people could freely practice their religion, following nearly four decades of restriction. The first Christian rituals post-communism began in 1992, primarily in rural areas.
A significant milestone in Christina’s life occurred when she was nearly six years old, and her brother was just four. This was when they were able to undergo baptism, signifying the return of religious freedom in Albania. The impact of these ceremonies and the enduring trauma from years of religious suppression left a profound and indelible mark on Christina’s childhood.
Seeking to gain a deeper understanding of her early experiences, Christina recently conducted an interview with her parents. This dialogue delved into the emotional and psychological aspects of her upbringing, shedding light on the challenges her family and the Greek-Orthodox community faced during the Communist era.
To Be—Named | International Art Project
Christina Rosi participated in To Be—Named, an international, multidisciplinary art project exploring the cultural politics of naming and its relationship to identity, memory, belonging, and social structures.
Her photographic series Certified (2021–2023), based on personal archival material and childhood experiences in post-communist Albania, examines the intersections of religious freedom, cultural identity, personal history, and collective memory. Through photography and autobiographical narrative, the work reflects on the significance of naming rituals and their relationship to individual and cultural identity.
The work was presented in two international editions of the project:
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Athens, Greece | October 25 – November 20, 2023
To Be—Named, Circuits and Currents, Athens, Greece.
Curated by Fotini Gouseti, in collaboration with the 11th Painting Studio of the Athens School of Fine Arts. The exhibition brought together Greek and international artists exploring naming practices, migration, cultural identity, traditions, and collective memory.
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Bogotá, Colombia | March 11 – April 3, 2026
::darle un nombre:: — Colombian edition of To Be—Named.
Centro Cívico, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
Curated by María José Afanador Llach, Carolina Cerón, Juan Camilo González, and Patricia Zalamea. This edition brought together international and Colombian artists, examining the relationships between language, power, memory, cultural heritage, and identity through contemporary artistic practices.
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