Trouble in Paradise, Montenegro.

The gateway to Tara Canyon. Where beauty grabs you by the balls.

Trouble in Paradise: Tara River, Montenegro.
While the EU remains trapped in a green nightmare and the illusion of a European superstate. The Chinese are taking over the Balkans with their Belt and Road Initiative. This ambitious megaproject seeks to build global infrastructure, securing strategic influence through loans, construction projects, and economic dependency. One example of this is the Bar-Boljare highway: an highly absurd road construction project that cuts through inaccessible wilderness, serves no real purpose, and has pushed Montenegro to the brink of bankruptcy.

The highway runs partly parallel to the Tara River, one of Europe's last wild rivers, known not only for having the world's third-deepest canyon but also for its exceptional biodiversity. The water is crystal clear, drinkable, and is still considered one of the cleanest in Europe.

Moral of the story: A deeply divided Montenegro, caught between Chinese pragmatism and misplaced EU moralism, paved the way for a Ludicrous project, a bankrupt country, and a destroyed unique ecosystem. Way to go, guys!

As a photographer, I venture out to find raw beauty in places untouched by human interference. Rather than documenting the BBH project, I chose to capture the serene power of this unique landscape—a paradox, since all intrusion begins with roads. I fully realize that my Roads project, in a way, contradicts my search for untouched places. But I am only a mere observer, reflecting on how we, as a species, miserably fail in preserving the world surrounding us.