The “Gjon Mili” Museum, located in the city of Korça, offers an exceptional portrayal of the life and work of this internationally renowned Albanian artist. The museum displays 240 of his photographs in the rooms of the former Romanian house, one of the city’s most iconic buildings, situated in the pedestrian area of Korça.

Through interactive rooms, visitors are given the opportunity to take home a unique souvenir: a photo captured using the same technique that Mili used for his most famous works. Gjon Mili’s photographs are exclusively displayed in three locations: the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, and the “Gjon Mili” Museum in Korça.

Mili, a true pioneer in the world of art and photography, brought innovation through his visionary approach and groundbreaking use of light. His experiments with light and movement continue to inspire contemporary artists worldwide.

Born on November 28, 1904, in Korça, Mili’s family emigrated to Romania when he was five years old, where he completed his secondary education. At the age of 19, he moved to the United States, where he earned a degree in lighting engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was during this period that Mili’s passion for photography began to blossom.

His name became widely recognized in both the United States and France. A significant moment in his life came with his friendship with Faik Konica, who encouraged Mili to direct his creativity toward the arts. Mili worked as a photojournalist for 15 years for the renowned American magazine “Life.” In 1946, he held his first solo exhibition in Paris. In 1942, he famously captured an image of a 37-millimeter caliber aircraft shell, with an exposure time of just one-millionth of a second, which the press hailed as a groundbreaking achievement.

Some of Mili’s most famous works include his photographs of Picasso drawing with light and a basketball game. The former was ranked among the 500 best photographs of the past 150 years in the “Photo Book” album published in London in 2002. Mili is also credited with being the first to use an electronic flash and to successfully photograph movement. He passed away on February 14, 1984, in the United States, leaving an indelible mark on the world of photography and art.

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