Ilir Tsouko was born in Albania (b.1990) and grew up in Athens, Greece. He is a visual storyteller, based in Berlin and Tirana. He is working on long-term projects revolving around perception and creation of identity. Migration, social issues and political events, are subjects that he mostly follows.
Ilir studied Photojournalism & Documentary Photography at Hochschule Hannover - University of Applied Sciences and Arts. During this period he has been working for the Magnum Photographers Enri Canaj and Chien-Chi Chang. Before that, he finished his MSc in Health Sciences at CNAM University-Paris/Athens.
He speaks and writes fluent German, Greek, English and Albanian languages. Ilir’s work has been published by notable publications such as DIE ZEIT Magazin, The Washington Post, The Guardian, NZZ, Arte TV, Der Spiegel, Vogue, Lonely Planet, Bergwelten Magazine, FAZ, Republik, SZ Zeitung, Profil, Vincent Production GmbH, Fluter, Vice, The Calvert Journal, Republik, Deutschlandfunk, Ö1, Kathimerini, Docu Magazine, Are We Europe (Studio) and other mostly European Magazines and Newspapers. Ilir is collaborating with different NGO's and Foundations like Der Greif – Organisation for Contemporary Photography, Amnesty International, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Welthungerhilfe, Border Violence Monitoring, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, ERSTE Foundation and Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.
Exhibitions - Screenings
- " Agimi Art Center - Kinema Agimi, Tirana" 2023 - Film Screening - Arte Re „Albaniens letzte Pfleger: Gehen oder Bleiben"?
- "Space 52 Athens" 2023 - Photo Exhibition - Life in Limbo
- "Tulla Culture Center Tirana'' 2022 - Photo Exhibtion - Life in Limbo
- " Helsiniki Photo Festival 2021 '' - Photo Exhibition
- '' NZZ Bellevue - Zürich 2021 ''- Photo Exhibition - Panel Discussion
- '' 9. f/stop - Festival für Fotografie Leipzig 2021 '' - Photo Exhibition
- " Humble Arts Foundation and Strange Fire Collective's “Four Degrees: Eco- Anxiety and Climate Change” New York City U.S.A - Group Photo Exhibition
- '' Balkans Today. Thewounded landscape 2020 ” - Collective Exhibition - Athens
- '' Loosen Art - International group exhibition : Isolation " - Rome
- '' Beloposkiy Gallery'' - "On the road" - Berlin
- ''Plymouth University Portland Square'' - "Refugee Week 2016" - Plymouth
Grants
- Journalismfund Europe - European Cross-Border Grant 2023 - Winner Team
- IJ4EU- Investigative Journalism for Europe 2021 - Winner Team
- Helsiniki Photo Festival 2021- Winner
- New East photo prize 2020 - Finalist
- ELF - COPD Art Competition - European Lung Foundation - Finalist
- Research grant for the photography project ''A Diary in Shadows'' of the Michael Horbach Foundation - Winner