The oil business, the black gold, is one of the most lucrative in the world. The new pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean promises the western world unhindered access to oil beyond the Caucasus. But for the immediate residents of the 1700-kilometer-long tube, it is above all a scary thing that brings a lot of money to only a few and bad luck to most.
Photographer Rena Effendi traveled the countries along the pipeline, which is not visible in her striking photos as it is buried deep in the ground. What is visible, however, are the residents and their living conditions. And the gap between their existence and the world of those who will receive the oil or market it becomes palpable. For example, $70 million flows under houses every day, which have not been heated for decades due to a lack of gas. A pipeline always holds a promise of happiness that one hardly dares to hope for. Rena Effendi's book is dedicated to all those people of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey who are fatefully linked by the oil pipeline and the failed hope for a better future.