MAIN EVENTS 2024
Main theme: The environment and the climate crisis!
Duration: 28/9 – 6/10/2024
Opening Hours: 19:00-22:00
Curation by Eleni Mouzakiti
Under the auspices and financial support of the Ministry of Culture and Municipality of Agrinio!
Sponsored by Fujifilm Hellas!
With the support of the Diazoma Association!
OPENING WEEKEND PROGRAM
Saturday 28 September:
The exhibitions will remain open:
Κapralos Museum: 19:00-20:30
Papastrateio Hall: 19:00-20:30
KΟINSEP Taxidevousa: 19:00-20:30
Central Square: 24-hour operation
The opening of the exhibitions will take place at the Old Municipal Market at 20:30
Sunday 29 September:
Guided tour of the exhibitions. Departure Papastratio Hall: 11:00
Presentation of photographic work: Old Municipal Market: 19:30
The presenters will be:
Katerina Kalogeraki: “Bridging Cultures, Ordinary People”
Spyros Zervoudakis: “Terra Incognita”
Spyros Zervoudakis (GR)
"Terra Incognita"
Approximately 200 thousand years ago, mankind was an insignificant biological species lost in some corner of Africa. Myth was the first form of worldview. In the primitive universe of our forefathers, anthropomorphic gods determined the natural phenomena but also the fate of people. Several centuries later, science removed the mythical “cosmogony”. Man adapted the environment to his own needs and used his unique ability to live at the expense of all the other living beings who have settled on “his planet”.
Today, the human species is dominant on the planet, but also possibly the first species to record their own disappearance.
*Terra Incognita” is a term which means: unknown land. This term was used by the Romans in cartography in order to refer to regions that had not been mapped or documented.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Alex Kemman (NL)
“The Greater Zab. The Last Free River of Mesopotamia”
The water of the Tigris river is historically Low. Dams in Turkey, Iran and Iraq carry a heavy cost downstream. The land between two rivers – Mesopotamia — is drying up.
Only one river in the Mesopotamian watershed is still flowing free: the Greater Zab. Supplying one third of watervolume to the Tigris River it is a key river for humans and animals in the region.
This river springs in the high mountains of Southeastern Turkey where after it flows into the Kurdish region of Iraq. However, dozens of dams are planned both in Turkey and Iraq as companies and states see the undammed river as untapped potential for hydropower andirrigation.
The Greater Zab may no longer run free.
This last free flowing river represents the friction between freedom and control. Dams are political instruments to control the key resource of this region, and therefore the territory and population that lives in it. Some dams are even used as water weapons.
This project follows the course of the Greater Zab and its tributaries as the water traverses through boundaries, and transmits a feeling of creeping domination and hidden tension that permeates the Landscape and lives of people whom endure powerful (geopolitical) forces.
The Greater Zab river shows repression and attempts to control what cannot be controlled in its essence.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Alessia Rollo (ΙΤ)
"An Endless Day"
“An endless day” is a project about environmental, nature and human changes.
Developed in 2020 as commission of Via Silvia Residency in France it tells about the construction of a new urban area in Rennes periphery and the consequences on the landscape and on the inhabitants.
The project is divided into two part: a documentary one to represent the nowadays scenario of the working place and the change in the open space. I photographed with my camera the landscapes, everyday life and the inhabitants trying to fix the calm and the tension embodied in a place exposed to a radical change.
Another part of the project is based on factionary and set up pictures. At this purpose I create still-lifes with left over of the building materials, I set up light installation in the landscape, I made portraits of the inhabitants, workers etc.
This project underlines the eternal transformation of life and the struggles we face as human being trying to find a balance and a stability with the environmental.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Ioanna Sakellaraki (GR)
“Aeiforia”
In an era of climate change and challenges around sustainability, islands are particularly vulnerable. Insular by their very nature, these land masses usually depend on fossil fuels and imports for energy (despite the high transportation costs). Until a few years ago, the idea of an island being fully reliant on clean energy was almost unthinkable, and yet it is about to become a reality on Tilos in Greece.
This tiny island in the Dodecanese archipelago is the first in the Mediterranean to run almost entirely on renewable energy. Over the years it has received energy from a diesel power plant on the neighbouring island of Kos, via an undersea cable, but during the tourist season this has proven unreliable, leading to frequent power cuts. Since 2015, however, the supply on Tilos has been reinforced with a hybrid system exclusively powered by renewable sources including solar power, wind turbines and battery farms.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio, library hall
Orestis Seferoglou (GR)
"Abtahaap - a big tree, a harbor and a pearl"
Doha, (ad-Dawḥa or ad-Dōḥa), translated in modern Arabic as “the big tree” and based on local dialects as “rounded bays” is the capital and most populous city of the state of Qatar. It is the fastest growing city in the country. More than half of the country’s population lives within the boundaries of the Doha metropolitan area.
Already at the end of the 20th century, the gradual transformation of the small coastal settlement and pearl fishing port into a modern metropolis creates a constant interaction on multiple levels, between the various cultural groups that overwhelm it. Unlike Western countries, in Qatar expats represent the majority of the population. Doha has become a city of immigrants of different levels and rights. Urban spaces map and mark the boundaries between different social, economic and cultural groups and how these groups interact and survive within the confines of the megacity.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Eliza Tamo (GR)
“Little Square, Half Circle”
The work uses archive images of the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Crete (the invasion of Crete by the Axis in May 1941). The archive film shot by Franz Peter Weixler, a war propaganda photographer for Axis, witnesses the lead up and then execution of civilians as a reprisal for the resistance of the local population during the invasion.
The images are juxtaposing versions of a single photograph. In particular the last frame of the men gathered in front of a tree before they get shot. The kaleidoscopic effect creates a collection of totems, statues, alien like and mythic creatures, manga heroes, tribal Gods, Teddy bears, warriors, disguised insects, priests.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Jesper Thomsen (DK)
“Black Ice”
“The ice, captured between states of being—separated from an ice mass, stands as a solitary portrait. It offers its final salute on a cold beach before being swept into the ocean, dissolving back into water. Completing its cycle of existence, it serves as a reminder of the cycles we all experience. The image invites viewers to engage on their own terms, finding personal meaning in the stillness and solitude it portrays”.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Karin Fajersson (NO)
“Nomads””
This series embodies a visual journey through the potent and enchanting landscapes of Iceland. Here, misty clouds cloak mountains, while cryptic signs, steeped in Norse mythology and ancient wisdom, enhance the mystical ambiance. Amidst the grandeur of nature, humans seem small, yet within this embrace, a profound responsibility emerges—echoes of environmental concern reverberate through the land. As inhabitants of the Earth, we share the responsibility of safeguarding its delicate balance, weaving together the preservation of air purity, ocean protection, and biodiversity conservation within the interconnected fabric of existence.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Efi Haliori (GR)
“Crevices”
In my work Crevice i deal with the ephemeral nature of human life and the earth.
| am interested in identifying the gap, the fissure, the cracks in the flow of historical time.
The concepts of memory, death, monumentality, in combination with the extraction and uncontrolled exploitation of native resources, are part of my narrative.
Marble has historically functioned as a tool for memory, a tool that could reactivate the knowledge of the past and simultaneously serve as a living archive of human culture, wealth, and beauty.
From ancient times, it was associated with the need to confront death with memory and gradually became an integral part of Greek history and identity.
By approaching both history and the contemporary era simultaneously and with respect to the material of the marble and all the meanings it contains about the human culture, the absence of people in my images signifies the urgency of bringing into the foreground the death of the planet”.
Exhibition venue: Old Municipal Market of Agrinio
Katerina Kalogeraki (GR)
“Bridging Cultures /Ordinary People”
“What prompted me to make a start was the same spirit of research I had from my earlier works, as well as an interest in people from other cultures who, like myself, had settled in England.
I came into contact with various community centers for senior citizens in different parts of London. I started photographing people who mostly came from former British colonies: Africa, India, the Caribbean, Hong Kong and Jewish citizens who had settled in the UK long ago. A few were born in England to immigrant parents, others migrated and lived in England for a greater part of their lives. I photographed and interviewed more than 80 people and in total the project took 2 years to complete. At the time I had received a grant from Millennium Awards to complete the project.
The Greek portraits reflect a part of the history of Hellenism inside and outside Greece, with some migration similarities with people from England. As with the other portraits, I wanted to create work that would give people a sense of belonging in order to reflect on their experiences. All in all, the final account of my artistic work reflects on the identity of those being photographed as well as myself in the two countries that are still shaping the person I am“.
Exhibition venue: Central square
Curation by: Panos Kaltsas
Photofolios:24
Duration: 28/9 – 13/10/2024
Exhibition venues: Μουσείο Καπράλου
Curation by: Ελένη Μουζακίτη
Grigoris Digas (GR)
“Borders”
The “Borders” project explores the borders of Greece, viewing them not only as physical demarcations of space but also as intangible constructs that dynamically evolve, continuously shaping collective perceptions and delineating the concept of “Us” in juxtaposition to the “Other.”
The photographic series presents two distinct narratives that merge in a shared space, revealing the multifaceted nature of borders. The first narrative centers on the material aspects of borders, capturing the memory of people’s historical claims and struggles etched in the landscape. It portrays the diverse manifestations of border constructions, ranging from landmarks and structures erected to demarcate, monitor, and safeguard territorial sovereignty to spaces of abandonment or juxtaposition with modern fences…
Alexandros Zafeiridhs (GR)
“So Much Love”
The photographic project entitled “So Much Love” explores love, attraction and fluidity through the evolution of the triangle “photographer – photographed person – viewer” as well as the concepts of individuality and conformity.
The human body is seen as a ground for sexual and artistic expression in a mutual relationship of trust.
By collecting pictures mostly of friends and family as well as of misplaced objects, Alexandros Zafeiridis sets an existential pursuit: Am I what I present myself to be? How am I being perceived? (Heidegger) or Through The Looking-Glass (Wittgenstein).
In a meditation-like process, using music during each session, Zafeiridis follows a consistent practice, with the uniform use of light, placing the camera in a frontal position across the photographed subject utilizing soft textures and bold colors. He manages to create a shared space and a shared rhythm through a relationship of trust.
He carries out intergenerational research, managing to discover how people of all ages place their body and present themselves, and how their choices are mediated through the photographic medium, thus further portraying the relationship created between themselves and the photographer as well as the relationship created between their own self and their sexual portrayal.
The series aims to illuminate the hidden narratives regarding identity, how people identify themselves, a game where the photographer and the photographed subject communicate in a playful way.
Adrienn Jozan (HU)
“Summer Cancelled”
It is the summer of 2020, and I am coughing really badly. I go from doctor to doctor, the diagnosis is uncertain. One day, I end up in the hospital and a series of examinations awaits me in the intensive care unit. It turns out I have lymphoma, and my chemotherapy treatment starts immediately. In the case of this disease, a group of white blood cells begin to behave like cancer cells; they keep growing and dividing in an unregulated manner in the lymph nodes. I am trying to come to terms with this insidious disease, in sterile hospital rooms, isolated from the outside world.
The treatments weaken me: I have neither the strength nor the will to take photos. Once the chemotherapy is over, I start to feel better. I grab my camera to take photos again, but my thoughts are still around the events of the past six months. By means of photography, I try to tell the story of what happened to me and how I am recovering.
Michaela Nagyidaiova (SK)
“Transient Ties”
One of the contemporary migration routes begins in Turkey, continues in Greece, and unfolds through Southeastern European countries towards Central Europe. Once, Greece was a starting point of a similar migration route, walked by Lena (in Slovak & Macedonian) or Eleni (in Greek), who was forced to escape her homeland. She was never repatriated to her native environment in northern Greece and thus re-connected with the Macedonian minority, into which she was born.
“Until I was about twenty-two, I wasn’t aware of the full story of how as a child, my grandmother Lena fled Greece and created a new life for herself in former communist Czechoslovakia. ‘Transient Ties’ tells the story of my grandmother’s forced migration, who continues to live in the central European country of Slovakia, where individuals are highly polarised on the topics of migration. Out of all the countries in Europe, Slovakia has the third lowest proportion of foreigners living in the country”...
Onnis Luque Rodriguez (ME)
“Undercover”
Undercover is a visual essay on the uncertainty associated with corruption in the real estate market of Mexico City. A visual metaphor that depicts a city overwhelmed by the real estate pressure of housing developments, many of which were built under the shadow of corruption, as evidenced by the tragic earthquake on September 19, 2017, in which, according to official figures, 369 people died. Buildings covered with black fabric appear as involuntary symbols of mourning, symbols of the corrupt agreements carried out covertly and clandestinely between authorities and real estate developers. Images that are presented opaque to our gaze as a denunciation of the violence that accompanies corruption, which, like power, […] is characterized by being unobservable. The strategy of power is opacity and concealment, and the codes and agreements among those who share its privileges lack transparency and cannot be seen […] (Segato, 2018). The taxonomic serialization of these anonymous sculptures alludes to the repetition of the event, the systemic and interconnected repetition between corruption, uncertainty, and power. Through this visual metaphor sustained in the poetics of black fabrics covering entire buildings, I avoid falling into the visual violence of showing the heartbreaking scenes that are behind the veil, because, as Farocki argues, otherwise people will “first close their eyes to the images, then close their eyes to memory, then to facts, and finally, they will close them to the entire context.”
Alain Schroeder (BE)
“Rising Water”
Bangladesh is severely impacted by climate change and its intensifying consequences. More frequent droughts, floods, powerful cyclones, melting Himalayan glaciers exacerbating riverbank erosion, rising sea levels threatening coastlines and increasing the salinity of rivers and soil, are causing significant losses in crops, property, and human lives. Climate events also lead to escalating unemployment and poverty. Forced internal migrations are becoming commonplace, with approximately 2,000 people arriving in (already overcrowded) Dhaka daily. Many climate migrants end up in urban slums, while others settle on unstable riverine islands known as “chars.” Thousands more seek to emigrate to India or Gulf countries for work opportunities. Bangladesh, densely populated and largely situated less than 12 meters above sea level, is particularly vulnerable to global warming. Current predictions on rising sea levels indicate that 15% – 20% of the country could vanish by 2050, potentially displacing 25 to 30 million people and leading to conflicts in the region. To achieve climate justice, Western nations, largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, must adopt a global approach to the complex interplay between the environment and the society in this precarious Asian region. Moreover, Bangladesh needs financial and technological assistance to address the challenges it faces as the first country to experience such large-scale consequences of global warming and climate change.
Alnis Stakle (LV)
“Not Even Something”
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes”. Marcel Proust
During the Soviet era (until 1990) cities were usually divided into districts that would often differ not only with different names but also different functions. For example, there were residential, industrial, retail, entertainment districts. After the fall of Soviet Union many of these districts lost their function – factories were closed, fences were partly dismantled, bushes and plants reclaimed these territories.
People started to use these new spaces as shortcuts to get to certain destinations in the city. Although public transportation connects city districts, it became easier to pass through these territories on foot during the evening and the night.
Thus, new pathways and roads appeared even though they were not included in any official map of the city. In turn, some areas began to appear on new maps. They never represented the resident’s destination, but are intermediate sections between the important parts of the city. “Not Even Something” explores these “ghost areas” at night – the most dangerous time to be in these indeterminate, less-populated areas. Pedestrian beaten tracks as often as not defined the aesthetical basic principles of the structure of work. Although the tracks themselves governed the focus of the photographs, the aesthetic results proved to be atmospheric and beautiful.
Tim Smith (CA)
“In the World But Not of It”
The Hutterites, anabaptists whose roots trace back to the 16th Century Radical Reformation, live communally on colonies throughout western Canada and the north-western United States. Their culture continues to be preserved through deliberate separation from mainstream society and economic self-sufficiency.
After centuries of upheaval, persecution and displacement, the Hutterites are currently in the midst of one of the most successful periods of their approximately 500 year journey. Members are provided for throughout their entire lives and on the whole experience less of the loneliness and isolation prevalent in the modern world. Their belief in the importance of engagement in family life, social life and spirituality, and the defined purpose for their lives means Hutterite communities meet many of the requirements to be considered Blue Zones; area’s where health, happiness and life expectancy rates are higher than average.
The Hutterites believe that their separation from society offers them a better way to god, but the system also provides lessons in connection and sustainability that we can all learn from. Hutterite colonies are kept small, typically under 200 people to maintain strong social bonds, and emphasis is placed on the community as a whole rather than any individual. One often-told anecdote is that the Hutterites have never recorded a single murder in their history. Despite the pressures of the outside world, the Hutterites continue to be the most successful model for communal living in modern western history.
Valentin Valette (FR)
“Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl”
On January 10, 2020, Oman mourned the passing of Sultan QabGs Bin Sa’Td Al-BGsa’TdT, whose fifty-year reign stood as an absolute record in the Arab world. As a pivotal figure in shaping modern Oman, QabGs dedicated himself to swift development fueled by oil wealth, influenced by the “nahda” or renaissance. Now, his cousin, Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq, continues QabGs’ legacy by carrying forward the development policy, “Oman Vision 2040.”
Between the end of QabGs’ reign and the dawn of Haitham’s era, “Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl” embarks on an exploration of intertwined destinies, navigating the chrysalis of monarchic transition and addressing the urgent need for economic diversification amidst depleting oil and gas resources. From 2020 to 2023, this documentary project was conceived to closely scrutinize the economic dynamics and subjective future of the Gulf monarchy.
The project initiates a metaphorical dialogue between two distinct demographics: those in employment positions and skilled artisans, predominantly from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, contrasted with the experiences of Omani entrepreneurial families.
Employing the urban geography concept of “tomason,” the photographic research seeks to unveil remnants of the past, left by QabGs — objects, spaces, and buildings that seem out of place, forgotten, or broken. These memorative signs establish a link between territorial development and the time of QabGs’ illustrious reign, engaging in nostalgic and memorial processes.
« Ashes of the Arabian’s Pearl » resides at the juncture of dual temporalities, serving as a poignant bridge between the past and present, much like the Sultanate of Oman itself.
Lucie Foundation
“Beyond The Air We Breathe
Addressing Climate Change”
The exhibition is presented by the Lucie Foundation.
We have called upon renowned photographers, who have dedicated their lives to document melting icebergs, drought, water, waste and air pollution and the undeniable effects it has had on our planet. It is a condensed, compassionate plea, through their lenses, of the effects of climate change.
Their images may be startlingly beautiful, which can complicate the horrific message they convey, but look beyond the amazing artistry and try to understand the subliminal ideas within these framed works.
Beyond the Air We Breathe: Addressing Climate Change exhibits the visible, damaging air pollution around the globe. The concern is growing for the air we, and our children, breathe and the different forms of air pollution captured to varying extents in these photographs.
Hossein Farmani & Susan Baraz
Participants:
| Garth Lenz | GMB Akash | Parker Pfister |
| Andrea Alessio | Gu Shiyin | Paul Souders |
| Andrea Bruce | Henry Dallal | Petrut Calinescu |
| Benedikt Partenheimer | James Balog | Probal Rashid |
| Bernhard Lang | Jamey Stillings | Sean Gallagher |
| Braschler/Fischer | Joao Canziani | Sebastian Copeland |
| Bruno Tamiozzo | Johannes Frank | Simon Butterworth |
| Cameron Davidson | Kensuke Suzuki | Simon Harsent |
| Chang Kim | Lisa Kristine | Steve McCurry |
| Christian Aslund | Marie Wilkinson & Cyril Christo | Stuart Chape |
| Colin Finlay | Matthew Turley | Tom Jacobi |
| Ed Kashi | Meghan Kirkwood | Yvonne De Rosa |
| Espen Rasmussen | Pablo Ernesto Piovano |
Exhibition venue: Papastrateio Hall
Curation by: Hossein Farmani
Environmental Concerns
The 15 selected photos of the respective competition
Participants:
Nikos Efstratiou (GR)
Ewa Laskowska (PL)
Eleni Saitanidi (GR)
Sandipani Chattopadhyay
Mady Lykeridou (GR)
Mayank Makhija (IN)
Ifigeneia Sakkou (GR)
Fani Voikou (GR)
Halyna Bezverkhnia (UA)
Irina Vosgerau (GR)
Sotiris Kousoulos (GR)
Sotiris Tsiros (GR)
Alain Schroeder (BE)
Giannis Mavrakis (GR)
Aneza Palaiou (GR)
Exhibition venue: “TRAVELLER” gallery
Cuation by: Panos kaltsas
Photo group “art8”
The art8 photograpy group presents its proposal on the theme “Strange Attractions”.
Participants:
Aleka Dimitrianou
Dimitris Grigoriou
Panos Kaltsas
Georgia Karachristou
Dimitris Kourtis
Dimitra Koutroumpa
Nontas Lamprakopoulos
Theoni Leivaditi
Eleni Litina
Kostas Tsolkas
Exhibition venue: Kapralos Museum
Curation by: Photini Papahatzi
Art Workshop of the Municipality of Agrinio
The urban landscape photographer seeks the perfect composition and lighting to capture the aesthetics of the city.
By using geometric lines and perspective or detecting unique shooting angles, the photographer seeks to reveal new aspects and visual impressions of the city.
Participants:
Alexandra Galazoula
Efthimiois Zachristos
Christina Koutrolou
Christiana Skaligou
Exhibition venue: Kapralos Museum
Cuation by: Efthimios Zachristos
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