Palampas National Military Outpost

Palampas, Greece-Albania

Entrance to the Restricted Area of the borderline.

Argirochori, Greece-Albania

Kleidonia, Greece-Albania

The last battles of the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) took place on mount Gramos. The Communist Democratic Army, familiar with the area from the resistance in World War II, supported by Albania and the other Balkan countries, was defeated by the much larger National Army supported by western nations.

Gramos mountain chain, Greece-Albania

During the Second Balkan War in 1919, Greece and Serbia signed a secret agreement of a defensive nature against the Bulgarian threat and defined the borders between them, as well as their borders with Bulgaria.

Achlada, Greece-North Macedonia

The craters from the bombs of the World War I, created circular pools, which combined with the peculiarity of the sub-alpine vegetation, create a rare ecosystem.

Dobro Pole, Greece-North Macedonia

Akritas, Greece-Bulgaria

In 2015, thousands of refugees from Syria gathered in Idomeni trying to reach central and northern Europe. North Macedonia closed its borders and built fences to stem the migration wave. Years after the refugee crisis the fences are still there.

Idomeni, Greece-North Macedonia

North Macedonia’s fence for the prevention of
migration flows.

Mouries, Greece-North Macedonia

Military observatory on the ridge that is the natural border between Greece and Bulgaria.

Beles mountain range, Greece-Bulgaria

Fortification construction of Metaxas line on the borderline

Strimonas river, Greece-Bulgaria

Promachonas railway border crossing

Promachonas, Greece-Bulgaria

Stamna, Greece-Bulgaria

Part of the natural gas pipeline from the Greek to the Bulgarian network across the border.

IGB, Gas Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria

During the time of the Iron Curtain, the Bulgarian road behind the fence was plowed every night so that the patrol could see in the morning if there had been any violation of the border.

Sarakini, Greece-Bulgaria

Greek military outpost and Bulgarian outpost part of the Iron Curtain

Smigada, Greece-Bulgaria

The Sofia agreement of 1957 defines a border furrow 30cm deep and the same width along the Greek-Bulgarian border line, together with a border deforestation zone 5-10 meters wide. The two parties are obliged to take care of their maintenance every two years, so that the border line is defined along its entire length.

Kimi, Greece-Bulgaria

The Restricted Area on the border with Turkey is in force and access is only allowed to residents who are engeged in some professional activity within it. Its surveillance is carried out by the Border Police and the army.

Entrance to the Restricted Area, Praggi, Greece-Turkey

Didymoteicho, Greece-Turkey

Poros, Greece-Turkey

Evros Delta is an important wetland on a national, European and international level. It is a Protected Area in a militarized Restricted Area.

Evros Delta, Greece-Turkey

Palampas National Military Outpost

Palampas, Greece-Albania

Entrance to the Restricted Area of the borderline.

Argirochori, Greece-Albania

Kleidonia, Greece-Albania

The craters from the bombs of the World War I, created circular pools, which combined with the peculiarity of the sub-alpine vegetation, create a rare ecosystem.

Dobro Pole, Greece-North Macedonia

Akritas, Greece-Bulgaria

North Macedonia’s fence for the prevention of
migration flows.

Mouries, Greece-North Macedonia

Military observatory on the ridge that is the natural border between Greece and Bulgaria.

Beles mountain range, Greece-Bulgaria

Fortification construction of Metaxas line on the borderline

Strimonas river, Greece-Bulgaria

Promachonas railway border crossing

Promachonas, Greece-Bulgaria

Borders
2016 - 2024

The research project "Borders" explores Greece’s land and maritime borders 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 series presents two distinct narratives that merge in a shared space, revealing the multifaceted nature of borders. The first centers on the material aspects of borders, capturing the memory of people's historical claims and struggles etched in the landscape together with diverse manifestations of border constructions erected to demarcate, monitor, and safeguard territorial sovereignty. The second delves into the contemporary lived experience at the border, portraying it as a site of power enforcement and also as a space permeated by a palpable sense of surveillance, unease, anxiety, fear, and subjugation.

In an era where border reinforcement is resurging globally, this project challenges conventional perceptions of borders by portraying them as contemporary monuments. These living memorials reflect humanity's inclination to delineate its perceived collective identity from the "Other" existing beyond the border lines. Yet, simultaneously, they underscore the inherent failure of nation-states to achieve true segregation.

"Borders" reminds us that no frontier is permanent, inviting viewers to reconsider the lines that divide us in an increasingly interconnected world.

Borders 2016 - 2024

Borders
2016 - 2024