Immortalizing Athens: An Odyssey Through an Idealized City

Mythological tales, which have always fascinated us, have allowed us to explain the world around us, transmit moral values and explore the depths of human psychology.

As I prepared for my trip to Athens, it was images of these legends that had transcended the ages that I thought I would bring back.

However, as I wandered through the city, it was the traces of our contemporary civilization, far removed from gods and fantastical creatures, that struck me.

In the stifling heat of an Athenian summer, I embarked on a photographic expedition commissioned by a publishing house. I was tasked with taking pictures of architectural works that have used marble throughout the ages, from the Acropolis to the Onassis Foundation to various recent buildings.

As a lover of mythological stories, I was ecstatic at the idea of taking advantage of this assignment to discover Athens. I was eager to explore this city and be able to bring back images of local legends.

What I had not considered and what I was going to discover was the real face of Athens. A face that differed greatly from the image I had made of it.

I, who was prepared to immortalize the city's ancient charms, was actually capturing the signs of a whole other story, a more contemporary one...

For three days, I walked the city on foot. During my wanderings, it was not myths and legends that I encountered but the signs of modern mass tourism.

Floods of buses unloading hundreds of tourists, overflowing bins spilling their rubbish onto the asphalt, restaurants and shops with all their doors open spewing out their air conditioning...

In the shadow of the ancient ruins, our contemporary story unfolded, which I captured in vibrant images.