The Voice of the Cicada
Vassilis Vasileiou
2023 — Greece
About this series
I reside in the southern suburbs of Athens, Greece, an area steeped in ancient history and nowadays characterized by material abundance and luxurious lifestyle. However, this seemingly idyllic setting is paradoxically marked by fortified boundaries, barbed fences, and vigilant surveillance, transforming homes into barricades and streets into an urban “no-man’s land.” This intriguing backdrop compels me to question the true nature of my personal comfort zone: Are protection and restriction two sides of the same coin? Through my artistic documentation of the paradoxical elements embedded in my daily life, I embark on a quest for self-understanding and explore existential inquiries. As I weave together these disparate elements, they coalesce into heterotopias, extracted from their original contexts and presented through a fresh lens, offering novel perspectives and thought-provoking commentary on existing societal norms. Drawing inspiration from the documentary genre, I distill reality, creating a visual testament to my ongoing endeavor of reconstructing the environment and capturing the essence of what surrounds me. Within this realm, my protagonists, as alternate versions of my own self, reside in a realm of affluence, enclosed within vibrant, dazzling bubbles. They exist in a state of both observing and being observed, akin to fireflies in a sealed jar filled with sugar water.
Photographer: Vassilis Vasileiou
Nationality: Greek
Based in: Athens, Greece
Website: www.vasileiou.photo
Instagram: @vassilis.vasileiou
Vassilis was born in Athens in 1983.
He holds a degree in law from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and an LL.M. degree from the Ludwig Maximillians University of Munich. His photographic work has been featured in online and printed magazines (BROAD, C41, SEEN, Artdoc Magazine) and has been acknowledged through exhibitions and awards in Greece and abroad (Fresh Eyes Talent 2022, IMA next awards, Urbanautica Institute Awards, Photometria Festival). He continues to balance his professional life as a corporate lawyer with his creative endeavors and his lovely wife and two kids.