Family Photo Sketch Book: the Drakona Block

Drakona is my tiny village of approximately 100 people near Kolymbari in Chania, Crete. And the Drakona Block is an attempt to re-invent my village's story through a collaborative project between generations. The grandchildren and the children of the children portrayed in the photo by the sea apply colours and narrate stories they have heard. The stories intermix with the myths and the links between the past and the future become vivid and strong. This project was only possible through the trust that I gained from the family archive holders. In my village we all know each other. Our grandparents knew their grandparents. It is a strongly connected community where storytelling is a way to entertain and remember. My attempt is to save our village stories for the future generations; as a visual reference of trust, love and respect. Many thanks to the archive holders: Fyndikakis, Konsolakis, Voutsakis, Vassilantonakis, Stratoudakis, and Hatzidakis's families and to the creative children: Nikos, Sofia, Amalia, Konstantinos, Nikos, Irine, Maria, Kalliopi and Erigoni. In 2014 the project turned into a dummy, Family Photo Sketch Book: The Drakona Block, and was selected as a finalist for the 2014 Kassel International Photobook Dummy Award (exhibited in Goethe Institute-Ankara, MIA Image Art Fair-Milan, PhotoIreland-Dublin, IED-Madrid, The Photobook Museum-Cologne, Fotogaleriet-Oslo, Le Bal-Paris, Fotoleggendo-Rome, Paraty Em Foco-Paraty, Madalena Workshops-Sao Paolo, Athens Photo Festival-Athens.)