α- (a-) + τόπος (tópos, “place”)
Change is taking place in such rapid strides today that it leaves man with a sense of not belonging in his very own habitat. It almost feels as though, apart from the advances in every field of human activity, there is something else, far greater leaving its mark: a deep deconstruction.
This series aims to delve into the dramatic impact modern society has had on human nature, meaning record the fragments of its phenomenal growth as seen reflected onto man himself. It consists of photographs in which the place is non-existent. In this total absence of space, the focus is shifted towards a study of time and light. In fact, time seems to have devoured the human characteristics of the portrayed subjects, while at the same time the light is the element which reshapes them into their new form – alienated from their human one as we know it. Their features have faded almost into nothingness, to be reborn under a new system where only fleeting glimpses of their previous existence can be caught.
Lukas Vasilikos’ work explores the world itself based on what is real. What he wants to achieve is a reconstruction of the world, creating his own perception of reality. Lukas’ inspiration comes from everyday instances, which might be occurring in his own life or the lives of others. The means of achieving this is the observation of time and space, man and the urban environment he dwells in. Through observation, individual perception, refraining from realistic or facile approaches, he aims to portray what lies beyond the obvious. Color is an element of reality, thus the absence of color is a way of telling stories from a world which is dormant within the visible one. Photography is his own approach to waking up those stories and reciting them in his own language. In fact, he embarked on photography in order to express the way in which he perceives both his own individuality and as a member of an urban society. The camera is a mere instrument which helps him capture the feelings, thoughts, fears, inner suffering which are an integral part of the human condition, and depict them in his photos. His projects focus on family life, portraiture and deal with the concepts of memory and remembrance.
About Lukas Vasilikos
Lukas Vasilikos was born in 1975 and raised in Crete, Greece. In 1996 he moved to Athens, where he has lived and worked since. He embarked on photography in 2006. His photographs have been published in both Greek and foreign magazines and included in a number of publications. Among his artistic endeavors, Lukas has participated in “Depression Era”, a collective storytelling experiment, documenting untold stories in a mosaic of images and texts. In March 2014, the exhibition was displayed at Palais de Beax Arts (Bozar), Belgium, following a second display in DUPON gallery, Paris, in November 2014. Lukas is a member of Burn-my-eye Collective and the “Photography Circle”, a Greek non-profit cultural society. [Official Website]
