“The walls change meaning and purpose depending on who is behind them”.
H.Murakami
As we all know, a photograph has the power to tell both the truth and a lie at the very same moment. Yet its real magic lies in its ability to transcend reality.
As the years pass, I realize that I am drawn to using photography as a tool to create new worlds and realities that come to life through my imagination and vision. The clash between opposite concepts—such as the real and the non-existent, the light and the shadows, and the movement and the stillness—creates a new dimension for me, which I find fascinating. With the Wonderwall series, I attempt to retrieve forgotten memories and feelings from fragments of my life and personal history through dreamlike snapshots. I try to connect the moments, memories, sounds, colors, words, and emotions that have been lost in the vortex of the past with my present. Stories float through time and space, while some wait patiently in the shadows for the chance to resurface. It is an attempt to overcome the fragility of memory.
Mystery—both the invisible and the visible—challenges us to interpret it. It places us in the process of deconstructing what we see and reconstructing a new image, a new story, and a more intimate and personal reality. What is revealed is something entirely new each time. Each image has its own code and identity, but its interpretation differs for each of us. Reality is turned upside down and challenged in every image. Nevertheless, my purpose is not to guide the viewer’s thoughts and feelings, but to “charge” their mind to find meaning and interpret the images according to their own character and experiences.
I started shooting Wonderwall in February 2023. It is a series of images that references a world that does not exist. In order to create this body of work, I used a projector to cast my commemorative photos onto familiar environments (mostly walls) in my everyday life, and then re-photographed them. Through this process, I may be trying to escape my past—or perhaps, deep down, I am seeking to return to those places or relive those moments. This is my invitation to the viewer to join me in my dream universe.
About Afroditi Diamantopoulou
Afroditi Diamantopoulou is a former banking executive, born and raised in Athens, Greece. She has been systematically engaged in photography since 2015, attending various seminars. Her first contact with photographic art came through an e-learning program, after which she participated in seminars at Spirto with Yannis Fafoutakis, at the Hellenic Center of Photography with Natasha Christia, and also with Sofia Dalamagka. Since 2017, she has been attending the photography workshop of the Municipality of Chalandri, taught by Babis Kougemitros.
In addition to attending seminars, she has conducted extensive research on her own, which has helped her not only become more familiar with her camera but also discover the work of numerous classical and contemporary photographers. Concurrently, she has had the opportunity to work on and experiment with various projects, receiving constructive feedback that has enriched her practice. Her photographs have been exhibited in group shows and festivals in Greece and abroad.[Official Website]
