Gomma Photography Grant 2021
Alchemy
Photographer
Elena Kollatou & Leonidas Toumpanos
Alchemy
01 Feb, 2022
Alchemy is a mixed media ongoing project about gold mining in Halkidiki, a controversial investment that has disrupted the local community and provoked political controversy. The exploitation of the country’s mineral wealth is projected as the most reasonable solution to deal with the economic crisis that plagues Greece. The Greek state has ceded its mining rights over 31.700 ha of land in northern Halkidiki, a region rich in gold, copper and other metals, to the Canadian multinational company Eldorado Gold. However, many of the region’s inhabitants, who have been resisting the construction of a goldmine for years, claim that this investment will cause irreparable damage to the environment and the benefits will be fewer than the losses. The main controversy is the environmental damages in the area. The effects of metallurgy on air, water and soil are significant. The visual effects in the area due to the alteration of the basic characteristics of the landscape (Formation - Shape - Color - Texture) is a key issue.
About the photographer
Elena Kollatou & Leonidas Toumpanos
Elena Kollatou and Leonidas Toumpanos are a photographic duo working collaboratively on long-term projects. As a duo, they participate in-group exhibitions and publish their work in international magazines and websites. Elena holds a BA(HONS) Degree On Photography and Film from Edinburgh Napier University and Leonidas a Masters on Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from University of Arts in London. Their practice focuses on investigating energy and society related topics, researching a project in depth before proceeding in making pictures. Together they explore the possibilities of representation and our relationship to reality, approaching subjects with a fluid documentary style, following varied ways of production and process-based interventions with the aim to raise questions to the viewers. Awards 2019 Open Wall Arles, British Journal of Photography, Arles, France 2019 Head On Festival, Paddington, Sydney, Australia 2018 Photohastings Shutter Hub Award, Photo Fringe, Brighton UK 2018 Encontros da Imagem, Self Publish books, Braga, Portugal 2017 Manifesto photo festival, Toulouse, France 2017 Rovinj photo days, Croatia 2016 Brighton Photo Fringe Festival, UK 2016 Athens Photo Festival, Greece 2014 M.I.F.A AWARDS (Moscow International photo awards), Russia 2014 E.S.P.Y Awards, UK 2011 Young Greek photographer, Greece 2011 15th Biennale of young Mediterranean Artists Exhibitions 2020 Fotolimo Festival XS, France/Spain 2020 Helsinki Photo Festival, Finland 2019 Plauteau 034, Zoetrope, Athens, Greece 2019 Athens Photo Festival, Photobook exhibition, Athens, Greece 2019 MOMus-Museum of Photography,Thessaloniki, Greece 2017 Beyond Borders, Lower Gallery, U.A.L, London 2016 Lochgelly Arts Centre Fife, Scotland 2015 China Lishui Photography Festival 2015 Creative Debuts Showcase Ten, Black and White space, London 2014 Greek Film and Photo week Festival, Toronto, Canada 2014 'NAUTILUS' BOZAR NAVIGATING GREECE, Brussels 2013 Solo Exhibition K.E.T Athens, Greece 2013 Lochgelly Arts Centre Fife, Scotland 2012 Photo Space Gallery, Scotland
