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Nikos Kasseris
Rhodes’ image maker
His photographs of Greece, but mainly of the
Dodecanese and Rhodes, have become the
country’s shining ambassadors throughout the
world. | Οι φωτογραφίες του από την Ελλάδα, και
κυρίως από τα Δωδεκάνησα και τη Ρόδο, έγιναν
λαμπεροί πρεσβευτές της χώρας σε όλον τον κόσμο.
Interview by Elena Siampou
© ZORAN GAJIC His lens has captured almost all of at a particular moment, and be genuinely moved. I Islands to Macedonia and Thrace.
Greece for travel guides and in- have been living in the Medieval Town for over 15 Where did you learn the art of photography?
ternational tourism agencies’ bro- years, and I have a photograph of one its corners that In 1973 I had the fortune of serving in Larissa at
chures. But Rhodes and the Dode- acquired interest owing to the light of the moment. the Aerial Photography Interpretation Center, at
canese hold a special place in his What is your favourite subject matter? the time the country’s most contemporary photo
artistic glance, as reflected in his books and exhibi- As I said, I essentially work with light. However, I lab after Kodak’s. In just one and a half months I
tions around the world. Looking beyond the obvi- also take pictures of places I find interesting (ar- learned the techniques of taking and printing pic-
ous relationship with his homeland, this conversation chaeological sites, a port in Rhodes in construction tures! Until then, the dark room was a secret to me.
with Nikos Kasseris reveals his insatiable passion for since 1964 that has yet to be completed). The vil- For that reason, in 1985, when I was working at the
capturing the perpetually elusive – light and time – lage of Olympos in Karpathos, which I have been Bank of Greece and in collaboration with the Mu-
but also an artistic perspicacity he has developed since photographing since 1981, is one of those places. nicipality of Rhodes, we organised the first pho-
his youth with unabating persistence and devotion. I do not think anyone has worked on a place so tography seminars where I taught for free during
much, as I have with Olympos. It is a more per- the afternoons –because I strongly believed that
Youstudiedeconomics.Whydid youchangepaths? sonal work, one that I have not yet exhibited, on- the dark room should not be dark but «open» to
I did not change paths after my studies. On the con- ly in sections. You can clearly trace the evolution as many people as possible.
trary, I changed everything for photography. Upon and changes that have taken place in the land and Who has influenced you the most?
finishing high school I found myself with a camera the people over time. It is characteristic that while The first was the iconic photographer Josef Koudel-
in my hands and from that moment, I never stopped they used to get annoyed when they saw a photog- ka. When I first met him in Karpathos, in 1984, I
taking pictures. However, I studied economics at rapher, today, not only do they accept being pho- did not know who he was but, of course, after get-
the «Higher School for Industrial Studies» because tographed but they even get upset when you do not ting to know him, he greatly influenced my profes-
there were no photography courses in the 1970s. In take their picture. The last time I photographed sional life. The second person, also a great photog-
time, I gave up a position at the Bank of Greece and Olympos I was with Nikos Economopoulos and I rapher, is Nikos Economopoulos, with whom I later
a teaching position to devote myself to photography. said, «Niko, I think I will close with this picture» collaborated on two books, one on Thrace (along
Out of all the art forms, why photography? –it features a woman from Karpathos, Anna Zo- with Tasos Vrettos) and one on Rhodes (with Peter
Photography – just like cinema – is a relatively new grafidis, milking a goat with one hand and talking Marlow and Ferdinando Scianna). I feel very fortu-
art form –compared to painting for example. The on her mobile phone with the other, while a sec- nate to have met people I deeply respect.
fact that in recent years photography has become ond mobile phone hangs from her belt! (photo) Re- What are your plans for the future?
very democratic is also extremely interesting: anyone cently, my interest is in historical photography and At the moment, I am preparing a big exhibition called
can raise a camera or a telephone and take a picture. especially Byzantine icon painting, on the occasion Suspended Landscapes, curated by the internation-
Moreover, contrary to video that requires collabo- of my collaboration with the Research Centre for ally acclaimed art critic Eleni Varopoulos. It will be
rative work, photography is more of a lonely sport. Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art of the Academy inaugurated at the Museum of Modern Greek Art
What makes a photograph significant? of Athens (initially with Professor Manolis Hatz- of the Municipality of Rhodes on 5 August. But my
First of all the subject. Then, the light –it is never the idakis and now with Professor Panagiotis Votoko- dream is to complete the Cultural Center - Art Ho-
same. You may walk by the same place all the time poulos) that aims to record such works through- tel I have been working on since 1997, in a privately
and suddenly view the light from a different angle, out Greece, from the Dodecanese and the Ionian owned space in Rhodes’ Medieval Town.
39
Rhodes’ image maker
His photographs of Greece, but mainly of the
Dodecanese and Rhodes, have become the
country’s shining ambassadors throughout the
world. | Οι φωτογραφίες του από την Ελλάδα, και
κυρίως από τα Δωδεκάνησα και τη Ρόδο, έγιναν
λαμπεροί πρεσβευτές της χώρας σε όλον τον κόσμο.
Interview by Elena Siampou
© ZORAN GAJIC His lens has captured almost all of at a particular moment, and be genuinely moved. I Islands to Macedonia and Thrace.
Greece for travel guides and in- have been living in the Medieval Town for over 15 Where did you learn the art of photography?
ternational tourism agencies’ bro- years, and I have a photograph of one its corners that In 1973 I had the fortune of serving in Larissa at
chures. But Rhodes and the Dode- acquired interest owing to the light of the moment. the Aerial Photography Interpretation Center, at
canese hold a special place in his What is your favourite subject matter? the time the country’s most contemporary photo
artistic glance, as reflected in his books and exhibi- As I said, I essentially work with light. However, I lab after Kodak’s. In just one and a half months I
tions around the world. Looking beyond the obvi- also take pictures of places I find interesting (ar- learned the techniques of taking and printing pic-
ous relationship with his homeland, this conversation chaeological sites, a port in Rhodes in construction tures! Until then, the dark room was a secret to me.
with Nikos Kasseris reveals his insatiable passion for since 1964 that has yet to be completed). The vil- For that reason, in 1985, when I was working at the
capturing the perpetually elusive – light and time – lage of Olympos in Karpathos, which I have been Bank of Greece and in collaboration with the Mu-
but also an artistic perspicacity he has developed since photographing since 1981, is one of those places. nicipality of Rhodes, we organised the first pho-
his youth with unabating persistence and devotion. I do not think anyone has worked on a place so tography seminars where I taught for free during
much, as I have with Olympos. It is a more per- the afternoons –because I strongly believed that
Youstudiedeconomics.Whydid youchangepaths? sonal work, one that I have not yet exhibited, on- the dark room should not be dark but «open» to
I did not change paths after my studies. On the con- ly in sections. You can clearly trace the evolution as many people as possible.
trary, I changed everything for photography. Upon and changes that have taken place in the land and Who has influenced you the most?
finishing high school I found myself with a camera the people over time. It is characteristic that while The first was the iconic photographer Josef Koudel-
in my hands and from that moment, I never stopped they used to get annoyed when they saw a photog- ka. When I first met him in Karpathos, in 1984, I
taking pictures. However, I studied economics at rapher, today, not only do they accept being pho- did not know who he was but, of course, after get-
the «Higher School for Industrial Studies» because tographed but they even get upset when you do not ting to know him, he greatly influenced my profes-
there were no photography courses in the 1970s. In take their picture. The last time I photographed sional life. The second person, also a great photog-
time, I gave up a position at the Bank of Greece and Olympos I was with Nikos Economopoulos and I rapher, is Nikos Economopoulos, with whom I later
a teaching position to devote myself to photography. said, «Niko, I think I will close with this picture» collaborated on two books, one on Thrace (along
Out of all the art forms, why photography? –it features a woman from Karpathos, Anna Zo- with Tasos Vrettos) and one on Rhodes (with Peter
Photography – just like cinema – is a relatively new grafidis, milking a goat with one hand and talking Marlow and Ferdinando Scianna). I feel very fortu-
art form –compared to painting for example. The on her mobile phone with the other, while a sec- nate to have met people I deeply respect.
fact that in recent years photography has become ond mobile phone hangs from her belt! (photo) Re- What are your plans for the future?
very democratic is also extremely interesting: anyone cently, my interest is in historical photography and At the moment, I am preparing a big exhibition called
can raise a camera or a telephone and take a picture. especially Byzantine icon painting, on the occasion Suspended Landscapes, curated by the internation-
Moreover, contrary to video that requires collabo- of my collaboration with the Research Centre for ally acclaimed art critic Eleni Varopoulos. It will be
rative work, photography is more of a lonely sport. Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art of the Academy inaugurated at the Museum of Modern Greek Art
What makes a photograph significant? of Athens (initially with Professor Manolis Hatz- of the Municipality of Rhodes on 5 August. But my
First of all the subject. Then, the light –it is never the idakis and now with Professor Panagiotis Votoko- dream is to complete the Cultural Center - Art Ho-
same. You may walk by the same place all the time poulos) that aims to record such works through- tel I have been working on since 1997, in a privately
and suddenly view the light from a different angle, out Greece, from the Dodecanese and the Ionian owned space in Rhodes’ Medieval Town.
39
