“THALASSA” | PEOPLE OF THE SEA
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
NÍKOS ALIÁGAS
BY JOSÉ JEULAND
“Thalassa” | People of the Sea
A unique photography collection exhibited at the open-air Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes.
JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2020.
Art Market Magazine: Hello, Níkos! First, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Here’s what I know about you; You were born in Paris, and you are a French with Greek origins. You are a renowned figure on French TV and in France and Greece altogether. Having started your career as a journalist in 1993, you’ve gone beyond the profession’s traditional boundaries and on to being a Radio presenter, writer, host and a producer. Have I missed anything?
Níkos Aliágas : Nope, you’ve got them right!
I would consider myself to be a curious man. I have had many interests along the way. I don’t believe in just having one job at any one time, and I enjoy exploring various activities. I’ve also always been into photography.
A.M.: You are very engaged with the Greek culture. In the past few years, you were awarded several important awards, including the MEDIA award given “to those who stood in the field of communication for their invaluable offer in the spread of Greek culture and the diffusion of the Greek ideas, values , and spirit worldwide.”
In 2019 your work was exhibited at Christie’s France with over thirty photographs for sale. You just came back from Cannes, where a significant collection is shown at the open-air Boulevard de la Croisette.
Can you tell us about this unique exhibition, “Thalassa- PEOPLE OF THE SEA” in Cannes?
N. A.: I frequently connected with strangers, and I knew I had to realize the experience that came by. I may or may not had taken pictures during these experiences, but I knew I had to live in the moment. Truth be told, when you have these moments, you’ll feel the freest!
The sea people are alike, have observed the same horizon line for millennia, breathe the same sky embalmed with prayer and mystery, and hear the same winds whispering strange omens they have recognized from childhood.
The people of the sea carry within them ancestral myths and gods from another time; the versatile spirit of men hardly affects them; between heaven and earth, they know full well that the world is perpetual movement and that nothing freezes forever under the sun.
An old fisherman from the Mediterranean told me that “the most impressive sandcastles turn back to mere grains of salt and earth when the tide recovers.” The man untangled his net’s cracks, indifferent to his time’s sounds, gazing into the distance as if awaiting a signal from elsewhere.
Here and there, the eternal promise of a departure or a return.
Thalassa – a Greek word that has existed for thousands of years is designated the sea and an idea that redraws our certainties’ contours. The image then takes on a poetic dimension, and a creative breath transforms the dancer of the present into yesterday’s existence.
I watch these carefree teenagers sculpting their youth’s alacrity in front of the sea, and I imagine them, Homeric heroes. I greet the old man covered in mud on the lagoon, and he becomes a statue in my lens.
The people of the sea, both conqueror and conquered, never forget that the look does not say everything.
It is undoubtedly for this reason that they have never abandoned the dream, this secret music that opens the door of possibilities, between light and shadow.
I was born in France to Greek parents, and the Hellenic culture has always been an endless inspiration for me.
In black and white, Greece sends me back to a timeless dimension, to a place where yesterday’s human being finds himself aligned with the essential. And it is precisely the sea that connects this dimension, the sea as a natural baseline where passing humans do not fear travel.
Is it not the poet Constantine P. Cavafy who speaks about it best in Ithaka?
“As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon — don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body…”.
Greek poets and philosophers are my compasses; it helps me not get lost in the contemporary world’s paradoxes. In the images that I recognize behind my lens, it is not only the scent of a country that I rediscovered but also the distant echo of our ancestors—children of the sea and souls of peace.
I have an exceptional job, one I hold dear to heart.
I’ve been exposed to various media types along the way, but photography inspires me in my personal life. I needed to explore this art, not to become a professional for the status or to prove something, but rather to share and live the power that’s in the action of taking a picture.
It is not my main job; I do exhibitions, sell prints, etc. But, it is not the end goal. The goal is understanding a story and telling it without making mistakes. I need human connection and have always been on
a quest in my own life and personal heritage, tapping onto my two cultures. I’m interested in people and like to discover our common interests, even if we do not speak the same language or do not have the same God.
A.M.: How important is photography to you? What significance does it have in your life?
N. A.: To me, the most beautiful pictures are the ones I see when I don’t have a camera with me; when all I have are my eyes. In fact, the best pictures are the ones that we don’t usually see in a frame. They are ultimately invisible – except for through humanity and destiny.
It doesn’t quite work out when I try to stage my pictures, even at the studio. The urgency of the unexpected pushes me to understand something with intuition and try it without overthinking it. It is exactly what I say to young protégés who are keen to explore a career as presenters. The key is not to have plans and to follow your instincts simply.
Destiny – If you miss an opportunity to take your photo, it does not matter. I believe it’s the God of Photography above who puts us on the right path [both laughing]. There were many times when I was in the presence of big celebrities, and with that pressure around me, I didn’t end up with great pictures due to overthinking my techniques.
When I’m in the right place with all the right factors – personal environment, geography, psychological state – my photos turn out great, each time! I think embracing the unexpected is something to hold on to with a few thoughts in the situation’s mystic side.
Yesterday, I saw a kid skateboarding just in front of the Eiffel Tower on my way back from an interview by Trocadero.
I had my camera with me, and I asked the boy if I could take a picture of him, and he shrugged his shoulders – so I let him do what he did best while I shot a couple of pictures. He did not recognize me as I was wearing a mask and a hat. After I was done, I showed him the images, and he said they were cool and wanted to do it again. Unfortunately, I had to decline his offer, as I saw no sense in reliving the moment. The pictures that were taken were unique, with the boy up in the air and a bird flying in the background. It is unexpected. It is destiny.
A.M.: Your photography book, “L’Épreuve du temps,” is poetic with a certain melancholy to it. It’s engaging us in a philosophy that embraces us into a wobble of lights and shadow through open-mindedness. The presence of time is a dominant factor in your book. Please, tell us more about that.
N. A.: I have an obsession with time. Like in the Thrace region in the north of Greece, I photographed an older man who went through several wars, a stonemason of 90 years old. He was a musician of traditional corn muse.
When I photographed him, I didn’t know who he was. I met him in the streets, and he showed me to his house; he told me all about his life, the poesy of childhood, his wife – and I even recorded our conversation for four hours.
I wanted to protect his stories not to let them be forgotten, but rather, to keep them alive. Unfortunately, he passed away six months later. Someone found a picture of him that I published on my platforms.
Only after he left, I learned that he was a renowned musician in the region and that he was a highly respected hero of war. He did tell me some of these things in a very humble way by minimizing his heroism. I met him by chance, and my picture was the last testimonial of him. I took it as a form of tribute.
Time tells you why you were there, to begin with, and answers all the “Why” questions. Why was he someone that came to my attention? Why did I meet him? Why was he so special to me?
I immortalized this man without both him and myself knowing. I photographed his hands, listened to his childhood dreams, and kept him a more alive than he already was.
Today, when I look back on these photographs, it is intense. I rediscover these images differently and learn new things as I flip through. It’s never just lucked to be somewhere at some time!
When I’m with my camera, I feel different: my senses are tenfold, and what I hear and see is essential for ‘catching truths’ – moments that I will forever remember.
It was interesting how, in my most recent big exhibition, I took many images without any intention of exhibiting them. They were mostly photographed based on emotions or reasons of other sorts. When I see my work exhibited and on display, I see it in a very precious way, and I do not want to professionalize it. I’m already a professional TV presenter, journalist, Radio presenter – I’m happy to have photography by my side, purely for joy. But I do miss time.
A.M.: What about spirituality and religion?
N. A.: I’m interested in the reasons why people are united, the existence of a connection between them, and so on.
I want to know whether it was granted by something bigger than all of us. It does not matter which God it was; it only matters why. I have experienced various religious celebrations during my travels, and due to my home environment, it has always been emotional in all sorts of conditions. (Nikos religion is orthodox)
A.M.: Do you believe that hands tell stories?
N. A.: The hands tell the truth, and they never lie. Your face is something you can change, even take through surgery to look different. Your hands, on the other hand, will never cheat. They say everything, and even tell you about your life, lifestyle, and heritage. One of my favorite subjects in photography is the hands. I’m guessing I got my inspiration from my father, who was into manual labor. I have similar hands to those of my father. When I wear my father’s rings, and when I look at my hands, I feel that they are the same as his. Ever since I was a kid, I have observed the hands of my father working.
This came as a natural interest to me, and I now enjoy taking photographs of older people’s hands.
A.M.: Do you photograph alone, or you prefer to be with people?
N. A.: Most of the time, I photograph alone. I get assistance only when I have a commissioned shoot that I need to use gears for. Personally, I feel more comfortable by myself, with the ability to focus when I do not have to manage others.
I don’t believe that the photographer can be a spectator.
The photographer anticipates movement based on what he hears, and you are a part of the scene. I’ve always been working with a tight schedule, and I often have a very limited amount of time for photography on my hands.
With photography, I’ve learned to be patient. Sometimes, I can have an hour of free time to analyze where I’m at and to understand the situation, maybe even take a few pictures when I feel that the time is right. One important quality of photography is to be patient. I don’t have the luxury of time, but I do enjoy setting aside some time for photography.
I like walking, listening, smelling, and embracing my emotions. Without these, I wouldn’t be able to take good photographs.
A.M.: During quarantine, many artists are active online or are working on personal projects. Have you done things related to photography recently? Maybe photographed your family or worked on some new projects?
N. A.: It took ten days before I decided to leave my house, and I was humbled by the situation. On my first day out to the grocery store, I saw Paris’ empty streets. On my second day trip to purchase some necessities, I took some photos on the way out on the streets, and it was extraordinary.
I’ve never seen Paris like this, with no soul in sight. I’ve photographed members of my family many times, although, it will never be enough!
I tried to look for pictures of my dad as I wasn’t in the mood to look for images related to work.
I wanted to look through and reminisce older times – basically, to look for photographs of people who are no longer with us.
I called people that I did not call for a long time just to tell them that I’m thinking of them and that I love them. Personally, I was in a spiritual mood; I classified my achievements and saw pictures of people and places that I’ve long forgotten about. The unique situation of confinement pushed me to analyze and reflect on what it is essential to me, the notion of time – being connected to the truths. I hope to be more far-sighted and more emotionally connected after this pandemic situation. It is time for me to embrace my fragility and mortality.
Keeping a photograph is keeping the person alive.
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