Echoes of the Swamp: A Landscape in Flux
by Ilias Koumoulidis
portfolio special mention call 'Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024', 2024
Category: Nature, Environment and Perspectives
The dried-up swamp in the area of Philippi, Kavala, Greece, tells a compelling story of the intersection between human intervention and the resilience of nature. Once a thriving wetland, the swamp was drained to make way for agricultural expansion, leaving behind soil strained by exhaustive cultivation and a landscape altered by human hands. Yet, in the winter months, heavy rains breathe life back into the land, transforming it once more into a swamp—a poignant reminder of nature's cyclical power and adaptability. This periodic flooding underscores the fragility of ecosystems in the face of human-driven changes and the escalating impacts of climate change, which intensify extreme weather patterns and disrupt natural rhythms. This photographic work seeks to capture the dialogue between the land’s altered identity and its enduring essence, prompting reflection on our role in shaping the environment and the necessity of nurturing a more sustainable coexistence with nature.
also from Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024