In recent times, as the urban landscape changes under the socioeconomic impact of migration and the breaking down of borders, and as uniformity precipitates a loss of individual identity and character, there is a continual process of definition and redefinition of home and belonging. This is particularly felt in societies with strong cultural roots such as Greece, which has been impacted by the dramatic transformation of its original culture following the country’s induction into the EU.

As an immigrant to the U.S. my work has always been influenced by Identity- personal, and with regards to culture / place of origin. I was born grew up in an Athens suburb. Our family lived in a close-knit neighborhood that was originally lined with mulberry trees. There, they supported each other through war, famine, joys and sorrows for decades. Through the years, urbanization, overpopulation, and rampant development steadily changed Athens into a gigantic cement metropolis. Tall, similar apartment buildings replaced old single-family dwellings thereby turning the city into an impersonal place of relentless uniformity. Following this trend, the house was demolished in the Spring of 2011.

In project “SPITI” (Greek: house) I was going to document the house and then follow the process through its different stages - from tear down to the completion of the mega structure for a large installation. My goal was to incite discourse about the preservation and/ or redefinition of personal and cultural identity in a globalized, homogenized era. This project was to document a transition and address the larger questions: how do we relate to home and place in an era of multi-ethnicity? How is a United Europe impacting the cultural landscape? And ultimately how are our world’s changes affecting our sense of self and of belonging? Although I have dozens of photos from the house up to demolition, the project is yet to be realized since construction has yet to begin.