MICHAEL PAPPAS

Exploring the faith and community of Greece’s extraordinary folk culture.

Mitos / The Thread of Greece

The Mitos Project started in 2019 and is an ongoing ethnographic tribute that focuses on local costumes throughout Greece. The thread takes on symbolic dimensions and seeks to highlight popular culture and folk art seen in a contemporary context. The natural and cultural environment is the background that is associated with the “costumes” while the protagonists are always the people.

Through this project, it is claimed the promotion of the beauty of the Greek folk culture that concerns both the simplicity and the splendor of the form of clothing as a central theme. The content has a multitude of meanings and is related to the social, historical, economic, and cultural context, to networks of relationships, to struggles, and the construction of identities. In addition, natural space and architecture are dominant elements in the image.

The peculiarity of this photographic work lies in its modern view, through the people who have kept their clothes as heirlooms and pass them on to the next generation while using them on customary and festive occasions spontaneously, updating the mechanisms of tradition as a process.

A thread that interconnects us with our past!



Ethos / Another Side of Greece

Greek civilisation isn’t just about monuments and myth.

Customs whose origins are lost in the mists of time and cultural practices that have been observed since Homer’s day. Fascinating and peculiar traditions tied to different clans and localities, with multiple layers of social, economic and ritual significance. Rites inextricably connected with specific places and communities.

These are the deep roots of Greek culture. They live on in customs and local traditions…from Crete to Macedonia and the Aegean to the Ionian islands, the wealth, diversity and colour of this country’s customs and traditions will astound you.

Ethnic diversity and tradition in Greece.

They all make a fascinating mosaic of tribes, some nomadic, some indigenous, some from former ancient colonies, who eventually settled in Greece.

The result?

A uniquely diverse population for such a small country.

Michael Pappas make images of this customs and traditional events in Greece. His images are being published internationally, including VOGUE, New York Times, National Geographic, VICE US and more. The exhibition at the Benaki Museum presented for the first time to the Athenian public, images that the photographer have made over the last 10 years during his visits to traditional events in Greece.

His love of human-centered pictures, as well as rural Greece, prompted to create images during local traditional events and to produce a more experiential work. His goal is to see all these traditional events up close so that he can show them to the general public through the art of photography.



Mitos on VOGUE

SPOTLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER by VOGUE for the Mitos Project. 2022-2023.

The Mitos Project started in 2019 and is an ongoing ethnographic tribute that focuses on local women costumes throughout Greece.



LFI Michael Pappas

LEICA MASTER SHOT


PUBLICATIONS



COLLACTABLE PRINTS

A collection of iconic photos from the Mitos Project.
These prints offer the opportunity to own a piece of Mitos Project history in a market-defining format.

Mitos Project
Collactable Prints


BEST IN PRINT 2022

Best in Print
The Book of Ten
2022


MITOS PHOTOS BOX

Get a license for presentation rights and create your own exhibition!

USA. Boston.

About
Mitos Photos Box is an innovative and affordable solution for institutions, companies and organisations, to educate and bring awareness to the causes they are passionate about and are aligned with. It’s easy, flexible and interactive display methods allow you to create your own exhibition catered to your own space.

Specification
Each box contains prints and the license to the presentation rights of this exhibition for a duration of one year.

Please note, there are limited sets of this Mitos Photos Box licensed globally. We work strictly on a first come, first serve basis.

Collaborations:
– Mitos Photos Box at Olympic Stadium of Athens. 2021.
– Mitos Photos Box at Photometria Photography Center. 2021.
– Mitos Photos Box at Bar Vlaha. Boston. USA. 2023.



EXHIBITIONS

EXHIBITIONS
-THE BENAKI MUSEUM OF GREEK CULTURE. GREECE. ATHENS. NOV6 2018 – JAN13 2019. ETHOS.

-MUSEE FRAGONARD. FRANCE. GRASSE. MAY25 – SEP22, 2019. ETHOS.

-PHOTOMETRIA PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER. 2021. MITOS.

PERMANENT EXHIBITION
-OLYMPIC ATHLETIC CENTER OF ATHENS ‘SPIROS LOUIS’. 2021. MITOS PHOTOS BOX.



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