At the edge of Europe where West meets East. Borders, memory, landscape. Documentary practice as a tool of listening and presence in one of Greece's most layered territories.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Tychero, Thrace, Northern Greece — Hotel Thrassa eco-tourism hotel on the edge of the lake, near Alexandroupolis |
| Duration | 7 days (7 overnight stays) · May 4–11, 2026 |
| Disciplines | Documentary and landscape photographers, visual artists with a research-based practice — all levels |
| Price | €1,290 per person — most accessible Eutopia program |
| Max capacity | 12 participants |
| Curators | Antonis Pasvantis (Athens Photo World 2023 winner) + Stratos Kalafatis (Bernier/Eliades Gallery) |
| Accommodation | Hotel Thrassa — private rooms with private bathroom, lake views, eco-tourism setting |
| Meals | Breakfast included daily |
| Transport | ✓ Airport pickup from Alexandroupolis Airport + daily van transport to all field locations included |
| Excursions | ✓ Silk Museum of Soufli + 2-day excursion to Pomak villages of Xanthi + thermal springs |
| Exhibition | ✓ Collective exhibition / presentation of works at end of program |
| Deadline | 28 February 2026 |
Thrace is one of Europe's most layered territories — a crossroads since antiquity. From the Via Egnatia linking Rome to Constantinople, to the modern Greek-Turkish border, this land carries history in its landscape, its communities, and its silences.
The Evros River, the forests of Rhodope — mythical homeland of Orpheus — the smoke of abandoned tobacco warehouses that recall a cosmopolitan 20th century when Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived and prospered together. The last Alevi community in Greece. The silk heritage of Soufli. The Dadia Forest, one of Europe's most important habitats for birds of prey.
For a photographer, this is not a backdrop. It is a living archive — where ancient customs meet contemporary realities, and documentary practice becomes a tool of listening and presence.
Not imposed subjects — starting points. The field will take you where it takes you.
Tobacco warehouses, abandoned settlements, oral histories, refugee cultures from Asia Minor following the Treaty of Lausanne. A region that remembers what the maps have forgotten.
The Evros River as natural boundary. Greece's last Alevi community. Religious and cultural plurality that has survived centuries of political rupture. The human geography of edges.
The Dadia Forest — one of Europe's most important habitats for birds of prey. The Rhodope Mountains dense with Orphic echoes. Rivers, wetlands, and the relationship between people, nature, and animals.
Women's clothing and textile traditions. Local customs and ceremonies. The Silk Road heritage of Soufli — a town that once produced silk for all of Greece and exported it across Europe.
Thrace as a permanent crossing point — ancient routes, 20th-century population exchanges, contemporary movement. The human condition at the edges of nation-states.
Documentary and fiction techniques are encouraged to coexist. What you see in this territory, what draws you, what resists your lens — this is the real subject of the residency.
Brief introduction to the day's focus. Guidance on observation and research. Departure by van to field locations — villages, forests, rivers, communities. The morning belongs to looking.
Return to the hotel. Rest. Editing, sequencing, and organizing the material produced during the day. Individual time with your images — understanding what you found before going back out.
Image reviews and open dialogue with the curators. Reflection on individual work and preparation for the next day's field. The evening belongs to the group — honest, curious, without hierarchy.
Application deadline: 28 February 2026. We issue invitation letters for funding applications in your home country.
Antonis has spent years documenting life along the Greek-Turkish border. Stratos has photographed the spiritual and geographic landscapes of northern Greece for three decades. Together they bring different eyes to the same territory.
Artist and photographer whose work explores the impact of borders — geographical, social, and psychological — on human lives. His practice focuses on vulnerable populations, minorities, and small communities. Balancing documentary photography with symbolism and fiction. His book Evros, Life on the Banks documents life along the Greek-Turkish border.
antoniospasvantis.com →
Born in Kavala, studied at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Over 30 years presenting work at galleries, museums, festivals, and art events worldwide. Photobooks published by Agra: Archetypal Images (1999), Athos / The Colours of Faith (2014, 2018), Archipelago (2017).
stratoskalafatis.com →
A charming eco-tourism hotel on the edge of Lake Tychero, nestled in the heart of Thrace. The hotel offers a serene retreat immersed in nature — quiet mornings and reflective evenings that support the work of documentary photography.
Traditionally furnished rooms with private balconies and panoramic lake views. Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, private bathrooms. A bar with fireplace and garden areas serve as informal gathering points for reflection and exchange between sessions.
The lake setting offers optional activities: gentle walks, boat rides, horseback excursions. But the hotel's main gift is quiet — a base from which to return from the intensity of the field and let the images settle.
Deadline: 28 February 2026.
Write to us for anything else.
alex@eutopiaart.com
The program focuses on research, observation, and fieldwork. There are no required outcomes. What matters is genuine curiosity about the territory and a commitment to developing your personal documentary vision. Antonis and Stratos adapt their guidance to each artist's level and approach.
The residency is completely tool-agnostic. Film or digital, large format or phone — what matters is your gaze, not your gear. Bring what you normally work with. Bring hard drives for backup. Bring a laptop if you edit digitally. The curators work across formats themselves.
Fly to Alexandroupolis Airport (Dimokritos) — direct connections from Athens and Thessaloniki. Once you land, we provide pickup and transport to Hotel Thrassa. Detailed instructions are sent to all accepted participants before arrival.
The guided fieldwork, daily van transport, and group image reviews form the core of the residency. Participation is strongly encouraged — this is an intensive 7-day program and the group experience is central to it. Individual work time is built in during afternoons.
If the program is canceled by Eutopia, all advance payments are fully refunded. If a participant cancels, advance payments are non-refundable unless the spot is filled by another artist from the waiting list.
7 days. 12 participants. €1,290. The most accessible way to enter the Eutopia network. Deadline: 28 February 2026.
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