Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur
Crete’s strategic location exposed the island to siege and piracy continuously during the centuries: this fact pushed local people to the mountainous interior of the island to protect themselves from the pirates’ assaults across the seaside. More or less until the 70’s that tourism appeared here, the Cretans’ character, life and customs were much more related to the mountains rather than the sea.
These photos are a kind of observation at the dyadic nature of Minotaur’s island , this key-shaped mountain that was planted in the Mediterranean sea.
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
After the 70’s , in the name of quick profit, the mainstream “glamour” propaganda and the brutal touristic development are echoing everywhere across the land here… Crete, despite its long history, is represented almost solely as a place of blue sea, sun, mediterranean cuisine and romantic sunsets.
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
My view wouldn’t possibly be an appealing reason for someone to visit Crete, I guess it’s on the opposite side of what a simple google search would show for this place. My island is the only place I will never have the chance to see how it looks like in the eyes of a stranger. At the same time I often feel like a stranger here , surrounded by this “tourismus über alles” mentality .
This project is my reaction against the “glamour” that a place’s economy needs to advertise in order to sell a “prestigious” touristic product.
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
© Charalampos Kydonakis, from the series “Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur”
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