Photography Exhibition
“Carpe Diem or Seize the Day”
by Christoforos Doulgeris
“Carpe Diem or Seize the Day”
The Santorini Arts Factory (S.A.F) and the Tomato Industrial Museum “D. Nomikos” invite you to the exhibition “Carpe Diem or Seize the Day” by Christoforos Doulgeris, hosted in the old tomato factory’s warehouses.
The artist presents a body of photographic work collected over the course of a year, capturing remnants and traces of the tomato industry in Santorini. His photographs document scenes from the nine tomato factories that once operated on the island. The images offer a theatrical and poetic depiction of the past and present of Santorini’s tomato factories. Traces and signs of the tomato industry’s past reemerge in an artistic dialogue with reality, shedding light on its often unseen aspects.
The exhibition features large-scale photographic prints as well as an oversized installation, designed to offer viewers a partial yet life-sized representation of a tomato factory.
Christoforos Doulgeris
In these photographs, I capture machines that are no longer in operation. In a sense, they replace their practical function with one of self-exhibition. They are presented for the first time as protagonists on a stage, carrying with them important information and fragments of historical memory. Freed from the production line, these machines now take on an autonomous role, directed by the photographer, among decaying materials and the very space that shelters them.
Beyond mere documentation, the photographer employs new visual elements to provoke a reconstruction. Using specialized lighting and a distinct scenography, each machine is assigned a new role. The work explores the notion of time, as the machines are “revived” and granted a little more duration in their functional life.
Through photographic representation, the machines take on characteristics reminiscent of the human body. These are portraits that extend the photographic medium beyond its limits, transforming into sculptural representations. The volumes and mechanical parts are reshaped and elevated into monuments. These monuments connect both to the human experience of the past and highlight humanity’s creative capacity. In the ongoing struggle of art to create, the role of people is undoubtedly crucial, just as it is for machines, which evolve, transform, and ultimately cease to exist in accordance with technological demands. Like people, they become part of history and social reality.
Is this a form of social commentary, a need for self-appreciation, or a desire to reclaim a spiritual dimension in our lives? Whatever the case, in this chapter of history, the only true narrator is photography itself.
An artistic photography exhibition by Christoforos Doulgeris.
A year-long photographic project documenting the past and present of Santorini’s industry and culture. A pop art intervention within the authentic setting of the museum.
Exhibition Duration: June 1, 2025 – October 31, 2025
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 – 18:00