Dislocations
In the area of Western Macedonia, in Northern Greece there is the largest lignite mine in the Balkans, constantly working 24 hours a day. The villages located in this area contain lignite in their subsoil, they are gradually being destroyed and the residents are obliged to be displaced in order to expand the lignite activity of the mine. The residents receive financial compensation from the company and finally they abandon their plots and their homes. Lignite mining destroys thousands acres of arable land and eliminates villages.
The project Dislocations describes the gradual disappearance of a village called Mavropigi, located on the edge of the lignite mine. The photo research began in 2016, when most of the residents left their homes. When the approximately 700 residents gone they left behind many of their personal belongings, photos, clothes, toys and more. The village remained like a ghost waiting for its demolition. Gradually the mine has expanded and the first houses have demolished, erasing any trace of previous life.
The project Dislocations describes the gradual disappearance of a village called Mavropigi, located on the edge of the lignite mine. The photo research began in 2016, when most of the residents left their homes. When the approximately 700 residents gone they left behind many of their personal belongings, photos, clothes, toys and more. The village remained like a ghost waiting for its demolition. Gradually the mine has expanded and the first houses have demolished, erasing any trace of previous life.
Elena Efeoglou. Dislocations (2019)
Exhibition in Kranj Foto Festival 2022