Christos J. Palios says of his series, ' UN-FINISHED // Contemporary Ruins (2014-2018), In Greece’s countryside lay abandoned, imposing architectural frameworks dotting desolate tracts of land.

Most are unused new constructions secluded from adjacent neighborhoods, importing into question their original purpose. Greeks aspire to disconnect from the “concrete jungle” of urban life, but for many, failure in completion is imminent. Many of these unrealized structures were begun before the recent debt crisis (2008) and abandoned for decades as a result of feuds, financial hardship, or mismanagement. Some are partially completed and lived-in, left unregistered to evade taxation, while upper levels remained unfinished.

In conversation with architects and civil engineers, I learned the Greek state requires builders to complete concrete frameworks, aptly named “super-structures”, within four years. Once this mandate is met, permission to continue building is granted in perpetuity, while incomplete buildings incur no property tax bills. Along with a Greek ethos of familial obligation and inspired creative impulse, decades of lenient regulation, endemic corruption, and government cronyism bolstered this etiquette. Greece’s now-dire economy has caused a mass exodus of citizens seeking opportunity in other European nations.

What hit home for me was Greek friends’ and relatives’ hopes of acquiring property to build homes and businesses have been largely shattered. They unanimously believe an entire generation has been de-assetized and stripped of opportunity. In tandem to a fascination of their improbable forms and haunting isolation, which exude a palpable, melancholic allusion to faded human presence, I grew intrigued by their utter lack of architectural homogeneity. Evoking ambitions epitomized in the American dream, these unadorned skeletons stand in disuse, now empty vessels of aborted hope and inchoate nostalgia. Resembling modern-day ruins of stalled progress, they serve as cogent beacons of failed governance and monetary policy.

While these abandoned structures are located in generally secluded environs, I have grown interested in the perception of home, its individual expression via architecture, and the seeming contradictions between intention and actual use of space. In a country renowned for its rich culture and beautiful destinations, I sought to investigate this curious architectural decadence. How does Greece’s society and prevailing political and economic landscapes contribute to this longstanding cultural phenomenon? How have perceptions of home and the future shifted for young and mature generations alike?"

 

As a first-generation Greek-American, Christos' perspectives were shaped by two disparate and fascinating cultures. The artist's practice is born from a wellspring of inspiration among themes of memory, connection, and identity, consummated by intimate examinations of history, architecture, and socioeconomics. Employing multifaceted approaches rooted in research and with an appreciation of metaphorical and physical space, the artist's photographs evoke cogent, palpable awareness through distinct, cohesive narratives and aesthetics.

Christos resides in the American Northeast. His springboard originates in the visual arts with a BFA from the University of Maryland.

The artist's photographs can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the U.S.A. Christos' work has been recognized through awards, publications, and exhibitions throughout the nation and abroad. Venues include the Baltimore Museum of Art, Blue Sky Gallery, Grimaldis Gallery, the Houston Center for Photography, among others.

Among awards and publications, he is a 2022 Photolucida Critical Mass Top 50 artist, a winner of longstanding Communication Arts' 2023 Photography Annual, while his work has been featured in Musée, Dodho, and Aspire Design and Home Magazines, shortlisted for the Athens Photo Festival, and longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize.