Lefteris Paraskevaidis – Around the Line

Review by Rudy Vega ·

Lefteris Paraskevaidis’ Around the Line is an evocative photobook documenting the evolving landscapes along the Athens – Thessaloniki national highway and its surrounding areas. Spanning a decade of travel and observation, this body of work functions as both an aesthetic meditation and a sociopolitical inquiry into the transformation of Greece’s roadside environments. Through a sequence of images capturing abandoned businesses, infrastructural shifts, and the muted remnants of past economic vibrancy, Paraskevaidis interrogates the interplay between progress, obsolescence, and the shifting nature of movement and place.

At its core, Around the Line grapples with the paradox of infrastructure development: while modernization enhances efficiency, it often erases the idiosyncratic character of transit routes, shifting the experience of travel from exploration to mere passage. The work situates itself within the broader discourse of economic transition, displacement, and the unintended consequences of urban planning. The stark imagery of deserted service stations, ruined nightclubs, and makeshift roadside structures bears witness to both individual and systemic shifts in Greece’s socioeconomic landscape.

By incorporating precise GPS coordinates, Paraskevaidis injects a documentary rigor into the project, reinforcing the notion that these spaces are not just abstractions but tangible locations subject to real world transformations. This cartographic element anchors the work, elevating it beyond personal reflection into a larger study of place and time.

Paraskevaidis employs a restrained, minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes emptiness, decay, and the rigid geometry of infrastructure. The images are structured around a muted color palette, evoking a sense of stillness and detachment. Light and shadow play a crucial role, subtly altering the mood from one spread to another while maintaining an overarching atmosphere of quiet desolation.

A defining characteristic of the book is its absence of human presence—a decision that amplifies the sense of abandonment and estrangement. While this approach aligns with the thematic underpinnings of decline and erasure, some readers may find the lack of figurative elements a limitation, as it forgoes a more direct emotional connection.

Physically, Around the Line is an elegantly crafted object. The hardcover, clothbound edition (104 pages, bilingual in English and Greek) speaks to a commitment to quality, while the limited print run of 200 copies underscores its status as a collectible work. The curation by Eleni Mouzakiti and Kostas Ioannidis and graphic design by Xenia Apostolidou ensure a cohesive and intentional presentation, reinforcing the book’s conceptual integrity.

Around the Line is a poignant and meticulously executed photobook that captures the unintended consequences of infrastructural evolution. Its stark, meditative images challenge the romanticized notion of the road trip, replacing it with a narrative of loss, erasure, and transition. In its quiet contemplation of the spaces left behind, the book resonates as both an artistic statement and a historical record of change. By positioning itself at the intersection of conceptual and documentary photography, Around the Line firmly establishes Paraskevaidis as a perceptive observer of contemporary landscape transformations.

For collectors of documentary photography and those interested in the visual anthropology of space, Around the Line offers a compelling and thought-provoking experience. It is a testament to how the act of looking—closely and deliberately—can unearth deeper truths about the world we construct and leave behind.

Contributing Editor Rudy Vega resides in Irvine, California. He is a fine art photographer and writer.

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Lefteris Paraskevaidis – Around the Line

Photographer: Lefteris Paraskevaidis (born Thessaloniki, Greece; resides in Athens)

Printer: Fotolio

Essays: Lefteris Paraskevaidis

Editor: Haris Sifonas

Book Design: Digital Dream

Graphic design: Xenia Apostolidou

Language: English, Greek

Cloth hard bound; 8.5”x11” inches; 104 pages; ISBN 978-618-00-4806-3

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