ELEPHANT is the latest photographic project of Dimitris Mytas and constitutes a deeply personal exploration of the “empty nest” syndrome. Through 52 black-and-white photographs, ELEPHANT unfolds as a visual meditation on absence, grief, transformation, and redemption.
The project was inspired by a pivotal moment—the departure of his son for studies. His absence cast a heavy shadow, taking the form of a giant elephant that seemed to fill the living room, overwhelming the space with its presence. Immersed in this emotional vortex, Mytas turned to his photographic archive, seeking a way to manage this profound experience. There, he uncovered fragments of his son’s life—images detached from their original context yet profoundly relevant in this new reality. These images, alongside newly created ones, form a narrative that evolves from loss to acceptance, culminating in the final scene: his son walking away in a snowy landscape, symbolizing, on the one hand, his freedom to explore the world and, on the other, the redefinition of the paternal role.

Through this process, Mytas not only reflects on his personal journey but also examines the shared human experience of transition and change. By merging past and present through archival and new imagery, ELEPHANT weaves abstract elements with deeply personal visual symbols, transforming intimate emotions into a broader visual narrative.

ELEPHANT, invites viewers to engage with their own moments of transition, to reflect on the emotional landscapes of separation, memory, and resilience, and to discover the quiet redemptions embedded in change.

* The photobook ELEPHANT will be presented at the opening (self-published / collaboration: ZOETROPE ATHENS).

Official Opening: Saturday, 7 March 2026, 20:00

Duration: 7-29 March 2026

Opening hours: Thursday – Sunday 17:00-21:00

PHOTOMETRIA PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER

184, 21st February Street, 45221 Ioannina

Τ +30 26513 06361

 

Dimitris Mytas / CV + Bio

Dimitris Mytas is a Greek photographer based in Athens, Greece.

He has presented 11 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous festivals and institutions in Greece and internationally, including Athens Photo Festival, Thessaloniki Photobiennale, Photometria Photo Festival, SCAN Tarragona (Spain), FELIFA (Argentina), Head On Festival (Australia), Trieste Photo Days (Italy), Polycopies (Paris), Boutographies (Montpellier), Belfast Photo Festival, and Off Bratislava.

He has published seven photobooks, including: ZERO TEN (2011), HOSPITAL (2016), DREAMTIGERS (2019), MAUVE (2022), and ELEPHANT (2024).

His projects have been featured in several photography magazines such as American Suburb X, Phases, Dodho, The Eye of Photography, F-STOP.

He is a represented artist of DL Gallery, Piraeus, Greece.