The distinguished photographer speaks to “P” to mark the release of his new album about one of the most special places in Crete
* By Antonia Koutsaki
A small window into an authentic, simple and majestic world, where forms, gestures and the traces of time take on new meaning through light, is opened up to us all by the renowned photographer and mathematician Manolis Metzakis, who, since 2012, has been wandering through the magical Asterousia in search of people and memories from his childhood.
The result of this journey is an album about one of the most special and authentic places in Crete, entitled “Eternal Forms of Asterousia”, which will be launched tomorrow.
“For me,” he says, speaking to “P”, Asterousia was not something foreign.
Drawing on memories from my childhood, from a nearby village where I spent my summers, I had familiar images of faces, voices, habits, smells, and indoor and outdoor spaces. The difference was that now I could photograph and immortalise everything that is slowly being lost to time!
Throughout the album, the reader encounters people who preserve memories and stories, professions that are being lost, but also a cultural identity that remains eternal, as the title suggests.
He noted that the contribution of Eva Linardaki, a social worker in Pyrgos, made his work with the local people easier, whilst emphasising that he did not approach them as a photographer, but as a listener.
“It is – as Mr Metzakis emphasises – a harsh place, which demands respect if one is to approach it and for it to open up to you. Its people are simple, proud and deeply rooted in their land, customs and traditions. They keep the tradition and spirit of their homeland alive, urging us not to forget our roots but to honour them with respect, appreciation and emotion.”
– What prompted you to get involved with the Asterousia Mountains and their people?
“It all began in early 2012, when Eva Linardaki asked me if I would be interested in photographing the people in the area where she worked as a social worker. Without even thinking about it, I said yes.
For me, the Asterousia Mountains were not something unfamiliar.
Drawing on memories from my childhood, from a nearby village where I spent my summers, I had familiar images of faces, voices, habits, smells, and indoor and outdoor spaces. The difference was that now I could photograph and immortalise everything that is slowly being lost to time!
I am very happy that I was given the opportunity to photograph a world that I carry within me.
”That’s how this journey began.”
– How did the idea for the album *Eternal Forms of Asterousia* come about?
“I started taking photos because I felt the need to document the area, to revisit it, to pause, to listen and to capture everything I had experienced as a child, but which existed only in my mind and heart.
So, year after year, the work grew quietly and the photographs multiplied.
”And at some point it became clear that this material needed to be given a permanent form. So we decided to go ahead with the release of the album.”
– How did you approach the people you photographed?
“As I mentioned earlier, it was Eva Linardaki, a social worker in Pyrgos, who suggested I take photographs. As she knows everyone in the area, she was able to organise all the photo shoots and make my work much easier!
Eva’s presence put them at ease, and that is why they were always happy and relaxed to pose for my camera!
And I did not stand in front of them as a photographer.
”I stood next to them, listening."
– Asterousia is a truly special place. “A name that says it all,” one might say. What is your impression?
“Different places, different people! A truly unique part of Crete. A rugged place, which demands respect before it reveals itself to you. Its people are unassuming, proud and deeply rooted in their land, customs and traditions. They keep the traditions and spirit of their homeland alive, urging us not to forget our roots but to honour them with respect, appreciation and emotion.”
– Is there a person or a story that particularly moved you?
“Every person is a character, every person has a story! What moved me was that each of these people had a saying, a quote to share with us! But what particularly struck me was the grandmother who also appears on the cover of the invitation – she was walking up from the plain to Ithia, and we met her halfway!”.
– If someone asked you to describe moments in Asterousia that you experienced but didn’t photograph, what would they be?
“Everything I saw and everything I wanted to photograph, I photographed! Surely there is still much there, just waiting to be captured!”.
– What were the biggest difficulties during the photo shoots?
“The only difficulty I faced was, at times, with the lighting. We were often indoors, where the lighting conditions weren’t very good.”
– Does the mathematician influence the photographer, or is it the other way round?
“I think mathematicians influence photographers! I think some people have had a mathematical way of thinking and approach since childhood! And this then comes through in their photography. I think it comes through very strongly in my work!”.
The album launch is tomorrow
The photo album “Eternal Forms of Asterousia” will be presented on Friday 19 December, 2025, at 7.00 pm, in the “Manolis Karelis” Hall (Androgeo Street).
The presentation will be accompanied by a photo exhibition in the foyer.
The following speakers will take the floor:
– Voula G. Epitropaki, lawyer and mediator
– Vangelis Tzoukas, PhD in Sociology
– Polychronis Nikiforakis, veterinary surgeon, GPU Grand Master, EFIAP/b, ESFIAP President of the Hellenic Photographic Society of Heraklion
– Evanthia I. A. Linardaki, social worker and driving force behind the creation of the album
– Manolis Metzakis, Professor of Mathematics and Photography, GPU Grand Master, GPU CR5, EFIAP/p, ESFIAP, QPSA, APSA, President of the GPU (Global Photographic Union)
The book launch is organised by: Georgia Karvounaki, cultural studies scholar and editor
The event is open to everyone and admission is free. After the event, the album will be distributed free of charge to those attending.
The album was produced with the generous support of the Region of Crete and, in particular, the Governor of Crete, Mr Stavros Arnaoutakis, who always supports such initiatives.
Source: patris.gr