096-103 ATHINA KAZOLEA & ALEX MASSAVETAS / ETHIPIOA MY BLACK BYZANTIUM
/ LALIBELA [2008]
[...IT IS NEITHER THE HIGHLANDS’ AMAZING SCENERY NOR THE SCENES, UNALTERED FOR MILLENNIA, OF A TOUGH BIBLICAL LIFE OF SUBSISTENCE WHICH PRODUCE ETHIOPIA’S MOST UNFORGETTABLE IMAGES. YES, TRAVELING HERE IS TOUGH. THE COUNTRY IS PEACEFUL, THERE IS NO VIOLENCE, THERE IS MINIMAL POLITICAL UPHEAVAL & NEGLIGIBLE CRIME. BUT THERE IS HEART-BREAKING POVERTY & DISEASE. WHAT AMAZES ME IN MY EVERY STEP HERE IS THAT AMONG ALL THIS POVERTY & DISEASE, WHICH HAS BEEN A CONSTANT IN ETHIOPIAN LIFE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, TREASURES OF ART & RITUAL TRADITIONS OF MEMORABLE ANTIQUITY ARE UNEARTHED. OUT OF THE POVERTY RISES A BLACK BYZANTIUM, WHOSE POPULATION SHOWS A DEEP ATTACHMENT TO THE CHRISTIAN CULTURE IT INHERITED IN LATE ANTIQUITY...]
/ EXCERPT FROM A TEXT BY ALEX MASSAVETAS. ENTIRE ARTICLE ONLY IN THE PRINTED EDITION OF SOME/THINGS MAGAZINE CHAPTER005 / SHE HAS NO STRINGS APOLLO
/ LALIBELA [2002]
/ LALIBELA ST GEORGE CHURCH [2001]
/ TIGRAI [2009] // YEMREHANE CHRISTOS CHURCH [2007]
PHOTOGRAPHY ATHINA KAZOLEA
WORDS ALEX MASSAVETAS