Penelope Thomaidi

Under Pressure is a photographic research into the history of oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Greece and Albania, spanning from the early 20th century to the present. 

Through a combination of contemporary photography, archival material and text, Under Pressure observes on both the past and present of oil and gas extractions in Greece and Albania, seeking to envision the future of these underdeveloped regions at the south-east border of the EU. 

While exploration for oil and gas is currently ongoing in Greece, in Albania the heart of the oil industry keeps beating in the Patos-Marinza oilfield--the so-called largest oilfield of continental Europe--almost one century after the first drilling. In the context of “climate emergency” declared by the European Parliament in late 2019, while bearing in mind that the contemporary way of life is still based on hydrocarbons, this local story of geopolitical importance for the Balkans becomes a reflection of decisions taken on a global scale affecting ecology, sustainability and no less than the future of humanity on Earth.

In late 2021 and mid 2022, with the support of IMEdD-Incubator for Media Education and Development, part of this project has been published in 1000 + 1000 copies as a 64p. bilingual newspaper (greek-albanian) which was distributed for free to the communities that have been photographed and are immediately affected by the issue. A french-english version of the newspaper is available online. 

Read the full project statement here.

About the author

Penelope Thomaidi is a graduate of the Creative Documentary and Photojournalism programme coordinated by Spéos International School of Photography and Magnum Photos in Paris, with a background in fine arts (MA Art Production & Research, Universitat de Barcelona) and graphic design. During 2011-2014 she was dedicated to the academic research of the intersections between art and activism.

Interested in the relationship between people and their territories, her work explores environmental and social issues, often focusing on stories with a special relation to memory, self-determination and resistance. 

Her work has been shown in international photography festivals such as Helsinki Photo Festival, FIF Belo Horizonte, Athens Photo Festival, Thessaloniki Photobiennale, MedPhoto, Voies Off. Her project Under Pressure has received the support of iMEdD and a special mention at Urbanautica Awards 2020, while her A Zone to Defend series received the 1st prize at the Spéos Awards and was a finalist at La Bourse du Talent 2018.

As a freelance documentary photographer and designer, Penelope collaborates with the press and photography institutions. She has collaborated with media such as GEO France, Marie Claire, La Tribune de Genève, Mediapart and De Standaard, while she was the main exhibition designer of the Athens Photo Festival 2024. 

She also often intervenes in educational programmes as an invited lecturer. In 2023, she was a lecturer at the BA (Hons) Degree in Photography programme of AKTO School of Arts & Design certified by Middlesex University London. She has also been involved in editorial and curatorial projects such as The Provinces, The Telos Society and Balkans Today. She is a member of the french network of photographers Hans Lucas since 2018 and a co-founder of What If Design Studio since 2013.

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