THE VISION

An international photographic institution, based in Larissa, is being created by the Region of Thessaly, on the occasion of the work of the great photographer Takis Tloupas, with the support of his daughter Vania Tloupas, guardian of his photographic heritage.

The goal is to establish itself as a recognized cultural institution with not only nationwide but also international appeal, which honors and preserves the legacy of one of the classic Greek photographers, exploring and expanding through modern approaches the conceptual framework of the “Relationship of Man with the Environment” in which he lives.

The new institution Tloupas PATH – from the initials of the title Tloupas Photography Award of Thessaly’s Heritage – is implemented in parallel on different axes at a competitive, educational, organizational and communication level, focusing on two annual photography competitions with the corresponding prizes:

  • The TLOUPAS PATH INTERNATIONAL AWARD, for recognized photographers in Greece and abroad.
  • The TLOUPAS PATH UNDER 30 AWARD, for emerging artists in Greece.
The ultimate goal is to organize a major Festival with exhibitions of the award-winning works, which open up to new narratives, and with a series of original educational activities in collaboration with schools of all levels, on the gaze and its power. Our era is characterized by the dominance of the image. Communication is overwhelmed by an overabundance of images, where the products of artificial intelligence and fake images intertwine and coexist with authentic ones. Result: the authenticity of the photographic image is questioned more than ever. The new Tloupas PATH institution wants to create the conditions for a creative dialogue with society and the artistic community regarding the use of photography, and to help audiences of all ages reflect on the use and abuse of images and develop their own aesthetic criteria and perception of photography.

TLOUPAS PATH INTERNATIONAL
AWARD

TLOUPAS PATH
UNDER 30
AWARD

THEMATIC CYCLES

Theme: Renaissance

The Renaissance is not just a historical chapter in European art. It is a constant human need. It is our choice to see the world anew, even when everything around us seems exhausted. It means rediscovering proportion, returning to the essence of the human gaze and looking ahead. If the historical Renaissance put man, light and knowledge at the center, today’s need for a new Renaissance is deeply existential and collective.

We live in an era where the climate crisis is not a warning, but an everyday experience. Global warming, extreme weather events and the alteration of landscapes are forming a new background of anxiety. At the same time, global economic pressures, uncertainty and precarious working conditions are squeezing our living standards. But most of all, they are squeezing our inner space — where dreams, inspiration and creative freedom are born.

As a photographic theme, “Rebirth” in “Tloupas Path” does not simply seek images of optimism. It seeks images of transition: the moment when something breaks and something else begins. That thin zone where loss turns into endurance, decay into care, desolation into re-inhabitation, and silence into voice. Rebirth can be hidden in the face of a person who persists, in a landscape that returns, in a community that rebuilds bonds, in a trace of life in ruins, in a gesture of tenderness in the midst of pressure. Photography can keep visible not only what is lost, but also what insists on being born.

For Tloupas PATH, this approach is directly linked to the precious legacy of Takis Tloupas and the stable axis of the relationship between man and his environment. This theme is not an invitation for a beautified return to the past, but a call for a courageous restart. It challenges us to rethink the way we inhabit the world, the way we look at each other, and the way we defend life and creation. Because today, the greatest challenge is not simply to withstand the crisis, but to give birth through it a new possibility for common life.

IMPORTANT DATES

Open Call

Announcement of the Thematic Cycle and start of the Tloupas PATH competition

12 May

Training Programme

Photography in Larissa’s schools in collaboration with teaching staff

To be announced soon

“In the light”

Photography exhibition in Larissa based on the work of Takis Tloupas

To be announced soon

End of the competition

Competition Deadline

20 August

Shortlist announcement

Announcement of the shortlisted candidates for the competition

September

PATH Festival

Opening weekend of the festival

5 February 2026

Find out information about the Tloupas PATH competition and register to participate.

TLOUPA'S LEGACY

Larisa’s Takis Tloupas, the self-taught photographer of Thessaly, left his special mark on modern Greek photography.

His images saved a world that was being lost, rural life at the dawn of the era of industrialization in Greece, the toil of rural people and their daily struggle for survival, their coexistence with the natural environment, but also life in the urban fabric of Larissa. With his lens he captured the identity of Greece after the war, a Greece that he sensed was changing rapidly and radically. This recording, in addition to the need for personal expression, is characterized by its humanitarian and ethnographic significance.

With humans at its center, this “black and white” legacy is a source of inspiration and guide for the actions of the Tloupas PATH Festival, which aspires to motivate us to reflect on our own footprint on the environment in which we live and our relationship with the world.

FAQs

See the answers to frequently asked questions about the competition process, thematic cycles, methods of participation and award categories.

The TAKIS TLOUPAS AWARDS is a photography competition inspired by the work of Larissa-based photographer Takis Tloupas, who has documented life in the Thessalian plain for 40+ years. It is the focus of an annual festival with exhibitions, talks and educational programs

Every spring, an OPEN CALL opens for 60 days with a specific theme, in which participants submit their proposals through the institution’s platform.

Κεντρικό θέμα του θεσμού είναι ο άνθρωπος και η σχέση του με το περιβάλλον, ακολουθώντας την παρακαταθήκη του Τλούπα. Οι ετήσιες θεματικές λειτουργούν ως έναυσμα για ελεύθερη ερμηνεία, όχι ως περιορισμός.

The central theme of the institution is man and his relationship with the environment, following the legacy of Tloupas. The annual themes function as a trigger for free interpretation, not as a limitation.

For 2026 there are two categories: (a) young photographers under 30 and (b) recognized mid-career photographers. Both submit a series of photo portfolios exclusively through the institution’s website.

Organization