Diava
Dimitris Tosidis
Nomadic pastoralism in mountainous regions of Northern Greece continues to endure against the odds, a centuries-old tradition that has survived economic upheaval and social change. In the remote highlands, the ancient practice of Diava persists, grounded in the seasonal movement of shepherds and their flocks between summer pastures and winter grazing lands. The term itself means “to move on foot,” and for generations this form of transhumance has shaped the cultural identity and social fabric of Greece’s mountain communities while maintaining a fragile balance between people and nature.
Dimitris Tosidis documents the last families who continue to follow this route entirely on foot, travelling more than 200 kilometres from high-altitude pastures to the Thessaly plain. His images trace a way of life that once shaped much of the country, practised by indigenous groups such as the Vlachs and Sarakatsani, yet now stands on the verge of disappearance. UNESCO has recognised Diava as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, valued both for its cultural significance and ecological value.
This exhibition explores how a centuries-old practice preserves biodiversity, nurtures landscapes, and sustains cultural memory in some of the most remote regions of the Balkans and the European Union. Tosidis’s work is a portrait of resilience and a meditation on what is lost when tradition disappears.
A Lifetime in the MountainsPOS DT 732 1$1,500
The Bell of DeparturePOS DT 732 2$1,000
Mountainous GreecePOS DT 732 3$800
Misty MountainsPOS DT 732 4$1,000
Winter is ComingPOS DT 732 5$1,000
The woman and the flockPOS DT 732 6$1,000
SacrificePOS DT 732 7$1,000
The Goodbye DinnerPOS DT 732 8$1,000
Preparing for the Long JourneyPOS DT 732 9$1,000
My Father's FountainPOS DT 732 10$1,000
DiavaPOS DT 732 11$1,000
Around the FirePOS DT 732 12$3,000
The PassagePOS DT 732 13$1,200
Τhe ΑwakeningPOS DT 732 14$3,000
The FlockPOS DT 732 15$1,000
On HorsebackPOS DT 732 16$1,200
The shepherd dogsPOS DT 732 17$1,000
Fade OutPOS DT 732 18$1,000
The ShepherdPOS DT 732 19$1,200
Τhe Annual CountPOS DT 732 20$1,000
KouraPOS DT 732 21$1,000
Red SheepPOS DT 732 22$1,500
The YoungPOS DT 732 23$1,200
EpiloguePOS DT 732 24$1,500