Pygmalion Karatzas
Architectural, Fine Art & Commercial Photography

‘Nortigo’ is an exercise in shifting points of view as a gesture to reveal new and interesting information, compositions and feelings from spaces designed to form tangible connections between above and below, by looking straight up towards the ceiling, atrium or sky. The progression from indoor to outdoor spaces supplements the introvert / extrovert design polarity, while the pairing of classical buildings with modern, postmodern and cosmogenic architecture allows for comparative viewing experiences and a diverse showcase of the contemporary architecture.

The title ‘Nortigo’ is a combination of the words ‘North’ and ‘Vertigo’. Vertigo is a negative feeling associated with the loss of balance and light-headedness when looking down from a great height. What about the opposite feeling? The experience of discovering our “true North”, the positive feeling associated with finding the right direction and correct course both literally and figuratively. I use the word ‘Nortigo’ for such feelings of inner purpose, of alignment between the personal and the Kosmos.

While the series and a big part of this collection was created during my ‘Integral Lens’ project in 12 cities for 5 months across United States, this perspective has also been utilised in my previous projects like ‘Morphogenesis’, ‘Doha Icons’, ’EXPO Milan Pavilions’, as well as my architectural photography assignments, making this series an on-going and expanding collection with new images added periodically. Selected images have received numerous distinctions in international photography competitions. This edition was marked by the 2019 entry at the Moscow International Foto Awards in which the book received the 2nd place in the category Books - Fine Art and was also among the Country Picks of the judges. A previous iteration of this body of work was selected and exhibited at the Trieste Photo Days Festival in 2018.

Pygmalion Karatzas
Architectural & Fine Art Photographer
B.Sc. Architecture
M.Sc. Urban Design