Panagiotis Papoutsis - Mabuhay

Panagiotis Papoutsis’ photographic work constitutes a visual map of the Filipino community in Athens, a mosaic of everyday moments, routes carved into the urban grid, and faces that tell a story of migration, resilience, and identity. Each image functions as a window into a parallel city, an invisible geography that captures the dynamic coexistence of two worlds. The book’s custom typography, designed specifically for the visual communication of the entire project, draws inspiration from two different visual languages: the strict, geometric grid of the area of Ambelokipi and the fluid, organic script of Tagalog (the native language of the Philippines, which forms the basis of Filipino), which is the official language of the country, along with English. It is mainly spoken in Manila and the surrounding areas, but is widely used throughout the country with a modern rendition. The straight lines and corners of the city meet the flow of an alphabet that carries tradition and voices of the past, that is, memory. The font becomes a path, the image is transformed into language, typography functions as a bridge between spaces and cultures. This is a book that is not limited to depiction, but rather shapes a new, hybrid geography, where Athens and Manila intersect, converse and coexist, highlighting the invisible paths of migration within the body of the city of Athens.

Ioannis Fetanis