Lupimaris

WOLVES OF THE SEA


They are the last of their kind.
They are threatened with extinction.

The photo documentary LUPIMARIS is dedicated to the history, the stories and the faces of the Greek fishermen and their traditional colourful wooden boats.

Since 2010, Christian Stemper is photographically documenting the last remaining individual fishermen and their boats, on the Greek island of Paros.

A total of 99 Boats and 31 fishermen.

Half of the boats that have been photographed in 2010 do not exist anymore - destroyed, abandoned or sold to tourists.

Because no one wants to become a fisherman anymore the traditional fishing craft is dying, and therefore a millennia-old tradition.

LUPIMARIS KAIKI 16 KAIKI 16 / PARIKIA
LUPIMARIS_SEA
LUPIMARIS Ag. ARSENIOS AGHIOS ARSENIOS / PARIKIA

You do not live on land, you live on the sea.

THANASIS TANTANIS

Done. Over. That’s it! No one is learning this craft anymore.

PETROS ALIPRANTIS

LUPIMARIS KARAPETIS ATHANASSIOS KARAPETIS / 1947
LUPIMARIS DESPOINA DESPOINA / PARIKIA
LUPIMARIS

We are only a few left, and also only a few wooden boats.

PETROS ALIPRANTIS

Lupimaris Maria ILIAS MARIA / PARIKIA
Lupimaris Tsantanis FILIPPAS TSANTANIS / 1944

When I pull the net in, dolphins and sea lions
swim alongside the boat and accompany me.

FILIPPAS TSANTANIS

Lupimaris Visadakis PANAYIOTIS VISADAKIS / 1953
Lupimaris Ypapanti YPAPANTI / NAOUSSA

My children want me to stop but I told them that if they love me
they have to let me go. My whole life is the sea.

THANASIS TANTANIS

Greece has the largest number of fishing boats in the EU which is mainly due to the numerous individual fishermen. But by European standards, the catches are rather low.

The EU’s entire fleet is too large compared to the available amount of fish that can be caught in European waters. One of the central elements of the Common Fisheries Policy was the reduction and rejuvenation of the fleet.

The self disarmament of national fleets was a key element of the European fisheries policy. The EU developed programmes and put money at their disposal. The implementation was determined by each country. The Greek government developed incentives for handing over fishing licenses (mainly licenses for amateur fishing) and at the same time fishermen had to destroy their boats. Meanwhile this incentives has been stopped.

As a result, thousands of boats have been destroyed since the 1990s, mainly the traditional wooden boats owned by individual fishermen. The reality is that the Greek bureaucracy is responsible for the destruction of traditional boats and a part of the national identity.

DESTRUCTION

LUPIMARIS Theodoros THEODOROS / PARIKIA
LUPIMARIS Salpa SALPA
LUPIMARIS Ag. Fokas AGHIOS FOKAS / PARIKIA

Look, we need to preserve this tradition,
because if it continues like this they will destroy it.

VASSILAROS

LUPIMARIS
LUPIMARIS Meropi MEROPI / ALIKI
LUPIMARIS Parousis VAGGELIS PAROUSIS / 1945

If I do not see any sea, I do not live. If I had to stay in Athens,
I would not even survive a whole twenty-four hours.
I would go crazy.

VAGGELIS PAROUSIS

LUPIMARIS Delentas PETROS DELENTAS / 1942
LUPIMARIS Manolis MANOLIS / PISO LIVADI

At the age of eighteen I became a sailor and travelled the world as a radio operator. Not because of romantic reasons, but at that time there was nothing to do here. My boat has saved me. It was my anchor that brought me back to Paros and with which I was able to build my life.
So that I could escape from a life as a sailor.
This boat is my love.

PETROS DELENTAS

LUPIMARIS Panagia PANAGIA / PARIKIA
LUPIMARIS

For me, the plastic boats are not real boats.
They are wash troughs, with which you will sink.
In a storm, the wooden boat is like a horse that lifts his head proudly, starts running and can not be stopped.

THANASIS TANTANIS

LUPIMARIS Stratis KOSTANTINOS STRATIS / 1961
LUPIMARIS Annaki ANNAKI / POUNDA

A fisherman´s plate could be empty for seven days, but on the eight day you will be compensated for the others.
Fishing requires will, knowledge and patience.

KOSTANTINOS STRATIS

LUPIMARIS Panagia PANAGIA / NAOUSSA
LUPIMARIS Malamatenios NIKITAS MALAMATENIOS / 1957

The work is difficult and the income less than before,
so there is no attraction for a new generation.
I have always been a fisherman - not out of necessity, but out of choice.

NIKITAS MALAMATENIOS

LUPIMARIS Kritsalis ALEXANDROS KRITSALIS / 1966
LUPIMARIS Coral CORAL / PARIKIA

She travels well and the boat will show you
that she is alive and loves life, just as humans do.

ALEXANDROS KRITSALIS

BACKSTAGE

In September 2014, photographer Christian Stemper and a camera crew made their way to Paros.

The team captured the work and life of fishermen and boat builders providing a deeper insight into the lives of the wolves of the sea and their boats.

The resulting pictures and filmed interviews are used for the LUPIMARIS book and a video documentary.

LUPIMARIS is a project close to my heart, and I want to thank everyone who joined the crowdfunding campaign, supported and made the published book a reality.

A. Gremoutis, Alameda Dos Arapanes, Alex McKenzie, Alexander Fruehmann, Alexandra Koutoglidou, Andrew Pearce, Andris Kozlovskis, Angelos Vekris, Anis Sabeti, Antonis Dimitrakopoulos, Aristeidis T. Chatzimichail, Athanasios Cambanis, Barbara Salasch, Carla Nyffeler, Ch. Bracher, Charalampos Diavolitsis, Constantinos Petrinos, Corrine Hijnekamp, Darlene Tymn, David Frazer Wray, David Krasnostein, Dimitrios Garbolas, Dina Lemmens, Dr R Sakellariou, Edgar Fischer, Edward Durrant, Elisabeth Sellner, Emma Young, Eri Sarivalassi, Familie Schürmann, Florian Lütkebohmert, Frank X van der Linden, Genine Clark, George Tsirikos, George Turner, Georgios Panagiotou, Günter Hausleitner, Helmut Schierer, Ian & Helen Andrews, Ioannis Vardinoyannis, Jay Gould, Jeroen van Kemenade, Jessica Hesch, Jeung guy Song, Joanna and Chris Damalas, Joe Schroecker, Justin Hawthorne, Kaleroy Zervos, Kamzik Maria, Konstantin Reyer, Konstantinos Papathanassiou, Konstantinos Papathanassiou, Kostas Theoharis, Kristen Irwin, Lukas Rytz, Manolis Schwab, Marc Buronfosse, Marco Kräuchi, Maria Theofanopoulou, Mario Arn, Mark Bray, Mark Graninger, Markus Vossoughi, Mathias Berenger, Michael Franken, Michael Gstöttner, Michael Heger, Monika Wall , Moser Valerio, Muriel Escaillas, Myrto Gelati, Nick Proukakis, Nicolas Papageorgiou, Niki Jelinek, nrico6000, Olga Mira, Pam & Serge Isaacson, Paris Parisis, Peter Braun, Peter Eliades, Peter Seibt, Petros Sofikitis, Petros Vaxevanakis, Philip Gabriel, Philipp Kuert, Phillip Marlow, Ralou, Ramy Hilal, Raphael Gränicher, Richard Ponting, Riginos, Rob Lancefield, Ryan Schneider, Scott Kozic, Sergio Penzo, Spyros Plakidas, Stefan Huber, Tarik Tuten, Theodora Karagounis, Theodoros Antonopoulos, Thomas Jirges, Tim Jetis, Tofeji Christine, Torsten Hunger, Valerie Gaderer, Vincent Boizard, Wayne Wilmot, Yanni Arvanitis, Yvan Gherman, Zambos-Taricco Family.

Lupimaris

IN THE MEDIA

CNN / Wired / Feature shoot / Lifo Greece / Daily Mail UK / Esquire Russia / Panthalassa Magazine / The Atlantic US / The Post Internazionale Italy / Vice Greece / Smith Journal Australia / Independent UK / GUP Magazine / Cooph / Neos Kosmos / Maptia - A world of stories / N by Norwegian / Le Nouvel Observateur / the greek foundation / Vrij Nederland / Wired Japan
/ Parts unknown / Monthly Photography South Korea

EXHIBITIONS

Nov. 2016 - Jan. 2017 - SCAN Tarragona - Spain
July 2016 - Athens Photo Festival - Benaki Museum
July 2015 - Antiparos Photofestival - Antiparos/Greece
November 2014 - MAK - Vienna/Austria
April 2013 - Flo Peters Gallery - Hamburg/Germany
June 2012 - Paros Bay - Paros/Greece
May 2012 - Edition Photo - Vienna/Austria

Christian Stemper
new webshop

My great passion is to tell stories photographically reinterpreted.
“LUPIMARIS - Wolves of the Sea” is one such photo project.

Christian Stemper
Eichengasse 15
7121 Weiden am See, Austria
Mobile: +43 676 66 27 680
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For any print and digital media inquiries please contact:
info@lupimaris.com