Diava

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.