After Nature Stelios Kallinikou

The “After Nature. Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize” is a joint project of the C/O Berlin Foundation and the Crespo Foundation, Frankfurt. In 2026 it will be awarded for the third time. The prize honors artists who explore new concepts of nature in photography and other visual media through their work.

In his new project, Stelios Kallinikou explores Akrotiri Salt Lake, which forms part of a British military base as a British overseas territory on Cyprus. The lake is an important wetland habitat in the eastern Mediterranean region, located in close proximity to some of Cyprus’s oldest archaeological sites, and a key wetland habitat for countless flora and fauna. Kallinikou conveys the tensions between military exploitation, ecological fragility, and cultural heritage in this place by interweaving multiple time periods. Incorporating photography, film, and sculpture, his project makes visible the complex relationships between land, borders, and sovereignty, inviting viewers to reflect on colonial legacies at Europe’s outer edge.