Almost Vanished Friends

Locating each individual from the fused glass negative.

Installation **Almost Vanished Friends** 2024
210x114 cm
Individual Sizes 11.5x20.5x2 cm
Distance between artworks: Horizontal 10 cm, Vertical 10 cm
My artwork is printed on high-quality linen and meticulously stretched over a 2 cm deep wooden stretcher frame.
Acrylic Paint is added.

SHOP

The collection was born from two deteriorated Dry Glass Negative Plates (DGNP), a long-forgotten photographic medium invented in 1851 and mass-produced until 1920.
The specific plates, which have been stuck together for over 4 decades and only discovered by the artist in 2019, hold within their depths a group of friends captured in a moment on one plate, and two young boys posing for an annual picture on the other plate.
Due to the humidity and dust in the basement where the DGNPs had been stored for decades, the plates fused, creating entirely new images through their random merging. This layering, combined with the decaying process, allowed the emergence of the hidden characters, which later on inspired an artistic transformation that offered each figure a new contemporary identity.
Part of the collection was shown at my solo exhibition in 2022 in Athens, Greece.
In 2023, changes were added and the collection was uplifted.
In 2024, the collection was once again modified into its current and final stage.
This collection is carefully curated, and the artistic transformations applied to each piece are masterfully executed, making it a truly one-of-a-kind and invaluable addition to any collection.
The Almost Vanished Friends NFT Collection, is a rarity like no other, a treasure trove of history and art that will never be replicated. Due to the rarity of the material and the state in which the particular plates were discovered, it is unlikely that anything comparable will ever be produced again. This makes it a must-have for art collectors and enthusiasts alike. The collection, which has never been done before, is a unique blend of history and contemporary digital art.
Unlike the physical ones, the NFT collection does not include images with added acrylic paint.
Metamorphosis: Bridging the Past with the Future - Whatever Remains, Turn It Into Art!

Discover "Almost Vanished Friends" – A Collection Reviving the Past Through Art

From two century-old fused glass negatives, forty-one forgotten faces re-emerge — strangers once lost to time, now reunited through art. Each fragment has been digitally restored and hand-painted, transforming decay into rebirth. Together, they form a silent gathering across generations — a tender reminder that even what fades can find new life through memory, colour, and light.

Discovered in 2019, the two glass plates had been stuck together for over forty years in a damp basement, their images partially destroyed by time. The fusion of one photograph of friends and another of two young boys accidentally created new, intertwined portraits — a miraculous union of lives never meant to meet. From this chance encounter, Almost Vanished Friends was born — a celebration of time’s unpredictability and art’s power to restore meaning to what was nearly lost.

The collection is also available as NFT’s.

lies in an unassuming basement connected to a water canal dating back to the early 1900s. Here, a trove of glass plate negatives was found, unintentionally fused into a compact cluster due to the humid environment. Over time, these plates underwent a profound transformation, their imprinted memories slowly dissolving, yet morphing into something new, something different and unexpected.
Nothing comparable, either physically or digitally, has ever been produced. This relic is unique. Due to the rarity of the material and the state in which the particular plates were discovered, I do not believe anything comparable has ever been created.
It’s about recognizing that before its deterioration, the original image did not possess the artistic qualities now imbued within it.
Creating art linked to the past challenges a combination of delicate skills and behaviors.