Hotel Oniro

“Hotel Oniro” (oniro is the Greek word for “dream”) is not an ordinary hotel, but a home. That is how G. Jouan characterizes his own home, as the sign in front of his house depicts, meaning that everyone is welcomed to stay there. Jouan is not an ordinary man as well. Author by trade, he left bustling France and his career for a Greek island, Tinos.

Locals believe that Tinos is protected from commercialization because of Virgin Mary, the major Greek Orthodox pilgrimage located there. Beyond religious beliefs, the island remains virgin indeed, precisely because it is a purely religious destination, so visitors seeking a fancier holiday destination will not opt for it.

Cultural and religious diversity are absolutely accepted in Tinos, as the island itself is mixed with Catholic and Orthodox residents who often marry each other. In a place like this, a stranger is not only kindly accepted but also keenly welcomed by locals.

This work is an attempt to understand what can motivate one to find the lost aesthetic meaning of life in an environment different from that which nurtured him, in a personal paradise, in a dream - in this case in the well-known Greek hospitality. This is exactly what “Hotel Dream” means to G. Jouan and to anyone who, at some point, somewhere, found their dream.

Apart from the original photographs created for the project, the small ones are part of G. Jouan's photographic archive during his stay in Tinos.