Ioanna Sakellaraki is a Greek visual artist, creative practice researcher and prospective Fulbright fellow. Her work investigates the relationship between collective cultural memory and fiction. Drawing emphasis on the photographic object, process and encounter, she explores the boundaries of a primitive, yet futuristic vision of places and people.

Jeremiah under the shadow of Manam volcano, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, 2024

Manam Volcano, located off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea, is one of the country’s most active and hazardous volcanoes. Its eruptive history stretches back to at least 1616, with frequent explosive events shaping both the island and the lives of its inhabitants.

Major eruptions in 2004 and 2005 forced the evacuation of over 9,000 residents, as pyroclastic flows and ashfall overwhelmed villages. The volcano has two summit craters and four radial valleys that channel lava and debris, often directing hazards toward populated areas. Notably, a powerful eruption in October 2021 sent ash plumes over 15 km into the atmosphere, accompanied by incandescent ejecta and pyroclastic flows.

Despite ongoing activity, including eruptions as recent as 2024, many islanders have returned, drawn by ancestral ties and the island’s fertile soil. Manam remains under close observation due to its potential for large-scale eruptions and associated risks such as mudflows, sulfur dioxide emissions, and even tsunamis.

From The Mark of a Terrible Sun, a photographic exploration of the lands and people residing alongside the Pacific Ring of Fire, the world's most seismically and volcanically active zone (2022-ongoing)

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