For Chris Kontos, the most interesting stories are often found in the most ordinary places. As the founder of Kennedy Magazine, he has spent more than a decade documenting people, places and everyday life through a distinctly personal lens, bringing together photography, travel and conversations in an independent publication that feels as much like a diary as a magazine. More recently, he has extended that world into Kennedy Vins, a neighbourhood wine bar in Athens where natural wines, music and good company come together. We caught up with him to talk about finding beauty in the mundane, the changing character of Athens and why, in an increasingly digital world, real-life experiences matter more than ever.
Kennedy began as an independent magazine built around curiosity, travel and encounters with people. More than a decade on, what still makes something feel truly Kennedy to you?
Especially now I think it is getting significantly harder finding things that are Kennedy if we can use the term. In a world dominated by digital reels, influencers and so on nothing can retain an honest original feeling. All places are popularised from instagram, apps and digital media celebrities. Everything sitting under a rock for years has been unearthed, restaurants bookstores, you name it. People have to visit them to experience it. Fear of missing out is what drives people more than anything else. Movie screenings are sold out before you can even get a chance to check for tickets.The neighberhgood souvlaki place you used to visit with your parents is now an Internet sensation. In that sense it’s getting harder for me to keep an original voice, one that stands out. But my approach is mostly centred not trying to find Kennedy things but present things that are out there in a Kennedy way.
The magazine often feels as interested in the places between destinations as in the destinations themselves. When you travel, what tends to catch your attention first?
Mundane things. As a photographer im drawn by the mundane the stuff people won’t notice because they are just there without anyone paying attention.
You have met and photographed many people through Kennedy. What makes you want to sit down with someone and hear their story?
“I’m genuinely interested in people. I like to talk with them, hear their take on life. I think everyone has something interesting to say. You just have to give them a chance.”
How do you know when something is worth photographing? Has that instinct changed over the years?
As I mentioned magic is hidden in the mundane, the boring. This is where I look for my shots. If you look at the bulk work of big photographers there is nothing magical in the first place in their pictures. Just life. It’s all there.
There is a strong sense of personal taste running through Kennedy, yet it never feels like a magazine simply about you. How do you balance your own point of view with leaving space for other people and places to speak for themselves?
To be honest the magazine at times feels like an autobiography. I had pics of my wedding in it. A whole issue about family with an intro about my break up. Usually my intros are just about me. I feel people connect with me through these stories and it’s an important side of the magazine. The balance is tricky. Kennedy started as a magazine of many contributors and now I have ended up doing most of it, my wife is designing it. It’s a homemade publication. The narrowing down of contributors has certainly strengthen the tone of the magazine but there are certain people that I miss working with. On every issue there are still a few stories done by other writers photographers that helps the publication from looking like a one man diary.
Kennedy Vins feels like a natural extension of the world around the magazine. How did the idea first take shape? What interested you about wine specifically, and what did you want Kennedy Vins to be beyond simply a place to buy or drink it?
Well for practical reasons we had to rent the place under our flat. We were living almost for 10 years at the flat over the bar. First ideas were a Kennedy office, books. But I had this obsession with natural wines since many years and many of the ones I liked were not available in Athens. I thought why not make a little corner with wines and music, play my records, serve people offer them a little glimpse into things I like. Same with the magazine somehow. I started importing wines with the help of friends we renovated the space with a lot of personal effort especially from my wife Athina and voila Kennedy opened almost 2 years ago.
Kennedy has taken you around the world, while Athens remains an important part of its identity. What does the city give you creatively today?
Athens is not an easy city and it has changed a lot during the last few years. It has to offer more options for food and drink, galleries and so on. But at the same time, it feels plasticky with an extreme touristification that takes away bits of its original charm. I think back in 2012 during the economic crisis Athens had a lot more to offer in terms of inspiration. Now I would say I rely on my Greek identity a lot as a photographer since it is a solid reason people book me for jobs and also Im always inspired by the islands and trips around Greece in ways more profound than Athens atm.
What are you curious about at the moment, outside publishing and wine?
As always getting better with photography reading magazines like Scenery, going through old copies of Index Magazine and listening to a lot of music. Loved Fraye, Dark Triad.
If Kennedy has been a record of the things, people and places worth paying attention to, what feels worth paying attention to right now?
“I think the biggest stake right now is trying to live back in a real world.”
The amount of nonsense is absurd and social media is at a boiling point. Reading a book, going back to physical media is the way to go.
