When the sea is transformed into a source rich of artistic expression
Artwork commission
The beauty of nature, the embrace of the water, the rejuvening seaside, are only some of the simple, but important elements of life that inspire artistic creation. And indeed, they inspired Kostas Ioannidis, whose multifaceted project Sea to Shore Stories was presented in the summer of 2016 at Minos Beach art hotel in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, curated by Katerina Gregos.
The project is located in various parts of the hotel, thus creating a journey for the visitor which awakens all senses, constituting a hymn to love and its motivational powers.
The journey begins near the entrance of the hotel, where visitors come across the video installation Everlasting Song, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s tale «The Fisherman and His Soul,» which vividly describes the magic of the ecosystem hiding under the surface of the water.
From there, the journey continues underwater, where the Lost Ears of Agios Nikolaos are located. This site specific installation comprises several huge submerged ears made of cement. This is a continuation of an earlier project by Ioannidis, the first version of which consisted of 9 similar sculpted ears submerged in the waters of the ancient city of Andros. Sadly, only two of those ears remain today.
The third and final part of the project, titled Hanging Gardens, is an underwater sound installation. Noises of nature such as cicadas and bird chirpings surprise the unprepared swimmer. The artist wishes to create an underwater environment which will transport the swimmer-listener to a fantastical fairytale garden.
Curated by: Katernia Gregos
Location: Minos Beach art hotel, Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Duration: Permanent exhibition | Artwork commission | Opening 09.07 2016
Participating artist: Kostas Ioannidis
