All activities of the residency program and the exhibition of Thermia Project for 2024 were carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and the financial support of the Patrons and Supporters of Thermia Project.

Patrons
Eleftheria Mourtzanou
Irene Panagopoulos
Kakia Tzaneti & George Tsourapas
Marina Martinou
Vassilios Tsingos Foundation

Supporters Aphrodite Gonou George Stamboulis Leonidas Vrondissis & Alkistis Poulopoulou Yerassimos Yannopoulos

Media Sponsor: Kosmos 93.6, ERT S. Aegean Travel Sponsor: Triton Ferries Opening Event Sponsor: Bombay Sapphire Partners: ArtVolt, Waterbags, Cat With Hat And with the kind support of the Municipality of Kythnos

In its third year, the artist residency programme Thermia Project presented the contemporary art exhibition Traces on Soil, curated by Odette Kouzou, at the Town Hall in Chora, Kythnos, from June 29th to July 7th 2024.

The participating artists for 2024 were Despina Charitonidi, Konstantinos Mouchtaridis, and Lydia Delikoura.

The exhibition Traces on Soil explored the fragility of ecosystems, focusing on the human footprint, the variability of the landscape, and the interaction between natural and artificial materials. The artists were invited to follow the traces dictated by the island’s environment, examining the relationships and impacts arising from human presence and its derivatives on the natural landscape, even through their absence. Caves, overgrown paths, scattered archaeological and industrial ruins, and even the underwater landscape emerged as fields of interest and were reimagined through the works of the exhibition. The works raise questions about memory, the relationship between humans and the environment, human impact on the natural landscape, and issues of rejection and consumption.

Despina Charitonidi's work focused on stripping down natural and primitive elements found in construction sites in urban landscapes. Her work emphasised the transformation and metamorphosis of these materials through an experimental process with their properties. Starting from the porous surface of the now-dead coral reefs, Charitonidi explored the underwater landscape of the island, unfolding narratives of the transformation brought about by aggressive construction, even in the oceans. With the sculptures made of aerated concrete, she observed the material's similarity with reefs, which resembles the texture of corals when cut. This created a paradoxical relationship between a construction material and a marine organism, that of the coral, which is also characterized as the “builder of the oceans”. Respectively, her ceramic sculptures, whose forms and colors are reminiscent of a marine species, nudibranchs, revealed a series of sculptural gestures that comprehensively reconsider human environmental intervention, both in terms of the process of creating these sculptures and the significance of the occurrence of this species in different marine environments.

Konstantinos Mouchtaridis captured the sense of the landscape in his works on paper in an abstract way with particular sensibility and meticulousness. The artist started by observing and isolating a part of the landscape, which he then transferred onto the paper, rendering the sensations, images, colours, temperatures, and scents of the landscapes from which he drew inspiration. The images are characterised by repetitive thin watercolour brush strokes and alternate colour palettes, inviting the viewer to approach and observe each work closely to reveal the details of his artistic language. The works function as metonymic images of nature rather than mere representations of the landscape. Thus, the observation of nature and landscape transforms into reflections of sensations, while the organic forms and colour relations of the landscape are rearranged to create transparent colour compositions. As evidenced by the titles of his works, Mouchtaridis reveals his unique perception of places and points of the horizon. This perception was translated into painterly brushstrokes that imbue these places with experiential characteristics. His works do not merely depict landscapes; they incorporate personal experiences and emotions, making each piece a unique emotional and aesthetic experience of the landscapes he portrays.

Lydia Delikoura constructed environments composed of both natural elements and fragments of cultural materials, such as antiquities, everyday objects, debris, patterns and symbols, creating a collage of various components on the canvas. She was particularly interested in the multiple cultural and historical aspects of the island, including the coexistence of archaeological, Byzantine, and contemporary fragments, while exploring mirrored textures, things “mimicking” each other, through translucent qualities in shadows and strands of light. The artist subconsciously painted void spaces, such as the “shells” of abandoned buildings on the island, capturing views that allow the observer to glimpse the inner corners of these structures from a distance. Subsequently, a being or a “thing” would “come” to inhabit these spaces or “shells” depicted. These elements became both material and gestures for her to compose "new environments" on the canvas, containing various creatures that inhabit these new environments or landscapes, unfolding different expressions of time and place.

Thermia Project returned to the 27th edition of Art Athina from 19th to 23rd of September at its iconic home of Zappeion Mansion with a solo presentation by artist Konstantinos Mouchtaridis, resident artist of Thermia Project in 2024.

Thermia Project is beyond thrilled to donate a microphone soundsystem to the primary school of Kythnos, enabling children to enhance their school events and celebrations.

This initiative was made possible thanks to our collaboration last summer with artist Ioanna Limniou and Waterbags, during which we created special edition bags. The proceeds from this project allowed us to make this meaningful contribution to the Municipality of Kythnos, specifically for the use of the primary school.

We are proud to support the local community, nurture opportunities for creativity and expression among the students, and are always eager to give back to our community.