Forty Greek and international artists came together in the traditional village of Isternia on the island of Tinos for the first edition of the Zig Zag Festival. The festival revisits Tinian history through contemporary art, emphasizing connections between artists, local residents, and visitors, through a collaborative exhibition and event program centered on the theme “Living Marble / Beseelter Marmor.”

Exhibition concept

«Living marble/ Beseelter Marmor»

Much like an artist shaping a world from nothing, a lifeless stone can be transformed into art. Man’s relationship with stone—a humble building material and, at the same time, the foundation of masterpieces—forms the central inspiration behind Living Marble. The rugged landscape and the material’s quiet humility drive the artists to interpret, each in their own way, the timeless struggle to tame stone.

Conceived for Isternia—alongside Pirgos, the heart of marble production on Tinos—the exhibition unites forty artists and curators from Greece and abroad. Within a raw yet welcoming natural setting, they explore their connection to material and matter. Whether approached with humor or boldness, each work reflects the mysterious process of transforming inert stone into “living marble,” where chaos gives way to art. Living Marble extends through Isternia’s pathways, where art converses with arches, lintels, and traditional architecture.

Discovering Isternia

Isternia, the whitewashed village perched on the mountain at an altitude of 310 meters, is located in the western part of the island, known in Tinos as “Exo Meria”. It is situated 25 km from the port of Tinos and 2 km from Pyrgos, the birthplace of Giannoulis Halepas (Yannoulis Chale- pas, 1851 – 1938, Greek sculptor and significant representative of Modern Greek art). Isternia is the second most important center of marble sculpture in Tinos after Pyrgos, from which many great marble sculptors emerged (G & I. Vitalis, L. Sohos, L. Lameras).

Program

Classical and Contemporary Music:

Verses from environmentally themed poems, accessed via QR codes, form a path of discovery through Isternia, culminating in a prize draw.

Marc Vogel and Lukas Schiemer, Voice, percussion, saxophone

Petros Christidis, Classical violin recital

Guided Tours:

«The course of stone: from the quarry to the Museum»

Special tour to the Museum of Marble Crafts in Pirgos with Anna Kallinikidou, Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, and live demonstration by Petros Marmarinos local marble craftsman.

Tinian sculptor Onoufrios Despiris demonstrates the tradition of marble sculpture at his studio.

Historical Researcher Kostas Danoussis guides us to the unknown features of Tinian cultural heritage.