Kissos Pelion/ Zig Zag Festival 2023 | The Cabinet of Knowledge and Nature

The fusion of culture and nature, human sustainability, and social cohesion in dialogue with contemporary art, forms the foundation of this artistic exploration in Kissos, on the mountain of the Centaurs. For the first time, a dedicated contemporary art event travels to Pelion, fostering a dialogue between artistic expression and Kissos's rich heritage of myths, legends, and traditions.

Kissos Pelion/ Zig Zag Festival 2023:
The Cabinet of Knowledge and Nature

July 24 - 30, 2023
Group exhibition, Former Primary School of Kissos
Outdoor exhibition, interventions and public space-installations in various locations within Kissos

Exhibition concept

«The cabinet of knowledge and nature»

The Enlightenment, driven by reason and faith in progress, sought radical change in politics, society, economy, education, and religion, advocating freedom and resisting oppression. Its Greek expression carried European Enlightenment ideals to Greeks under Ottoman rule through literature, philosophy, and thought. Inspired by revolutionary Rigas Feraios—who once taught in Kissos—and the surrounding natural landscape, over 30 artists from Greece and abroad exhibit their works at the Old Primary School of Kissos, fostering a dialogue on the harmony between nature and humanity.

Watch video Read «Following the Centaurs to paths of knowledge»

Discovering Kissos, Pelion

Kissos, a mountain village in eastern Pelion, Magnesia, Greece, sits at 500 m altitude, 48 km from Volos, 8 km from Ag. Ioannis beach, and 12 km from the ski resort. Pelion, the mountain of the Centaurs, is a lush, protected landscape rich in myths, legends, and cultural traditions. Kissos is known for its traditional architecture, sea views, and dense beech and chestnut forests. The 1650 Church of Agia Marina, a three-aisled basilica, features a rare wooden iconostasis (1700–1720) and frescoes by Giannis Pagonis (1802), blending biblical, apocalyptic, and natural-history themes. During the 18th-century cultural boom, several schools thrived here, including one where Rigas Velestinlis, a forerunner of the Greek Revolution, taught.

Participating artists:

Vasilis Alexandrou, Fani Arapi, Polyanna Vrelianaki, Michael Goldgruber, Nikos Kryonidis, Ioulia Ladogianni, Elli Lampadaridou, Jens Lange, Dimitris Lioliopoulos, Hector Mavridis, Ioannis Monogios, Fotios Ballas, Evaggelia Boulaki, Despoina Pantazi, Dimitris Palantzas, Panagiotis Ploumis, Christian Rupp, Elio Samaras, Stratos Sterianos, Iordanis Stylidis, Chryssa Tzelepi & Akis Kersanidis, Theodora Tsiatsiou, Harris Chilitsis, Thanasis Chondros & Alexandra Katsiani, Lampros Psyrrakis, Themis Zidrou.

«Following the Centaurs to paths of knowledge»
Contributers:

Anthi-Georgia Georgakopoulou, Art History Student / Eleni Doumbli, visitor / Fotini Kapiris, Artist, curator / Antigoni Kapsali, Curator, Art historian / Nikos Kryonidis, Artist, curator / Elli Lampadaridou, Artist, educator / Georg Georgakopoulos, Curator, artist / Ioannis Monogios, Artist / Litsa Boulaki, visitor / Despoina Pantazi, Artist, Curator / Maria Papatheodorou, visitor / Panagiotis Ploumis, Photographer / Elio Samara, Artist / Stefanos Sgardelis, School of Biology, Dept. Ecology, AUTH / Iordanis Stylidis, Assoc. Prof. University of Thessaly, Dept. of Architecture.

Program

Performances

Stratos Sterianos’ experimental sound compositions, infused with traditional rhythms, merge with the dance of American artist Monica Dudàrov Hunken, inspired by her deep spiritual connection to nature.

Nefeli Stam presents a water-themed musical narrative, experimenting with handmade instruments, electronics, voice, and electric bass.

Ioulia Ladogiannis led a cyanotype workshop, where participants produced their own works using Pelion’s natural materials through the ecological cyanotyping process.

Father Michael guided artists and visitors through the 1650s Church of Agia Marina in Kissos Square, offering a theological reading of its frescoes and their links to local community figures.