(detail)

TASSOS SINTELIS

Selection of 9 artworks with oil, drawing or mixed technique and scenes inspired by the nature and cultural elements of Karystos.

Artist statement: There is a cultural crisis and I get frustrated. In ancient Greece the spirit was so great. That spirit no longer exists. People don't care much, neither about nature, nor about what happens around us. We forget the value that exists around us in the environment. I think a lot about young people, who should be indoctrinated and learn to love nature and the environment and people. We need to relax, but it's hard to find peace and quiet. We admire technology, but technology makes us almost superhuman and does not let us rest. When I learned about the life of the Bee and what it is for the world, I was very moved by it, and I started doing related projects.

ELIZABETH NEAD

(from top left to right)
Triptych (artworks 1, 2, 3)

Title of artwork 1: Fountain of life. Materials: Collage from paper on cardboard. Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm

Title of artwork 2: Noah Redux. Materials: Collage from paper on cardboard. Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm

Title of artwork 3: Dance with plague. Materials: Collage from paper on cardboard. Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm

Title of artwork 4: Orange half-moon. Materials: Oil and acrylic on paper. Dimensions: 38 x 48 cm

Title of artwork 5: Swallows, red sky. Materials: Oil and acrylic on paper. Dimensions: 38 x 48 cm

Title of artwork 6: Kohyli Oppenheimer. Materials: Oil and acrylic on paper. Dimensions: 48 x 58.5 cm

Artist statement: We live in a fragile paradise. Climate change is existential; it affects our weather with direct impact on the daily lives of all creatures. It can be dramatic, extreme, terrifying, catastrophic. More often, it is gradual, subtle. Do we sense it, or understand what it signifies? Do we even acknowledge it? It is my intention to be provocative with this work. Sometimes the message is one of violent forces and life out of balance. Sometimes there is simply the paradox of a sinister beauty. We strive for the sustainable co-existence of nature and humans, as promoted and expressed perfectly by Beelosophy. I am honoured to lend my support to this endeavour. 

Title of artwork: Bee kind (Be kind to Mother Nature and she will be kind to you). Materials: Fabric, faux bijoux, mixed media. Dimensions: 215 x 135 cm

(from left to right) 1. Bee kind, 2. Details of bees, 3. Detail of mountain, stream and forests, with a bit of fire visible, 4. Detail of the fire and the windmills, with many bee boxes on the mountain, 5. Detail of flowers of the kissouri shrub, with bees collecting pollen.

The bees are all embroidered and have jewel for eyes and jewels for the pollen they carry on their back legs.

SIMON BENZAQUEN

Title of artwork: Beehive of Tolerance

Materials: floating wood, metal.

Dimensions: 168 cm (height) x 24 cm (length) x 6 cm (width) and flat metal base.

Artist statement: Bees display remarkable communication and collaboration skills when constructing honeycombs. They possess the unique ability to produce wax and create hexagonal cells within their hives, which serve as both a workshop and natural habitat. Wild bees can build their nests in cave, rock, or tree cavities. The totem symbolises the bees' collective effort when working together on their communal project. The honey we savour is a direct result of their seamless collaboration and harmonious existence.

ECO FLANEUR

Collective work of the Eco Flaneur group. 

Artists (from top left to right): Panagiotis Voulgaris, Penny Geka, Vassilis Kavouridis, Stavroula Kaziale, Katerina Kalitsounaki, Sofia Kyriakou, Katerina Lampropoulou, Andreas Mitropoulos, Vasiliki Mylona, Apostolos Papageorgiou, Aphroditi Papadouli, Vivi Perysinaki, Eva Rentzou, Athena Robie, Vicky Samouilidou, Chrysa Skordaki, Konstantina Sylikou, Konstantinos Tolis.

Title of artwork: The dimensions of a beehive

Materials: Various

Dimensions: Variable

Artist statement: The project deals with ecocentrism, the survival of the Bee, the climate crisis, the cultural and historical importance of the Bee, the creation of communities around it and its products, the support of the areas damaged by the recent catastrophic floods and fires. The way of managing and presenting the artworks of the Eco Flaneur visual artists, as both individual and collective entities, refers to the structure of the hive. The bee hive and bee society are held up as an example of cohesion and unity.

GABRIELLA PETSIOU

(left) Title of artwork 1: The last dance. Materials: Acrylic on canvas. Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm

(right) Title of artwork 2: Prayer. Materials: Acrylic on canvas. Dimensions: 60 x 70 cm

Artist statement: Bees, the inhabitants of the Earth for at least 15 million years, are gradually disappearing, their populations are declining due to the reckless exploitation of the earth. When bees and other pollinators die, the life of the forest is wounded. When the forest burns, bees do not leave their nests. Most either burn and die, or survive temporarily and die shortly after, of starvation. The priestess bee, in the center of the forest, prays for the preservation of life. Mother nature bids farewell to her creatures with the last dance. As we experience the spirit withdrawing from the sacred symbols, our lives become prosaic, lonely, cut off from the whole.

Let's pray for the future! Considering the future as already happening, because it is just around the corner.

IRENE RAPTI

Title of artwork: Mother worker

Materials: illustration on paper with wood paint

Dimensions: 21 x 29 cm

Artist statement: The relationship between man and the natural world is inextricably linked. The will of the artists to represent and visualise this relationship is original and universal. The work "Mother Worker" seeks to pay tribute to mother nature, who continuously offers to man, through visual means of expression. Mother nature stoically endures the coming of age of man that will mark their sustainable interface. 

KATERINA KOUNAVI

Title of artwork: Encased question of deconstruction

Materials: honeycomb wood, plastic, wire, bone, fishing line, beeswax.

Dimensions: 40 x 40 cm

Artist statement: The bee as a beloved insect-symbol inspires me, because the imperfection of man competes with the perfection of the society of bees. Also, the constant obsessive effort of the decadents leveling the modern age, constantly seeing the avenging angel stalking humanity like a demon with the sword of Damocles pushed me to seek the light. Bees are a vision of complete makeover with hopeful signs. So, I created a cube of natural materials, contrastingly embodying life and death, not as a hideous event, but rather as an evolution of life. The thoughtless use of plastic may remove man from his existence, but the existence of the bee is the great purification and hope for life.

ATHANASIOS VAKIRTZIS

Title of artwork: Two bees visiting the entrance of a hive

Materials: Acrylic on cardboard

Dimensions: 40 x 55 cm

Artist statement: My participation in this exhibition was based on an extraordinary coincidence. Many bees come to my garden. I decided to make 2 hives, thinking maybe the bees are loose and looking for a nest. I bought a bee attractant paste and on the day I received it, I also got an invitation to take part in the bee exhibition. In the piece there are two bees that visited the entrance of a hive. 

EVA ANGELAKA

Title of artwork: Life in the air

Materials: Ink and multi-print silkscreen on canvas

Dimensions: 200 x 110 cm

Artist statement: The Japanese concept of "wabi-sabi", which recognises the beauty of transience and the imperfection of things, is a central concept and methodological tool in my work.Through experiences that shape a multicultural and cosmopolitan temperament as a result of my ten years of residence in Japan, Sweden and elsewhere, I explore ritual and animistic traditions, such as those of Shinto. I think about themes such as the omnipotence of Nature in relation to our distance from it, Wind (Anima, Soul, but also the Chinese philosophy of winds that arouse all body states) and symbols such as the Lotus (sacred entheogenic plant, symbol of death and rebirth) or the bee, while identifying and highlighting common symbols and practices in different cultures.

DOMINIQUE LIETAERT

(from top left to right)
Title of artwork 1: 2 x Small blue garden visited by a bee. Materials: wood – copper mesh – lapis lazuli – felt – acrylic paint. Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 15 cm (3-dimensional)

Title of artwork 2: Bees exploring their archives (diptych). Materials: nepalese paper – copper & stainless-steel mesh - felt – acrylic paint. Dimensions: 160 x 50 cm

Artist statement: The artworks invite you to enter the fascinating world of bees; and to imagine, what bees, as the great masters in exploring the colours and forms of flowers, can teach us about the colours and forms of artworks. Not by following the rational path, but, rather, a complementary one, yet just as real. Looking at these works stimulates your imagination and creates new wanderings, new thoughts you never had about bees before. The same kind of thoughts you have when you think about a dear friend, living in a foreign country and you are wondering what she/he is doing now. Thoughts than can be strange, funny, silly, deep.

MARLEEN KALK

(from left to right)
(combined) Title of artwork 1: Flowers and bees, Title of artwork 2: Red flowers

Title of artwork 3: The flowers and the bee

Materials: marble, wood, wire

Dimensions: 40 x 50 cm

Artist statement:

(artwork 1) No flowers no bees. Just a statement for nature. 

(artwork 2) I made these flowers on a piece of marble, which I got from a dear friend. She lost this piece when her cat, following a bee, run over a statue.

(artwork 3) It looks like the bee is resting, but this is not true. She is actually selecting which flower she likes to visit first, for taking the honey to her beehive. I found the wooden piece on the beach and I think it is a perfect match: The bee is hiding, until there are no intruders, waiting to start her daily job. 

RIA AXELI

Title of artwork: At work

Materials: Coloured pencils on pastelmat paper

Dimensions: 50 x 39 cm

Artist statement: My painting is a dialogue with nature and the cultural heritage of Karystos. I was inspired by the ancient practice of beekeeping, which connects man with the world of bees. In my work I depict a priest beekeeper interacting with a hive, carefully, step by step, reflecting his love for the art of beekeeping. Through this project, I seek to share my sensitivity for the nature and tradition of the region. I hope to highlight the beauty of coexistence with the world of bees and inspire viewers to explore our cultural heritage. 

EVANGELOS SIDERIS

(from top left to right)
Title of artworks: 1) spring 2) summer 3) autumn 4) winter

Materials: photo on canvas

Dimensions: 30 x 40 cm

Artist statement: Photographing and beekeeping fills me with joy and this is what I want to express and transmit to the world. 

MELINA ELENA STYLIANOU

Title of artwork: ...kissed by the wind" (and HOPEFULLY NOT...killed by the dust)

Materials: Composition of acrylic painting on wood embraced by beekeeping related objects

Dimensions: 25 x 31 cm (artwork), 50 x 40 x 40 cm (composition)

Artist statement: In this composition, the acrylic portrayal of the Erica plant, intertwined with beekeeping artifacts, serves as a poignant critique of human impact on nature, particularly through so-called Green Energy development. It emphasizes that cultivating respect for the environment is essential to fostering resilience, offering a hopeful vision of harmony through mindful coexistence.

MARINA STAVROU

Title of artwork: Sea Wings

Materials: snapshot from analogue film (16mm) painted (direct animation), print on paper/fabric

Dimensions: variable

Artist statement: The work reflects a feeling of vulnerability and sensitivity, similar to what one feels when touching the wings of a bee. The fragility of the bee's wings, but also its strength and effect on the ecosystem, are two parameters that complement each other. There is no meaning to fragility without strength, nor to strength without sensitivity and empathy. This instillation of sensitivity motivates us to shake off any isolation and open our senses to textures, colours, the environment and our own nature. 

LILIANA KOTUR

Title of artwork: Flora of Karystos, cottage of the bees

Materials: wool, cotton, linen and wood (hand woven on traditional loom)

Dimensions: 45 x 90 cm

Artist statement: My artwork is a tribute to the local wild plant Kissouri, symbol of the rich biodiversity and cultural heritage of Karystos. It also represents the landscape and flora of Karystos. The industrious bees that thrive in this environment conduct a methodical collection of the Kissouri nectar. Through this project, I aim to convey that our actions must be patient and harmonious, mirroring the diligent work of bees. By respecting and caring for our environment, we can create a sustainable future, where both humans and nature thrive. I used a traditional technique of weaving frame. The interlacing threads create a cohesive whole, which symbolises the interconnectedness of all forms of life and the corresponding delicate balance.

ANITA XANTHOU

Title of artwork: Feminine principle

Materials: photograph

Dimensions: 60 x 40 cm

Artist statement: Life, death, rebirth. The Herakleian flow of time, the eternal cosmic cycle, the uninterrupted energy of the universe but also the "female" identity. The artist physically occupies the wounded landscape, choreographing herself in a symbolic act of healing environmental wounds. She metaphorically transforms darkness into light and destruction into rebirth. Freed from established social conventions and gender biases, she highlights the wild, primordial element and constant transformations of female existence in a work underlined by overt eco-feminist pursuits. The staged images are allegories for femininity as manna-earth, the flow of time, decay, death, rebirth, the constant universal mutation of matter. Art and politics sound the alarm for the future of the planet, projecting the vision of a new hopeful beginning.

SISSY PANAGOPOULOU

(from left to right)

Title of artwork 1: No title, Dimensions: 27 x 7 x 2,5 cm

Title of artwork 2: No title, Dimensions: 22,5 x 15 x 2,5 cm

Materials: bronze and shell (casting and welding)

Title of artwork 3: No title (In collaboration with Nikos Hatzopoulos)

Materials: Honeycomb frame. Dimensions: 48 x 24 cm. The design is inspired by a capital found in the Archaeological Museum of Karystos. The project was completed by the bee colonies of Nikos Hatzopoulos.

Artist statement: Beelosophy was my incentive to explore the life and the world of the bees and in particular the space they create from wax - the honeycombs. In my art practice, beeswax is a favourite material, worked as a connecting link in the creation of the artworks I present here. One of the reasons I use wax is that, through "lost wax casting" method, its fragility and variability can be transmuted into the rigid immobility and timelessness of metal. The forms I created from honeycombs, which I cast in bronze, are abstract, with biomorphic elements, inspired by my visit to Karystos. The primordial hexagonal pattern of the honeycomb that I use as a material aims to emphasise the evolution of life and the connection of man with the natural world.