The multidisciplinary events «From the Ashes—Art, Memory, and Rebirth in the Burned Landscapes of Kythira,» which aim to raise environmental awareness through art, are set to begin on Friday, August 21, 2026, with the photography and installation exhibition «Archives of Ashes» at the Markato exhibition space, in the Old Market of Chora.
August 21–31, 2026
Markato – Old Market of Chora | Kythira
FREE ENTRANCE
Hours: 8:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., daily
Taking as its starting point the devastating fires of July 2025 that affected the natural landscape of Kythira, particularly in the Mylopotamos area, the exhibition seeks to document and highlight the memory of the place, while also serving as a catalyst for a dialogue about the possibility of regeneration.
The exhibition consists of two separate but interconnected parts:
- Art Exhibition «After the Ashes»
The exhibition presents the artistic outcome of a multifaceted contemporary art project that took shape amid the scorched landscape of Kythira. Photographs of the fire and the body in the landscape, snapshots from the performance and the dance video «After the Ashes: A Ritual for the Scorched Earth,», as well as elements from the visual arts «Archives of Ashes» installation», come together to form a poetic/visual narrative that explores the relationship between the earth, the body, and memory.
The exhibition does not dwell on destruction as an image, but rather follows the slow process of transformation: how the earth, movement, and human presence negotiate loss and make room for rebirth.
At the same time, it showcases contemporary artistic creation through the convergence of dance, video, photography, and installation, creating an organic artistic archive that documents the experience of the landscape in the aftermath of the fire.
- «Common Ground» Participatory Community Exhibition»
The Group Exhibition «Common Ground – Memory and Rebirth» It includes photographs of the scorched landscape, scenes taken after the fire, documentation of environmental and artistic initiatives, as well as works created by children and adults. It is an open, participatory platform that gives a voice to the local community of Kythira. The place is not depicted through a single artistic perspective, but is presented through multiple viewpoints: residents, local photographers, children, visitors, and workshop participants.
Through this polyphony, the experience of fire and rebirth is transformed into a shared narrative and a lively dialogue.
The exhibition was curated in collaboration with the “follow your art” gallery and local photographers, ensuring coherence, artistic quality, and respect for the personal narratives.
The exhibition serves as a community archive of memory, a space where art becomes a tool for storytelling, intergenerational connection, and the collective processing of the experience of the fire.
The «From the Ashes—Art, Memory, and Rebirth in the Burned Landscapes of Kythira» initiatives are being carried out under the auspices of and with financial support from :
- Ministry of Culture – «Creative Greece» program»
- Association of Public Works of Mylopotamos
- Potamos Recreational Cultural Association
- Kythira Foundation for Culture & Development (KIPA)
Communications Sponsor: KYTHERANEWS.GR
Organization: PASIFAI AMKE | Follow Your Art Gallery
Artistic direction: Georgia Tseri
Technical Support – Exhibition Setup: Antonis Dapontes
Marketing – Contact: Stamatina Stratigou
Graphic Design: Themis Dervenzas
