Yesterday the deputy mayor of Pythagorean applied on his own will a light bulb on the statue of Ikarian artist Nicolas Ikaris titled 'Pythagoras'. He actually pierced it!!! The statue is located just by the international art space Pythagoreon of which is based in Munich Germany.
If this would've happened in Munich or any other place in the world he would be punished.
It's a serious offence ...
I posted images on facebook and Niko Aggelis architect, (part time contributor to Big Blue s experiment 1 Heterotopias 2011) informed me the bulb was removed. Nikos left a comment under my post.
I want to keep this dialogue public it refers to cultural events, & volunteer work on Samos & others funded by EE, Cooperation s ...
I met Ikaris and his wife just by the statue during my first solo show in Samos ,,The Sun is Under the Earth'' summer 1993 before I moved to Samos. Just after the deaths in my family.
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| mixed media on canvas Maria Sevastaki 2015 |
With Turkish artist and friend Atila Ilkyaz 2000 we conceived FLUX and materialized this project in Samos and Turkey with the support of artists, family, small local businesses, former mayor of Karlovassi and friends.
Big Blue 2010 Installations Sofiane, Maria.
Electric Grave Stories of Peoples Maria Sevastaki Sofiane Ait Chalalet Big Blue 2010 Tanneries Karlovassi Samos.
Maria Sevastaki 2011
Potami beach Karlovassi
Aspres beach, Marathokambos
Samos
Self portrait, Maria Sevastaki. Potami beach Karlovassi
Eco's from the sea
camping under Mount Kerkis.
survival
Soul Bank installation Τράπεζα Ψυχών Maria Sevastaki 2011.
These are comments and replies in process ...
Niko Aggelis, architect Maria the improper electrical installation on the sculpture has been removed. I kindly request you help promote the efforts of many Samian volunteers who are working hard together to promote Samian Arts & Culture and help put together a stong bid for European Cultural Capital 2021. You are more than welcome to join our positive efforts and present your own ideas. Thats the best way to move forward and change negative mentality and ignorance that is brewing in a time of crisis - through positive work in arts & culture. That's what its all about! I was expecting to see you in one of our meetings, in Vathi, Pyhthagorio, Karlovassi, etc. This Friday evening we are meeting in Marathokampos at 18:00 at the KEP building. It would be great to see you, Sofian and any other artists who wish to help our island. I tried calling you but there was no response. I look forward to seing you!
Maria Sevastaki, artist. I am delighted that it has been removed. It looked ridiculous, crude and cheap.
Niko Angelis the bid for Samos to become
European Cultural Capital 2021 I am afraid I have too many questions and doubts based on both contemporary and historical experiences of living and working on Samos as an artist to commit myself to this project at this point in time.
I think you need to realise that many think this bid is a monumental joke at best and a publicity stunt at worst.
You must also realize that there many, both on Samos and elsewhere in Europe who know that Samos is the home of a notorious detention centre for refugees. I can well understand why these people should regard a bid to be ECC as being in very bad taste when there is no clear commitment to providing a humanitarian service to the refugees who travel to Europe through Samos . The priority is all wrong.
How, other people ask, can Samos expect to be taken seriously when EU funded projects of the past have achieved so little. The historical olive oil museum in Agios Konstaninos and the agricultural museum in Ambelos both received significant EU funding and have been completed for years. Their doors have never been opened to the public. Then there is the swimming pool in Karlovassi....and so the list goes on and on And have you forgotten? The promised space by municipality in Vathi for heterotopia and big blue that never was ????
Do we have no shame?
For me these matters and many more cannot be approached from the standpoint of negativity or positivity. I can think of nobody on the island who does not want the best for Samos.
As I said at the start of this brief note, I have many questions and doubts about this ECC initiative.
Best wishes,
Maria Sevastaki
Niko Aggelis: You are welcome to discuss your doubts and questions. As I mentioned before the title of European Cultural Capital is not given to the city with the best "show" but to a city that makes a good bid program part of which is indeed to discuss such problems as you mention above and work around them in creative ways. I see that part of the role of the artist is to bring such matters to attention through art. We have also mentionedidea of that there are more than one goals in this volunteer effort and they dont evolve only around the winning a title but it is indeeed about the process of meeting, cooperating, creating synergies with other artist and volunteers. This work is important and it has to be done one way or the other. I hope you can look at our volunteer work from a different perspecitve, certainly we are not here to joke around or make any publicity stunts for anyone. So again I ask you to join our effort and come up with your own ideas. Thanks for writing.
Maria Sevastaki: Niko you failed to mention directly any of the issues I raised I think illuminates the problems you all face.
The continuing silence about the scandal of the
detention centre the deaths of refugees
in the seas around us etc etc is particularly noteworthy. We have a problem and it will not
go away by ignoring it.
I also think you need to realize that discussions and
debates about the bid and the initiative do not require my sanction to proceed.
They will continue I’m sure in many places and at many levels. In fact
this is very necessary that this should happen.
As for the public role of art, some of us artists
regard this as something that never stops. It’s certainly something not to be
moblised you cannot switch the artistic process and practice on and off …
Nikos, I am
sure you must find it discouraging, but there are a growing number of people
who regard this bid as in the worst possible taste. Unless something is done to
rectify this matter I am sure the bid will face some very determined opposition
both from Samos and elsewhere when it comes to be submitted
I hope this is not going to happen
If the cultural capital will take place on samos I dream
the detention centre will be transformed into a modern theatre
space with housing for people in need directed by artists we all work and create
in harmony ….
Good luck
Maria
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