As most of the Cyclades try to deal with the fallout of excessive tourism, one island long shrouded in obscurity and stigmatized by its association with political exiles and a psychiatric hospital is proving a revelation to those visiting for the first time. With an architectural gem of a town like Porto Lago, a wealth of impressive neoclassical buildings, World War II monuments scattered across the island, outstanding cuisine and people with gumption, Leros is captivating.
The island went from prosperity thanks to merchants who made their fortunes in Egypt to decline, and is now enjoying a new renaissance without the pressure of over-tourism. Indeed, many foreign tourists have fallen passionately in love with Leros and bought homes there in recent years, while growing numbers of Greeks are also being drawn to its charms. What is especially interesting, however, is how the locals have thrown themselves into developing cultural and sports facilities that bring life to the island in winter and offer residents creative outlets, such as the Leros Theater Group, the Artemis Cultural Association and the Film Club. Many people who chose to make the island their permanent home are also contributing in their own way.
Athenian transplant Nicos Phocas and his Thessalonian wife, director Ioanna Asmeniadou, for example, have spearheaded a string of wonderful initiatives. The most recent is a group exhibition, “Creating (in) Leros,” running through September 6 at the Kandioglou Mansion in the seaside town of Agia Marina. The house itself has a fantastic vibe. It was built by a Leros native who made his fortune in Egypt and later became a guesthouse. During the period of deinstitutionalization, it welcomed some of the first psychiatric patients seeking to reintegrate into society. It was subsequently purchased by Greek-Austrian Alexander Schwarzenberg and has since hosted numerous visual arts and theater initiatives.
For the current show, Phocas chose to bring together two distinct categories of work: On the one hand, pieces by artists who have ancestral ties to Leros or have been inspired by it, and, on the other, pieces created by former psychiatric patients as part of their deinstitutionalization. The result is a unique tapestry reflecting the history and character of a community that has always opened its arms to those considered “undesirable.” At the same time, it highlights the power of art to heal, offer release and give expression to experiences of every kind. What all the participants have in common, then, is that they created for or on Leros.
The exhibition features works by Alexis Vasilikos, Aliki Diakaki, Yannis Zamouzaris, Christos Zembis, Vicky Theotokatou, M. Kaloumenos, Maria Kokkini, Dimitris Mavroudakis, Marianna Xylina, Eleftheria Sioi, Eva Tsagaraki, Christina Tsakyriou, Giorgos Tsitsonis, Marios Charinos, Tassos Chatzopoulos, Maria Psarrou, Phedra Houry, Veron Hoxhaj, Emy Koen, Chris Mardini, Evana Magits and Michael Winters.
The sculptures by Hoxhaj, an Albanian-born master stonemason, are particularly noteworthy.
