Santorini may be renowned today for its whitewashed villages, dramatic caldera views, and luxury hotels, but a new museum exhibition invites visitors to discover a very different side of the island – one shaped by hard work, ingenuity, and a close relationship with the land and sea.

“Industriana,” now open at the Tomato Industrial Museum “D. Nomikos” in Vlychada, traces the story of Santorini’s pre-tourism economy, when local communities relied on agriculture, maritime trade, and small-scale industry to make a living in one of the Aegean’s most challenging landscapes.

Long before tourism transformed the island, Santorini’s fertile volcanic soil produced its famous cherry tomatoes, fava beans, and distinctive wines, while generations of sailors and ship captains supplemented local incomes through seafaring and long-distance trade. Despite limited natural resources, islanders developed thriving workshops and industries, demonstrating remarkable resilience and innovation.

The exhibition is housed in a setting that reflects this rich history. The former D. Nomikos tomato processing factory, built in 1945 and in operation until 1980, was transformed into the Santorini Arts Factory (SAF) in 2014. Today, the restored industrial complex serves as both a cultural venue and a reminder of the island’s manufacturing heritage.

Through archival material, historic photographs, surviving machinery, everyday objects, and personal testimonies from former workers, “Industriana” brings Santorini’s industrial past vividly to life. Visitors can explore the island’s production of tomato paste alongside stories of farming, food production, shipbuilding, and the communities whose livelihoods depended on these industries.

The exhibition is jointly organized by the Tomato Industrial Museum, the Thera Society of Sciences, Letters and Arts, and the Museum of Cycladic Art’s Cycladic Identity Initiative. Scientific curation has been undertaken by Lefteris Zorzos, Nikos Korakakis, Nina Georgiadou, and Kostas Zachariou.

More than a historical retrospective, “Industriana” seeks to preserve memories of a way of life that is rapidly fading from public consciousness. By documenting the island’s agricultural and industrial traditions, the exhibition highlights an important chapter of Santorini’s cultural identity that risks being overshadowed by its international reputation as one of the Mediterranean’s premier tourist destinations.

From the vineyards and tomato fields that once sustained local families to the traditional boatyard at Armeni, where vessels serving the island were built and repaired, the exhibition paints a rich picture of a self-reliant community that flourished through determination, craftsmanship, and cooperation.

For visitors looking to experience a deeper side of Santorini beyond its iconic sunsets and caldera views, “Industriana” offers an engaging introduction to the island’s working past. Housed within one of Santorini’s best-preserved industrial landmarks, it provides a timely reminder that the island’s identity was forged long before tourism became its defining industry.

With information in Greek from kathimerini.gr.