Page 24 - BLUE INK 2018

monumental sculptures and art installations them a forum for creative expression. In Art Symposia & Art Exhibitions
which were created during a series of 2018 it inaugurated “Art on Blue”, a series of The concept arose from Gina Mamidakis’
symposia held at the hotel. During these site-specific works with Georgia Kotretsos’ love of culture and ensures that the cultural
symposia artists, curators and art critics were installation “4 Cents” seen on the rocky heritage of different countries will travel all
brought together, working and creating in an surfaces and blue shores of Minos Beach over the world through the eyes of visitors.
exclusive landscape of sand, ocks, greenery art hotel. Kotretsos’ sculptural installation, The first International Art Symposium was held
and trees, ideal for a modern sculpture comprising varnished copper-plated objects in June 1988 at Minos Beach art hotel. During
park. The installation “Drawing”, a spatial resembling trash bags is a monument to the symposium, artists from Greece, Europe
intervention in the hotel’s garden by Linda the most banal objects of everyday life. and America created works in the hotel ground
Benglis,“Light and Shadow”, a yellow painted The installation touches upon the pressing and the sculptures that adorned the hotel
stone on the sea shore of the hotel by Carlo environmental issues of plastic waste in the gardens soon became part of the surrounding
Ciarli, “Haris”, the human figure in rope carrying environment that affects wildlife habitat and natural environment. The sculpture park was
a wooden pole by Eleni Mylona, “Don Quixote”, humans. At the same time, the installation further developed during the two subsequent
a redesigned windmill in the hotel’s garden by considers the sea as a kind of a museum, an International Art Symposia held in 1990
Theodoros [Surname needed here?], “Danger!”, immediate institution telling of our recent entitled “A New Mediterranean Cultural
a sculpture by Costas Tsoclis, as well as the industrial archeology. Identity” and in 1993 entitled “Art in Politics”.
impressive “Painful Pyramids” by Magdalena
Abakanowicz, are just some of the works to be
discovered in the gardens of Minos Beach art
hotel. The majority of the artworks have been
created to exist in the hotel’s garden, with the
artist taking the location into account when
planning and creating the new artwork. These
outdoor site-specific artworks are, in many
cases. inspired by the existing environment
whilst, at the same time, often critically
commenting upon it.

Underwater Exhibition
Having at its core the desire to encourage
the dialogue between arts, environment and
people, the G. & A. Mamidakis Foundation
commissions site-specific projects, which focus
on the sea shore of Crete and particularly
in the area of Agios Nikolaos, where Minos The sculpture park has been further developed experts. At the same time, two travel books,
Beach art hotel is situated. The multifaceted by the many works of art which have been “The Unknown Crete” and “The Unknown
art project “Sea to Shore Stories” (2016), created during subsequent thematic Rhodes” have been published. In addition
created by Kostas Ioannides, consists of the exhibitions, such as an exhibition dedicated to to these, the G. & A. Mamidakis Foundation
underwater sculptural installation “Lost Ears the contemporary art of Cyprus in 1996 and launched a series of educational publications.
of Agios Nikolaos”, the underwater sound an exhibition about the contemporary art of The first book, “A Trip to the Greek Mythology”,
installation “Hanging Gardens” and the video- Chile in 1999. In 2007, the exhibition “People has been translated into four languages :
text animation “Untitled (for the Sea-folk)”. and Places in the 1960s” took place, presenting Greek, English, German and Russian. In this
Whilst the text-animation welcomes hotel black-and-white photographs taken in and special edition, Cretan mythology holds a
guests upon arrival in the reception area, the around Agios Nikolaos and the Minos Beach special position and, in 2017, the “Summer of
underwater installations are to be experienced art hotel. Photographs of Cretan landscapes Mythology” was organised - an original initiative
by visiting swimmers and divers. Ioannides’ and traditions entitled “Crete in Black and which since then has taken place in Minos
work reminds us of the fragile and often White” have been on permanent display at the Beach art hotel, Sensimar Minos Palace Hotel
uncomfortable co-existence between nature Sensimar Minos Palace hotel since 2011. and Candia Park village, all in Agios Nikolaos.
and culture, whilst at the same time plays on Through interactive activities, and with the
the idea of the sea as a metaphor for discovery Art Catalogues & Travel Books valuable help of experts and audiovisual
and wonder, revealing unexpected results. Photographic exhibitions are accompanied material, all visitors, no matter their age, were
The G. & A. Mamidakis Foundation promotes by lavishly illustrated catalogues which were able to discover and indulge in the beauty of
young established artists from Greece, offering free to visitors, hotel guests and art-related the ancient Greek myths.

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