Nisos

handmade woven, cotton thread, candle wick, rope.
3d printed ceramics,
embroidery

The title Nisos derives from the nickname given to the island of Anafi, by Margaret Kenna in her research. The project refers to Kenna’s research and the ways she recorded the evolution of the island through three social groups: the local residents, exiles and immigrants who moved to Athens, as well as the interaction between the three groups. What is the imprint of each one and how did it influence the development of the other, having the place as a common point of identity?
The number of exiles in the 1930s began to increase to such an extent that exceeded the number of local residents. The numerical arrivals of the exiles to the island are translated from the visual to the weaving warps and create a unique pattern which is imprinted on the woven. The embossed decoration of the woven creates three traditional embroidery patterns found on traditional fabrics of the island (two peacocks and a deer). The three designs meet in pairs in its decorative zones and narrate the exchange that took place between the three communities.
Margaret Kenna describes in her research two more objects that attracted Varela’s attention. The first is the ceramic hives used on the island until the 50’s. The hive is a space that hosts a perfect functional social structure. This cell is redesigned and printed by 3D printer keeping the same pattern woven and thus creates an analogy with the social structure created by the
exiled to survive.
The second item described by Kenna is the baskets sent by the locals to the immigrants in Athens (Anafiotes), and the Anafiot immigrants sent back to the island, with products that did not exist in Anafi. These baskets used to be sealed with a cloth on which sender / recipient details were written on.
In the work the hives are sealed with fabric referring to baskets as a means of exchange and on the fabric are written three local sayings. These sayings are the only suggestions that Kenna kept in the Greek language in her archive.

Ceramics: Nikos Athanasopoulos – Sealed Earth Ceramics Studio

Photoghrapher: Stathis Mamalakis

• exhibition

  Weaving Histories: Margaret Kenna and Anafi

• curator

  iLiana Fokianaki, Phenomenon

• production

  Phenomenon

• venue

  State of Concept, Athens

• year

  2021

• acknowledgements

  Nikos Athanasopoulos, Sealed Earth studio, Polymnia Theodoraki