A new approach to the culture of Santorini will be the focus of the event to be held on 19 September 2025 at the “D. Nomikos” Tomato Industrial Museum in Vlychada. There, on 23 August, the painting exhibition of Artemis Chatzigiannaki entitled “Theraic Rituals” was inaugurated. It is a series consisting of 15 watercolours, all inspired by the traditional rituals of the island’s recent past, when an age-old way of life was still alive.
The exhibition, held under the auspices of the Municipality of Thira and open until 24 October, is the centre of the upcoming event, which aims to frame the artworks with critical thought about the present and the future of Santorini through the perspective of the island’s timeless imprint on history.
As the exhibition is part of the initiative “Santorini 2025: Year of Highlighting and Supporting Authenticity”, the juxtaposition of tradition, as reflected in the works of Artemis Chatzigiannaki, with the island’s present vividly reveals the challenges of the future.
Through 15 watercolours, Artemis Chatzigiannaki—researching old photographs, testimonies and records—captures Santorini’s recent past, which in part remains vivid in the island’s communities. Traditions, vine cultivation, architecture, rituals and customs compose both an artistic and an anthropological universe.
At the event on Friday 19 September (time 19:00), at the “D. Nomikos” Tomato Industrial Museum in Vlychada, a greeting will first be delivered on behalf of the Museum by Vani Nomikos and will be followed by a brief introduction from the exhibition curators Lefteris Zorzos and Nina Georgiadou.
A short video will then be screened and the two main talks of the event will follow.
Journalist and author Nikos Vatopoulos will speak on the topic “Santorini through Time. The Artistic Interpretation of Artemis Chatzigiannaki”, with reference also to the 2026 art calendar.
The talk of psychiatrist-psychotherapist Dimitris Georgiadis will follow, entitled “The Importance of Rituals in Our Lives”.
The event will conclude with the presentation of the new art calendar and a guided tour of the exhibition by Artemis Chatzigiannaki.
The 2026 art calendar, entitled “Santorini”, is bilingual (Greek–English) and includes twelve works by the artist, a foreword by the Mayor of Thira Nikos Zorzos, and texts by Nikos Vatopoulos, author-journalist, Lefteris Zorzos, archaeologist, and Nina Georgiadou, architect.
The calendar will be available at the exhibition venue, in selected bookstores and by order.
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