The Archipelago of Shards - in progress
2021
obsidian, glass residues, travelling equipment, handling gloves, analog photographs

A performative journey between the islands Gyali of Nissyros (GR) and Murano of Venice (IT)*, creating an imaginary archipelago consisted of two very different islands, with glass as a primal matter, as well as the connection point.
Humans and materials are moving around the world, assuming identities or often shaping them. 
Blocks of obsidian, found in Gyali island, were collected and physically transported to Murano, in order to be blended with glass residues collected from the local dump of the island, la Sacca.
A natural material, as found in its natural surroundings, is juxtaposed with the processed glass residues of the local factories, as found in a mass of land entirely created by human activity.
 

*Gyali is an island between Kos and Nissyros, known already from the antiquity for its abundance in obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass, produced by the nearby volcano of Nissyros  (hence its name, which means glass in Greek).
Murano is an island across Venice popular for the very long tradition in glass making that still continues to this day.

The Travelogue
 

Analog photography is an important part of the project, functioning as a medium between collecting and re-collecting.
Without the ability to see what has been captured, all the visual souvenirs of the journey are revealed later, reanimating the fading experience of the trip. The travelogue is consisted of analog photographs taken during the journey, from the departure until the arrival back to Athens, and is presented in the form of a photobook.