Project Info
The project is inspired by the Antikythera Shipwreck (1st century BC) which came to light in 1900, when sponge divers happened on the scene, in 50m of water. Among the findings were marble statues, partially worn by the sea.
The peculiarity of these statues lies on the fact that their parts that had remained in the sand of the seabed are still perfectly preserved, while their parts that had remained exposed to seawater have been eroded.
Starting from this observation, the project aims to highlight the inevitable transformative condition of wear and deterioration of natural ma- terials and natural beings and to reflect on the human experience of time and its meaning, as we move through the era of the post-human.
Nature’s perpetual cycle connects presence with absence, birth with deterioration and death. It is characterized by a continuous transfor- mation, that we call time.
How do we connect today with the experience of wear and deterioration? Do we still observe the cycle of Nature? How much has it altered through time? Is the experience of time affected today, as reality is increasingly perceived through momentary visual stimuli? How much is fragility connected to the meaning of life and what are the qualities that ultimately characterize an experience as “human”? How is originality embodied in the creation of a “handmade work”?
THE ANTIKYTHERA MOSAIC is proposed as a mirroring of the sea. The “deterioration” of the sea itself caused by pollution, climate change, overfishing etc. leads to a question about the irreversible destruction of our natural environment and the critical issue of water resources’ sustainability. As water has diachronically symbolized the concept of the flow of time – encompassing rebirth – it would be interesting to see THE ANTIKYTHERA MOSAIC as an archaeological find of a future archaeological research, when, potentially, drinking water and the sea, will be considered “unknown” fields.
The work finally aims to highlight the island of Antikythera as a place that remains an “island”; that is, a place still isolated and exposed to weather conditions, a place that imposes a connection with the natural environment, offering the experience of natural time and an encoun- ter with the self.
THE ART WORK
A large-scale mosaic (3x10m to 5x20m) depicts the expansion of a sea wave on the shore. The work is created in interconnected sections (approx. 30x100x100cm) created with numerous handmade white marble tesserae, set in gray hydraulic lime mortar. The work will be in- stalled in places adjacent to the sea (beaches and piers). Its interaction with the sea water, the weather conditions and visitors, will be audio visually recorded and edited into a film. The predicted erosion of the mosaic by the sea, will be the main subject.
A model of the work can be seen in https://christinanakou.gr/mosaics/the-antikythera-project/
PRESENTATION POINTS AND DEVELOPING COLLABORATIONS
The project is planned to be installed in the following places, in order to carry out its audio-visual recording:
1. On the island of Antikythera, as it is the springboard of this project.
2. In the Archaeological site of Baia, near Naples, Italy, as in the Submersed Archaeological Park, numerous Roman mosaics and statues, eroded by the sea, are found. Due to Baia’s volcanic condition, of particular interest in this location, is the observation of impossible stability in the restoration works.
The creation of the Antikyhtera Mosaic is now taking place place as an Open Studio event, held in the Temporary Exhibitions Hall of Palazzo Massimo, in Rome. The event is supported by the Museo Nazionale Romano, by the Archaeological Parc of Baia and the American Academy in Rome, where the artist is now a Visiting Artist.
3. In the excavation site of Kato Kouphonissi Island, in the Cyclades, Greece, in collaboration with the British Archaeological School of Athens. The Kato Kouphonissi site brings in dialogue the Antikythera Mosaic Project with the archaeological founds of Keros island, known for the unique deposition of broken Prehistoric marble figurines.
4. In the Archaeological site of Amathus, in Limassol, Cyprus, as part of the ancient city is now under the sea. The connection of the project with Amathus focuses on the critical issue of drought and the subsequent water scarcity that are currently affecting Cyprus.
The project will be concluded with a final presentation of this journey in the form of an exhibition where the mosaic and the film - containing footage from all the intermediate installations - will be presented all together.