Under the Patronage of H.E. President of the Hellenic Republic, Ms. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the novel art initiative starts this year in Santorini from June 7 and for the whole summer season. 20 original ceramic works by 20 different artists will be exhibited in the emblematic Museum of Prehistoric Thira.
 
Empiria Group is a proud sponsor of the first Greek Biennale of Contemporary Keramics with the theme "Clay Echoes: Unearthing Hidden Narratives" with its hotel, Vedema Resort as the preferred accommodation partner, in line with the company’s purpose to create space for joy through meaningful experiences that reflect the local culture.

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More information on the 1st Biennale of Contemporary Keramics 2024:

07.06 – 26.10.2024
20 Artists – 20 Original Works

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Preview: 6.6 2024 | Opening: 7.6 2024 | Closing: 26.10 2024

Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Santorini
Organized by: Big Blue Dot
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“Clay Echoes: Unearthing Hidden Narratives”

The ancient Greek word for pottery, for the potter’s clay and earth, is “Κέραμος/Kéramos.” And BCK 2024, the inaugural Biennale of Contemporary Keramics in Greece, paying homage to the material’s local history and roots, appropriately integrates “Kéramos” in its name, by lending its initial “Κ” to the word “Ceramics.”
 
The organization highlights a double need. On the one hand, that of supporting Greek Ceramics and, on the other hand, promoting it to a wider audience. It aims to create stimuli for new aesthetic trends, promote research, and strengthen communication between creators and the public.
 
The Biennale of Contemporary Κeramics by Big Blue Dot is wandering and decentralized by conviction. Like a traveling blue dot, it is not centered in the Athenian metropolis. Instead, it is held each time on a different island, drawing inspiration from each place, its mythological and historical past, its archaeological landmarks, presenting an exhibition and a program with parallel events, projects, exhibitions, and workshops for both artists and the local community.
 
BCK 2024 is realized by Big Blue Dot, a non-profit company based in Kefalonia, which was founded in order to organize the Biennale of Contemporary Keramics and promote Greek ceramics worldwide.
 
The inaugural location for the first Biennale of Contemporary Keramics 2024 is the island of Santorini. The meeting place is the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, which, having the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri as a point of reference, presents the life and culture of Thera during the prehistoric period, as depicted through various exhibits, mainly clay vessels and wall paintings.

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Exhibition

‍Inspired by the archaeological site of Akrotiri in the south of the island, where the ruins of a prehistoric city of great cultural importance have been uncovered, the Museum of Prehistoric Thera will host twenty original works by twenty artists from Greece and abroad. Through an open call, artists were invited to be inspired by the findings from prehistoric Akrotiri, research, and present their works with clay as the dominant material. The works were selected by an international committee of experts and will be exhibited in the place that was the source of inspiration.

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The artists selected are:

Stella Baraklianou | Helena Boddenberg | Mirka Drapaniotou | Ule Ewelt | Ion Fukazawa | Amyel Garnaoui | em irvin | Iosifina Kosma |Konstantinos Ladianos | Simon Manoha | Natalia Manta| Aylin Önen | Angeliki Papadopoulou | Desa Philippi | Yoav Reches | Nikos Sepetzoglou | Theo Triantafyllidis| Christos Tsoumplekas| Giorgos Vavatsis | Yena Young

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The International Jury

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The International Jury was formed by:

Theodora Chorafas (Ceramist) | Florian Daguet-Bresson (Curator, Art Dealer) | Konstantina Daskalantonaki (Curator) | Marina Fokidis (Curator, Writer, Educator) | Frangoula Georma (Archaeologist, Ministry of Culture) | Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki (Artistic Consultant) | David Jones (Ceramist, Theorist) | Loukia Thomopoulou (Artistic Director BCK)

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Exhibition Curation

Konstantina Daskalantonaki | Loukia Thomopoulou | Marina Fokidis | co-curated by Maya Efstathiou, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades and Archaeologist of the Museum of Prehistoric Thera
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BCK Exhibition Spaces

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Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Santorini

Ephorate of Antiquites of Cyclades
Fira, 84700, Thera
t. (+30) 2286025405 / email: amthi@culture.gr
Visiting Hours: 08:30–15:30, Wednesday to Monday (Tuesday closed)

Santorini Arts Factory (SAF)

Tomato Industrial Museum “D. Nomikos”
Vlychada, Santorini
Tel: +30 228608514
Visiting Hours: 10:00–18:00, Tuesday–Sunday (Monday Closed)

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Production

Big Blue Dot, Civil Non-Profit Company

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Co-production

Region of South Aegean
Thera Municipality
With the support of
Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO)
NEON Organization for Culture and Development
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
2024 | Greece - Japan | Year of Culture & Tourism