Fichti Art Festival 2021

Full disclosure: Fichtia is my village. It is where my grandfather was born, and I have extended family there. This art festival thrills me to no end....If you are headed to Mycenae, Nafplion or Argos this weekend 30 July - 02 August, check it out! The English translation from the web version is my own, and any errors I proudly accept as my own. Congratulations to the organizers, implementation team, artists and performers, and to the residents of my beloved Fichtia.

Fichti Art Festival 2021

art, ideas, invention, vision…

in the nature of Argolida

Fichti (Mycenae), 30/7 -2/8/2021

Welcome to the 1st Fichti Art!

A cultural art festival, a four-day event of visual arts, music, poetry, dance and theater, from Friday, July 30 until Monday, August 2, in Fichti, Argolida. An art festival that was born of discussions and creative exchanges amongst a group of people after a long period of isolation, and bringing to reality the idea and the dream of its inspirer, Eleni Tsetsekou.

Fichti Art is the answer to the question "what can we do" through Art and aims to highlight the history and beauty of the Fichti area and the integration of local society in the cultural dialogue.

This year, the first Fichti Art 2021 focuses on an exhibition of a favorite artist, Francesco Moretti, entitled "Without electricity" curated by Dr. Fais Tzanetoulakou, and is framed by concerts and events, offering space and opportunity to artists and creators.

The venue is magical with unobstructed views of Mycenae and the entire field of Argolis. Participation is free, and all necessary safety measures for Covid-19 will be carefully observed.

We invite you all to get to know our area and have a great time !!

FICHTI ART FESTIVAL 2021

What it is, how did it come to be?

The Festival was born as an idea just a few months ago, around a table that hosted a group of people happy to be together again to exchange ideas and feelings after a long period of isolation. Through discussions and creative exchanges came the recognition that in addition to the personal, there are communities that experience a more permanent "isolation". Fichti Art was the answer to the question "what can we do" as an informal group of locals and friends. Through art and the goal of cultural dialogue and the integration of the local community in the implementation of the festival, we welcome you to the 1st Fichti Art Festival.

What is the vision?

We hope that Fichti Art will continue in the coming years as a new cultural institution, offering space and opportuity both to internationally recognized artists with a central exhibition, and to local creative forces - and free participation to the public.

The place, the needs of the local community

The Fichti Art festival is a new effort made with love and passion for the cultural development of the Fichti area and the promotion of its history and beauty. We invite you all to get to know our area and have a good time, always observing all the necessary safety measures for Covid-19. Fichti (or Fichtia) is built on the slope of Aetolithi hill, and was an important junction point in the passage from Corinth to Argolida. The name of the village probably came from the voice of the railway collector who shouted "arrived," as evidenced by the train lines that pass through here. Ancient residential remains and chamber tombs have been found in the area, as well as four towers - outposts, megalithic boxlike constructions of the Bronze Age. The visitor, in addition to the archeological finds in Fichti, can see Evangelistria, the main church of the village, and the church of Panagia tou Zacharias, which according to historical records was the headquarters of Kolokotronis during the battle of Dervenakia (https://greece.terrabook.com/el/argolis/page/fixti/).

Festival Program

The four-day festival will open every night at 20:00 and will feature concerts, theatrical performances, poetry readings and traditional dances.

Friday 30 July

- “No Electricity” Exhibition by Francesco Moretti - preview (exhibition opening 20:30)

- Jazz Night by Soy Trio

Saturday 31 July

- “No Electricity”

- “Re-creation,” interactive visual performance by the artistic group "Kores". (Artemis Gounari-Tsetsekou, Gavriella Athanasopoulou, Eleni Tsiotaki, Nikoleta Malai, Sotiria Tsiotaki) Coordinator: Mara Kalantzi

- “Stolen stories from yesterday to today,” Dimitra Louka and Ifigenia Oikonomou (Department of Theatrical Studies - PAPEL), a research theatrical documentary about the ‘Kamakis’ of Argolida and the relations between the sexes.

-Traditional Dances from the Fichtion Association of Saminthos

Sunday, August 1

- “No Electricity”

- Poetry Evening with poets Maria Panagiotidou and Dimitris Papadopoulos

- Musical Journey, concert with Sofia Mavrogennidou (flute) and Kohar Karayan (piano)

Monday, August 2

- “No Electricity” closing exhibition

- Music night Panagiotis Berlis (Transparent Lilies)

- Closing Celebration (Party!)

A few words about artists…

Francesco Moretti

After years of international exhibitions, the Italian artist Francesco Moretti returns to exhibit in Argolida with works of sculpture, painting and engraving, in a solo exhibition entitled "Without Electricity," curated by Dr. Fais Tzanetoulakou.

In recent years, he has worked mainly abroad, exhibiting his work in Italy, Hungary, Switzerland, Morocco, India and Taiwan:

In 2017, he presented a series of works inspired by the Chinese Tangram in Pisa in an exhibition funded by the Confucius Institute of Chinese Culture.

In 2018, he represented Italy at the International Engraving Biennale in Taiwan. One of his works became part of the collection of the Taichung Museum of Contemporary Art.

In 2014 and 2016, he participated in the Casablanca Biennale. His works are exhibited at the IFITRY Institute for Contemporary Art in Essaouira (Morocco).

Among other important exhibitions, we note his participation in the Fifth Edition of the International Art Book Exhibition in Hungary; his solo exhibition at the Palazzo Ducale in Luca (Tuscany, Italy); and, solo exhibition in St. Petersburg. Gallen, Switzerland.

In Nafplio, we remember his large-scale sculptural work "I will not sit and run," better known as ‘the talking cockroach’ which last summer caused a lot of discussion about the Italian artist throughout Greece. The work was presented in an open-air exhibition curated by art critic and historian, Faye Tzanetoulakou and organized by the Municipality of Nafplio.

This time, Dr. Tzanetoulakou curates Francesco Moretti's solo exhibition at Fichti Art.

Soy Trio

The group Soy Trio will make its debut at the opening of the festival. The jazz trio is comprised of young musicians from the Argolis School of Music.

Kores

The group "Kores" consists of young women from Fichtia. This interactive artistic performance will include audience participation.

Student group of the Department of Theatrical Studies - PAPEL

Iphigenia Economou: Born and raised in Argos, is a primary education teacher in Argolida, and a student in the Department of Theatrical Studies of Nafplio.

Dimitra Louka: Born and raised in Alexandroupolis, is a primary education teacher in Argolida who has lived in Nafplio for the last twenty years. In June 2021, she graduated from the Department of Theatrical Studies in Nafplio. The theatrical documentary research show, Burning Stories from Yesterday to Today, involves Argolida residents, and emerged as part of the course Acting and Society II: The Ethnodrama and the Documentary Theater with Ms. Christina Zoniou. It addresses the famous ‘Kamakis’ (womanizers) of Argolida, and is a critique on the traditional and modern approaches to relations between the sexes - all done with humor.

Maria Panagiotidou

Writer-Poet. Panagiotidou’s first collection of poetry, Icons, was published in 2015 by the Argolid Archive Library of History and Culture. Her next three collections, Pachnis Iaches, Dialogue Monologues and Thripsalanthi, received awards in the World Poetry Competition, Cavafy 2016, Cavafy 2017 and Cavafy 2018 respectively, by the International Art Academy. In 2016, she won the second World Poetry Prize from Unesco, with an "Ode to Dionysios Solomos". In 2016, The Panhellenic Writers' Union awarded a Distinction at the Panhellenic Level and Cyprus (Intellectual Horizons), a distinction for poems in the Haikou category. In 2017, she was distinguished by the International Academy of Letters and Arts - International Society of Writers and Artists "THEA ATHENS", for her poem on Nikos Kazantzakis. In 2018, The International Art Society awarded the collection "Thripsalanthi" with the worldwide title "Sappho". In 2019, the Municipality of Argos-Mycenae granted her the "Eneken Honor" award for her contribution to poetry. Many of her works have been set to music and performed by notable artists.

Dimitris Papadopoulos

The poet Dimitris Papadopoulos was born in Fichti, in the Municipality of Argos, Mycenae. He has been living and working in Athens since 1985.

Sofia Mavrogennidou

Sofia Mavrogennidou was born in Brno, Czech Republic. Her love and passion for music led her to study music with Božena Ruzickova. She received a degree in flute and piano at the Brno Music Academy in the Czech Republic. In Paris, she studied flute and chamber music with Christian Larde. Upon her return to Greece, she launched her musical career which includes concerts in Greece and abroad, recordings, collaborations with various chamber music ensembles and orchestras such as "Kamerata", ERT symphony orchestra, "Capella Istropolitana.”

Sofia teaches, and has continued her studies in musicology and baroque music, obtaining a flute traverso diploma in 2006 from the Academy of Old Music of Masaryk University. She has collaborated musically with important Greek and foreign musicians such as Sylvio Gualda, Claudio Abbado, Miloš Etědroň, Alfio Antico, Mikis Theodorakis, Iannis Xenakis and others. In 2013, she obtained a diploma in monody with Irini Tsirakidou. She has a special affinity for baroque music, the music of the Mediterranean, and the music of Latin America. In recent years, she has been composing and performing her own songs. She is one of the founding members of the bands "Escape", "Duo Arioso" (with guitarist Aristides Chatzistavrou), "Duo Sonelli" (with harpsichord player Despina Chomatidou), "Duo Insoma" (with pianist Ingrid Sotolarova), and has a rich discography.

e-mail: msophaki@gmail.com

Kohar Karayan

Kohar Karayan was born in Athens. He received a degree and diploma in piano with Th. Moira, and has obtained higher degrees in Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue. He has attended many master classes with internationally renowned pianists, both in Greece and abroad. Karayan is a founding member of the Contemporary Art Conservatory, and works at PMGLP.

Panagiotis Berlis

Panagiotis Berlis is a musician, performer, composer, multi-organist and music teacher with advanced studies in jazz, classical composition and piano. In his forty-year career, he has founded various rock, alternative and jazz music groups, has composed, orchestrated and recorded music of his own, of his bands and other artists, as well as for theatrical performances for the media, and for painting exhibitions.

As a founding member, pianist, composer and performer in the band "Diafana Krina” (Transparent Lilies), he has made numerous appearances with great success in Greece and abroad. Today, he performs solo or in collaboration with other artists, performing songs from his personal discography, songs from Diafana Krina, as well as covers of select songs from the Greek and international rock and alternative scene.

Additional Activities

For the four days of Fichti Art, the guide Matina Hountala will offer a tour of the neighboring archeological site of Mycenae, every morning from 10 a.m. until 12 in the morning. Register by e-mail only at matina@walksandstories.com.

Accessibility

Disability accessibility is provided. Please contact the event for information.

Thank you

We thank all those who contributed to make this event possible; The Association of Fichtia Samynthos for its support and participation; and, especially Eleni Tsetsekou for the initial idea, the coordination and for providing her home for the events.

We hope that Fichti Art 2021 will be the first in a long series of festival events.

The Implementation Team of the 1st Fichti Art 2021

Contact:

Tel +30 690 7965334

email: fichtiart2021@gmail.com

fb: Fichti Art Festival