ATHENS – [ANA-MPA]
An “open-air museum” is bringing Κea’s history, traditions, cultural heritage and contemporary issues into public spaces, making them part of the everyday experience of residents and visitors, at the initiative of the Municipality.
“The initiative is based on the idea of a living and constantly evolving ‘open-air museum’, which each time can ‘shed light’ on a different aspect of Kea’s identity. Through thematic exhibitions, experiential trails and different forms of cultural expression, public spaces and the natural environment are transformed into an open space for knowledge, storytelling, participation and awareness, creating a ‘dialogue’ between the past, present and future,” Kea Mayor Irini Velissaropoulou noted.
Starting in 2022 and running through 2025, the “open-air museum” hosted exhibitions focusing on shipwrecks, rural settlements, antiquities and the enamel factory.
This year’s theme is dedicated to water and its enduring significance for the island.
The ancient name of Kea, Hydrousa, provides the starting point for a multifaceted cultural initiative that traces the presence of water in the landscape, history and everyday lives of its people. Springs, fountains, cisterns, streams and watermills form a map of Kea’s water history, highlighting the crucial role water has played in the lives of residents, agricultural activity and the development of settlements.
At the same time, myths, legends, songs, objects, photographs, archival material and historical references shed light on different aspects of people’s relationship with this precious resource. Oral testimonies and personal memories hold a particularly important place. Objects and family heirlooms convey stories from the past, while the participation of the younger generation creates a bridge between memory and the future.
The initiative also highlights contemporary approaches promoted by the municipality to water resource management, drawing on modern methods and cutting-edge technology.
The open-air exhibition, running from August 1 to September 30, is being presented at Iroon Square and Faros Square, transforming public space into an open cultural trail where residents and visitors can explore the history and memory of water in Kea.
Meanwhile, the “Stylianos Restis” Cultural Centre hosted an exhibition featuring objects, photographs, archival material, paintings by Kea schoolchildren.
The exhibition was complemented by a programme of experiential and educational activities, inviting the public to explore the theme through contact with the landscape and creative participation.
Art workshops for children gave younger visitors the opportunity to engage creatively with the theme of water and express their own perspectives. At the same time, thematic walks in Ioulida and Mylopotamos took the experience beyond the exhibition space and into Kea’s landscape. Participants followed the routes of water to gain a deeper understanding of the island’s relationship with a resource that has shaped its history and everyday life.
“This year’s event best reflects the philosophy behind Kea’s ‘open-air museum’: an open, living and participatory space for culture that is not confined to a static presentation of exhibits, but unfolds in public spaces, the landscape and society itself. The open-air exhibitions add another dimension to the travel experience in Kea, inviting visitors to discover the destination through multiple forms of interaction with the place,” the mayor added.
