Marble Sculpture Exhibition of Students that participated in Marble Sculpture Seminar

The Marble Sculpture Seminar was successfully completed on Sunday, September 16th, with a Marble Sculpture Exhibition held at the Marble Museum of Piraeus Group Cultural Foundation, entitled “Island” Land and Sea Workshop Med-Art Project.

Students from the Florence Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze) and Rome Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma) participated in the Marble Sculpture Seminar. The result of this collaboration was the creation of exceptional sculptures, under the guidance of the Tinos Marble Sculptors, Ioannis Hondrogiannis, Antonis Hondrogiannis, Petros Marmarinos and Makis Trigonis. The sculptors volunteered with students to implement their inspirational marble designs. The marble sculptors’ knowledge and experience, with the fresh ideas and passion of the students, created an impressive result.

The Sculpture Exhibition was attended by the professors of the two Academies Alessandra Porfidia and Patrizia Bisonni, with their students, the marble sculptors who participated in the Marble Sculpture Seminar, as well as the artistic audience of Tinos. The program of the event was opened by the Local Administrator of the Museum of Marble Crafts, Mr. Ioannis Michail, with thanks to all those present. Mr. Michail emphasized the importance of the Marble Sculpture Seminar, making Tinian marble Art known world-wide. He also highlighted the contribution of marble sculptors, who freely offered students their space, time, raw materials and tools to learn how to work and love marble. Still, throughout the Marble Sculpture Exhibition, he helped in communication between each other, translating from English to Greek and vice versa.

The speech was then given by the Alessandra Porfidia Professor of Sculpture at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. Mrs Porfidia thanked the marble sculptors, as she said “without their help, this project would have been impossible”. He then presented the marble sculptures as well as the marble artists who collaborated with each student. Her purpose was to explain to the audience, the way the idea for each project was born, through the interaction and relationship the students developed with the marble sculptors.

It is worth noticing that throughout the Marble Sculpture Exhibition, the students’ talent, their willingness to learn, and the outstanding progress of those who participated in last year’s event were highlighted. At the end of the event, teachers and students gave a meal to the marble sculptors as an indication of their appreciation for the hospitality and love they showed them.

We thank the two Italian Academies of Fine Arts, the Sculpture Professors and in particular Mrs Alessandra Porfidia. The confidence she shows, over the years, in our marble art workshop and in the marble sculptors Antonis and Ioannis Hondrogiannis is very important to us. In addition, her love for our birthplace and its cultural tradition highlights the importance of the Marble Sculptural Art of Pyrgos Tinos.

We wish the Marble Sculpture Seminar to become an institution and every year voluntarily to convey to our students, our love and passion for marble sculpture.

Below you can admire the works created by students at the Marble Sculpture Seminar, with the help of Marble Sculptors, as well as photographic material from the Marble Sculpture Exhibition.