Yesterday, Monday October 16th, was the opening day of the Tinian Marble Sculpture Exhibition, which was held at Books Plus Art & Coffee Book Store, located at Panepistimiou 37 Street. Marble Sculptors, Ioannis Hondrogiannis, Makis Trigonis and Onoufrios Desypris participate in the exhibition, presenting marble sculptures that they have crafted, but also useful handmade marble objects.
Work by marble sculptor Ioannis Hondrogiannis
In addition to the artists, the event was attended by the President of the Panormos Tinos Cultural Center, Mr. Manolis Sohos, the President of Tinos Brotherhood in Athens, Mr. Manolis Skaris, the former President of the Historical Community of Panormos Mrs. Mary Vorre, Tinian and Athenian visitors, that love art and marble, who attended the event to admire the beautiful works.
The program of the event was opened by Mrs. Flora Sarzetakis, who after welcoming the audience, welcomed the artists saying that the Tinian wind brought them with us, along with their sculptures.
Mrs. Flora Sarzetakis welcomes the marble sculptors
Then, the President of the Cultural Center, Mr. Manolis Sohos, made a historical retrospective on the effect of the Marble Sculptors of Exo Meria area in Tinos and emphasized on the contribution of the Panormos School of Fine Arts to the development of the Tinian Marble Sculpture, culminating in its global recognition and its registration in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Catalog.
The President of the Panormos Cultural Center, Mr. Manolis Sohos
Afterwards, the researcher and author Mr. Kostas Danoussis, spoke about Tinian marble sculpture, a tradition of at least three centuries and talked with the artists, who, as he explained, are the third post-war marble sculptors. Finally, Ioannis Hondrogiannis talked about the sources of inspiration for a modern marble sculptor that may, sometimes, be the tradition and history of the place, sometimes Tinos and its nature and sometimes emotions, such as love.
The exhibition is open daily from 8:30am – 9:00pm, except Sundays, and runs until Saturday November 4th. We thank the Panormos Cultural Center “Giannoulis Halepas” for the organization and support, Books Plus Art & Coffee book store for the suggestion and the hospitality, and Mrs Flora Sardzetakis for organizing this wonderful exhibition.
Marble sculptor Ioannis Hondrogiannis with his wife, Irene Perantakos, next to the works he hand-crafted