In this year’s original visual art production of the Naxos Festival, held at the Bazeos Tower, two distinguished artists, Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, present their work at an exhibition entitled “The thread that holds us together”, curated by Mario Vazaios and running until October 5. With parallel, long artistic journeys, yet maintaining artistic autonomy, they delve with dedication and knowledge into weaving and manual craftsmanship. (Cover photo: Yiannis Papadopoulos, “Athens-Naxos”, hand-woven linen string, natural dyes, Source: athensvoice.gr).
The Bazeos Tower dominates the land leading to the seacoast of Agiassos on the 12th Km of the main road linking the capital city of Naxos (Chora) with the inland, outside Sangri village. The tower dates back to the 17th century. At first, it functioned as a monastery and was called monastery of the Holy Cross (“Timios Stavros”). By the end of the 19th century, it was bought by the Bazeos family, whose descendants are the current owners. Since 2001, when the first renovation phase was completed, the monument remains open to the public through the Naxos Festival activities, one of the most significant summer cultural events of Cyclades. (Source: bazeostower.com)
Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, exhibition “The thread that holds us together” at Bazeos Tower. (Photo: facebook.com/Bazeostower/posts)
Using various primary materials such as linen, cotton, and silk, and employing traditional techniques like weaving, natural dyes, and handmade paper production, the two artists, Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos, create independent works and sculptural landscapes. They develop old and new in situ constructions within the spaces of the historic monument, highlighting the timelessness of craftsmanship and weaving tradition and their evolution into contemporary visual art and expression. Their creations harmoniously and complementarily intertwine with works and installations present within the tower. (Source: culturenow.gr).
Maria Grigoriou and Yiannis Papadopoulos have shared the same art studio in Athens since 1978 and follow parallel paths. They studied at the Vakalo School of Art and the West Surrey College of Art and are founding members of the AFI group. They have both given seminars and lectures in various parts of the world, as well as numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at the Benaki Museum in Athens, the Foundation for Hellenic Culture in Berlin, and the Grand Curtius Museum in Liège. (Source: cycladesopen.gr Photo: lifo.gr)
Maria Grigoriou, “Sowing”, hand-woven white cotton, cotton cloth, resist dye, natural dyes indigo and walnut, acacia pods (left), “Indigo blues”, cotton, silk, wool (middle). Maria Grigoriou’s works are a daily recording of the same seascape, that constantly changing blue which contains Depth, Time, and Infinity. They bear the dark marks of Time, salt, and rust in an attempt to convey the emotion evoked by the landscape rather than the landscape itself. The process she follows to transcribe her recent daily experience into art is deeply experiential. (Source: culturenow.gr Instagram photos: maria_grigoriou_textiles)
Yiannis Papadopoulos, “Let’s twist”, “Test event”, handmade paper, rattan (left), “The tip of the thread”, hand-woven linen strings, handmade paper (right). Yiannis Papadopoulos unravels the thread of Time and weaves his thoughts while rejecting all superfluous elements. Skillfully working with a simple linen twine, he dialectically shapes landscapes, ideally intertwining the works with the space, stirring and bringing the memory of the historic monument to the contemporary surface, offering a new and interesting perspective. (Source: culturenow.gr, Instagram photos: maria_grigoriou_textiles)
The Naxos Festival started in 2001 with the aim to encourage the contact of local people and Naxos Island visitors with the diachronic and contemporary cultural artistic activity. Naxos Festival is nowadays a platform for intercultural meetings (Greek and from abroad) including art exhibitions, music, theatre, dance performances and many others cultural activities. The festival events take place from June to September mainly at Bazeos Tower, a 17th century monument which predominantly overlooks the Naxian mainland, in an environment that encompasses and inspires both the events and the audience. (Source naxos.gr Photo: Naxos Festival facebook.com)
Naxos town (Chora) and the Kastro (Castle) district of the Old Town (Photo aegeanislands.gr)
Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands in Greece, is not only famed for its stunning beaches and ancient ruins but also for its remarkable medieval towers scattered across the island. These towers, built primarily during the Venetian occupation from the 13th to the 16th centuries, served as fortified strongholds and watchtowers to protect local communities from pirate raids and invasions. Constructed from local stone, their robust and imposing structures reflect the strategic importance of Naxos as a maritime and trading hub in the Aegean Sea. Today about 30 towers are preserved in the countryside of the island, offering a glimpse into the turbulent medieval past and enriching its cultural and architectural heritage. Visitors to Naxos can explore these historic monuments, which blend seamlessly into the island’s landscape, serving as silent witnesses to centuries of history. The following are some of the best-preserved examples of medieval architectural gems on Naxos.
Inside the old city of Naxos Kastro, narrow alleys lead to noble mansions, flowered courtyards, and centuries of history. The Della Rocca Barozzi Tower is now a museum of Venetian and folk heritage, and the nearby Tower of Crispi, is the last of Kastro’s original twelve towers. At the center lies the Catholic Cathedral, with its family crests and a rare double-sided icon of the Virgin Mary and Saint John. Behind it stands the older Orthodox Church of Panagia Theoskepasti. Nearby, the Capuchin Monastery features noble coats of arms and impressive icons. The Archaeological Museum, once attended by author Nikos Kazantzakis, hosts artifacts from the Neolithic to Christian eras. Across from the museum, the Ursuline School and Monastery were a former famous girls’ school (Source: naxos.gr Photo: kastra.eu)
Fragopoulos Della Rocca Toweris one of the island’s oldest fortifiedtowers, dating back to the 14th century and is found inKourounochori village. (Source: naxos.gr )
Zevgoli Tower, a two-storey Venetian-era stone structure that has been renovated and is now inhabited, is located close to the center of Apiranthos village.(Source naxos.gr)
Oskelos Tower located by the seaside road close to Kastraki is one of Naxos’s few towers built close to the sea. It dates back to the 17th century and is distinguished by its considerable height and its strong defensive character. Offering an exceptional view towards Paros and Ios, the Oskelos tower is open to visitors. (naxos.gr)
The tower of Ypsili, or tower of Ypsilotera, or monastery of Ypsilotera, was once a fortified monastery; the katholikon and the impressive frescoe, the towers, the murder holes etc are still preserved. The monastery was a revolution centre at the time of Naxos people uprisings against the oppression of Latin nobles. (Photo: aegeanislands.gr)
Barozzi Tower at the heart of Filoti village, is an imposing structure dating back to 1650, when Naxos was ruled by a Venetian duke of the same name. (naxos.gr)
The Markopolitis Tower has strong defensive walls and a drawbridge and is located at the entrance of Akadimi village. It holds a special place in Naxos history. Built in the late 18th century for the House of Politis, it served as a bastion of the revolts against Frankish feudal lords in the Tragea valley. (naxos.gr)
The 17th century Barozzi-Gratsia Tower in Chalki village, comes in three levels, with strong walls, iron-barred windows, heavy wooden gates, wooden drawbridge, murder hole to thwart attackers with scalding water and coats of arms that indicate its successive owners and repairs. (Source: naxos.gr)
The impressive Kokkos Tower at Potamia village was built by the same-name Greek Orthodox family in the 17th century. The remains of a watermill are seen in the basement. Tradition has it that the Kokkos tower was the scene of a love story similar to that of Romeo and Juliet, involving two young members of the respective families. (Source: naxos.gr Photo: allovergreece.com )
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