ArtCinema launches its Summer Prelude Programme in June 2026, coinciding with Hydra’s annual cultural calendar, including the opening of the DESTE Foundation’s Project Slaughterhouse exhibition featuring Jamaican artist Nari Ward and the island’s historic Miaoulia Festival celebrating Greek independence.
Beginning in June, ArtCinema welcomes its 2026 artist residencies, featuring New York artists Rob Pruitt and Jonathan Horowitz, returning alumnus Canadian painter Stephen Appleby-Barr, and Indian multidisciplinary artist Annu Yadav, who will collaborate with local artists and visiting art delegations from Athens, Saudi Arabia, and India.
As part of the programme, ArtCinema will collaborate with Rob Pruitt on a new iteration of his renowned Flea Market project - an informal, artist-led marketplace first launched in 1999 and presented internationally from New York to the Venice Biennale - now taking place in Hydra on June 23. Please scroll down for your invitation to take part.
Rob Pruitt, in collaboration with ArtCinema and Powerhouse Arts, are thrilled to announce Rob Pruitt’s Hydra Flea Market, a community-minded participatory art concept first launched by Rob in 1999.
The project reimagines the traditional flea market as a living artwork, where artists, collaborators, and friends are invited to set up informal stalls and offer whatever they choose - ranging from original artworks and studio remnants to personal objects, found materials, and unconventional collectibles. Music and food are warmly welcome too!
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Dear Friends of Hydra,
ArtCinema and Powerhouse Arts are delighted to be collaborating with American artist Rob Pruitt on an upcoming edition of his long-running Flea Market project. The event will take place in Hydra on Tuesday, June 23, from 7-12pm at the Historical Archives Museum Of Hydra.
Since 1999, Rob has organised Flea Markets with artists at museums, galleries, and fairs from New York and London to the Venice Biennale. Each iteration is shaped by its participants and is intended to be lively, informal, and open-ended.
Inspired by the ancient Greek tradition of the Euergetes - the “Benefactor” - ArtCinema’s non-profit honours a spirit of generosity among those who wish to empower the next generation of artists to thrive through patronage and support.
In this same spirit of compassionate care and reciprocity, Rob Pruitt’s Flea Market edition is designed to give back to the Hydra arts community and the island’s wider creative ecosystem. The market will raise funds for a series of charitable initiatives, including free summer art and film programme for Hydra teenagers, artist residency opportunities - including support for a Hydra-based artist residency to be announced - and contributions toward establishing a much-needed veterinary clinic on the island.
Each participating artist will be provided with a table and folding chair. You are invited to sell artworks, artist-made objects (from ceramics to editions), or traditional flea-market discoveries (clothing, books, vintage vinyl.) Offering food and music are warmly welcomed.
Artists will set their own prices, and in keeping with the ethos of giving, participants are invited to make a voluntary contribution in support of one of the selected event causes. We kindly suggest that artists or buyers donate 20% of the value of works or items, though contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated.
PowerHouse Arts and ArtCinema (Greece) are both registered non-profits and we can facilitate electronic sales and tax deductible charity donations during the market and the following days.
To register your interest to take part, please fill out the form HERE. We will share updates via our website and social media.
For any specific questions, please WhatsApp Airinie, our ArtCinema non-profit Manager, at +30 698 383 4581.
Flea Market Schedule:
Tuesday, June 23 | 7pm - 12am
We hope you will join us for what promises to be a generous, community-driven evening.
Warm regards,
Amanda Palmer, Founder of ArtCinema & Eric Shiner, President of Powerhouse Arts
To join the Hydra Flea Market on June 23, please submit your interest below
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Wednesday 24 June | 22:00
Gardenia Open-Air Cinema
A Hydra Island Premiere, presented by Panos Karnezis, author of the bestselling novel.
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We are delighted to announce the Hydra Island Premiere of The Birthday Party, the acclaimed new drama directed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez and based on the bestselling novel by Panos Karnezis.
Presented by the author himself, this special screening takes place ahead of the film’s Greek theatrical release on July 2, distributed by Rosebud.21.
The film premiered at last year’s Locarno Film Festival and stars Willem Dafoe as Marcos Timoleon, a powerful shipping magnate.
Set in the late 1970s on a private Mediterranean island, the story unfolds during an extravagant birthday celebration for his daughter and sole heir, Sofia. As the evening becomes increasingly decadent, long-buried tensions rise to the surface, leading to an unforgettable confrontation.
Filmed entirely in Greece, including Corfu and Athens, The Birthday Party is a compelling story of family, power, inheritance, and ambition.
Tickets are available from the Gardenia box office in exchange for a donation.The box office will be open from 21-24 June, between 10:00–11:00am and 5:00–7:00pm daily.
A suggested minimum donation of €10 applies, with proceeds supporting a local community cause.
2026 SUMMER ART RESIDENCIES
MEET THE ARTISTS
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ROB PRUITT
JUNE RESIDENCY, EXHIBITION & FLEA MARKET
A leading post-conceptual artist known for his playful engagement with consumer culture, identity, and media, Rob Pruitt will present new work created on the island, alongside curating a Hydra Flea Market celebrating local artists and makers. He will also exhibit a selection of his iconic cat sculptures, to help support fundraising for animal welfare initiatives on the island.
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JONATHAN HOROWITZ
JUNE RESIDENCY, SCREENING & OCTOBER EXHIBITION
Joining the summer residency in June, Jonathan Horowitz will develop new work for ArtCinema Hydra this October, offering a rare opportunity to experience a residency from its inception through to its public exhibition. Jonathan is a New York–based artist working across video, sculpture, sound installation, and photography. His practice examines the intersecting cultures of politics, celebrity, cinema, war, and consumerism.
R E S I D E N C I E S A N D E X H I B I T I O N S C U R A T E D B Y
ERIC SHINER
PRESIDENT OF POWERHOUSE ARTS, NEW YORK CITY
As President of Powerhouse Arts, Brooklyn, NY, and a valued art advisor to ArtCinema, Eric Shiner brings exceptional leadership and vision to this year’s art program. Eric is a prominent figure in the contemporary art world, widely recognised for his leadership across major art institutions.
ARTCINEMA & POWERHOUSE ARTS
Powerhouse Arts will collaborate with ArtCinema as part of this year’s combined cultural alliance spanning residencies, exhibitions, and international cultural exchange.
The curated exhibitions across the island of Hydra are timed to coincide with the annual program of the DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art, as well as ArtCinema’s flagship event, ArtCinema Hydra, taking place from October 1-4.
This partnership aims to support Hydra’s legacy as an artists’ island and a global cultural platform - bridging international and Greek artists, collectors, and cultural leaders through dynamic, site-specific programming.
COMMUNITY DRAW SALON
OPEN STUDIO · DRAWING SALON · LIVE CREATIVE SESSIONS
Our Community-minded Artists Drawing Salon & Collective Work
ArtCinema is thrilled to welcome back Canadian painter, ArtCinema alumnus, and devoted animal lover Stephen Appleby-Barr, who will complete his Hydra study of cat paintings on Hydra. The works have been generously donated, with 100% of proceeds directed toward supporting Hydra’s much-needed veterinary clinic. An exhibition will follow.
From June 17, Stephen Appleby-Barr will also host a week-long pop-up Drawing Salon, bringing together artists, patrons, and the local community to create a collective artwork using oil, gouache, and Sennelier oil sticks, inspired by the expressive studies of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Annu Yadav, an ArtCinema alumnus, and local Hydra artist Dimitris Fousekis will also participate, leading workshops that foster creative exchange rooted in the island’s artistic community. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
ARTCINEMA WELCOMES BACK OUR ALUMNI ARTISTS
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STEPHEN APPLEBY-BARR
Compassionate Artist Returns to Hydra
Canadian painter currently based in London, approaches painting as storytelling. Wandering through museums and city streets, he searches for characters and settings to weave into his cinematic, otherworldly universe.
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ANNU YADAV
Multimedia Visual Artist
New York–based multimedia artist, born in Rajasthan, India. Her practice spans painting, sculpture, and installation, weaving Indian vernacular and mythologies with modern esotericism.
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HISHAM ABAHUSAYN
Photographer
Returning Creative Saudi-American photographer and ArtCinema advisor Hisham Abahusayn will join us this June to begin preparations for his October exhibition, as well as to introduce an exclusive pop-up portrait studio experience for our esteemed guests.
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DIMITRIS FOUSEKIS
Hydra Based Artist
An award-winning illustrator, painter and teacher living in the Greek island of Hydra. He exhibits regularly, collaborates with design studios, publishers & advertising agencies on illustrative projects, and also runs art workshops designed for children and adults.
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DISCOVER HYDRA'S ARTISTS
Hydra, an Artists Island
Discover the vibrant talent of Hydra’s local artists and arrange unforgettable studio visits.
FILM SCREENING:
HYDRA & SOPHIA: ECHOES OF THE DOLPHIN
Wednesday 24th June | 21:00 | Gardenia Open Air Cinema
This film marks ArtCinema’s first official film production - an AI-enhanced documentary that tells the story of Sophia Loren arriving in Hydra in 1956 to star in what would become Greece’s first Hollywood film and changed Hydra forever.
We are planning a special June screening to invite our friends and patrons to help us complete this special community project - which features interviews of local legends of Hydra. Our goal is to develop the film into a feature and present it at international film festivals in 2026-2027, commemorating the 70th anniversary of Sophia Loren’s in Hydra.
Directed and co-produced by Antonis Sotiropoulos, co-written with Georgia Andreou, and originated by ArtCinema's founder and producer Amanda Palmer, this work-in-progress has already received strong press reviews when it screened at ArtCinema Hydra on October 4 last year as
Looking ahead to 2027, we also plan to celebrate The Riders, the acclaimed novel by Tim Winton, which is now a film shot in Hydra, as part of our continued film programming.
READ MORE ABOUT HOW SOPHIA LOREN CHANGED HYDRA FOREVER HERE
DESTE FOUNDATION’S PROJECT SLAUGHTERHOUSE
EXHIBITION FEATURING NARI WARD
This year, the Slaughterhouse Project on Hydra will feature Until That Day, an exhibition by Nari Ward. Renowned for his sculptural installations composed of discarded material found and collected in his neighborhood
LOCAL ART ATTRACTIONS
Explore the many museums and attractions on the island of Hydra dedicated to the artistry and history of the island.
OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM OCTOBER 2025
