ART

3-5 OCTOBER 2025
HYDRA ISLAND GREECE

HYDRA’S LEGACY AS AN ARTISTS’ SANCTUARY

Since the mid-20th century that Hydra emerged as a haven for international artists. It has attracted painters, poets, and musicians including renowned figures like Leonard Cohen, George Johnston, Charmian Clift, and Brice Marden, as well as notable Greek artists such as Michalis Oikonomou, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Kostas Vizantios, and Panayiotis Tetsis, among others.

ArtCinema Hydra welcomes its patrons to intimately explore the works, galleries, and studios of some of these artists via daily private tours, curated exhibitions (including the world-renowned DESTE Foundation Slaughterhouse exhibit), and more.

We also hope this experience inspires you - as a patron, collector or artist - to consider creating a bespoke program with us for 2026.

LOCAL ARTIST PRIVATE STUDIO TOURS

Local artist, teacher, and ArtCinema Art Coordinator Dimitris deeply believes in fostering authentic artistic expression through collective efforts. Through residencies, public programs, and cross-border collaborations, our mission is to nurture creative synergy and spark transformative encounters between artists and audiences. This process begins with a meditative approach and evolves into exploring contemporary and technological ways of expressing human experiences and creativity.

With this vision, Dimitris invites many local artists, sculptors, and painters to kindly open their private studios, offering an intimate journey into their creative spaces. These exclusive studio tours are by appointment only and can be arranged for small groups. We will soon share which artists will be exhibiting and hosting these tours.

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

Our international featured Artists & Photographers

STEPHEN APPLEBY-BARR - ART PATRON

LONDON BASED PAINTER

Canadian painter Stephen Abbleby-Barr, currently based in London, England, approaches his art as storytelling. He explores museums and city streets in search of characters and settings to weave into his otherworldly universe. His dark, intimate scenes, rich colors, and dramatic lighting evoke the masterpieces of Baroque legends like Caravaggio. A passionate cat lover, Stephen returns to Hydra for a nine-day residency and studio exhibition inspired by his latest muse: Hydra’s cats.

This exhibition is dedicated to supporting the island’s much-needed veterinary clinic.

MIRELLA RICCIARDI - ART PATRON

ITALIAN PHOTOGRAPHER

Mirella Ricciardi is a celebrated photographer, renowned for her evocative high-contrast black and white images that capture the essence and spirit of her subjects. Driven by her passion for photography and an insatiable curiosity, Mirella embarked on nomadic wanderings across the globe in search of images rich with compelling stories. Over six decades, she has documented diverse cultures worldwide, beginning in Africa during the 1950s and 1960s.

There, she photographed the customs and ceremonies of prominent East African tribes, culminating in her seminal book, Vanishing Africa (1971). This exhibition is aligned with Oliver Bruck’s feature film Mirella, offering a deep dive into her extraordinary life and work.

BRIGITTE LACOMBE - ART PATRON

Brigitte Lacombe's Pop-Up Studio

FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER

From the humble house cat to the mythical dragon, animals have long served as muses for artists, offering some of the most enduring creative inspiration throughout history. 

We’re delighted to welcome acclaimed French photographer Brigitte Lacombe to ArtCinema as an Art, Film, and Animal Welfare Patron. Internationally renowned for her iconic portraits of actors, artists, and filmmakers, Brigitte brings with her a deep love of cinema, animals, and her beloved studio cat, who was rescued after being thrown off a roof. 

Brigitte joins us in Hydra to help shape a heartfelt project aimed at raising funds for a much-needed veterinary clinic on the island. More details will be shared soon.

We also plan to launch a striking global portrait series titled “A More than Human Community,” alongside an island-wide challenge to capture the best animal portrait. 

Greek Cypriot industrialist and art collector Dakis Joannou founded the DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art in 1983 to support emerging artists in Greece, Cyprus, and Switzerland. As the collection grew, so did DESTE’s mission. In 2009, Joannou expanded to Hydra, transforming a former abattoir into the Slaughterhouse, a summer project space perched above the sea. It has since hosted annual solo exhibitions from his collection.

This year, New York–based Romanian artist Andra Ursuța presents Apocalypse Now and Then, featuring new and existing works, including the debut of Desolation Ware (2025), a series of lost-wax cast bronze sculptures. Ursuța has installed sculptures inside and outside the Slaughterhouse, creating a viewing experience inspired by historical museums and archaeological sites across Greece and the Mediterranean.

Andra Ursuţa: Apocalypse Now and Then is on view at the DESTE Foundation Project Space, Slaughterhouse, Hydra, from 24 June to 31 October 2025.

DESTE FOUDATION’S PROJECT SLAUGHTERHOUSE

LOCAL MUSEUMS

Explore local museums and historic locations

  • HYDRA HISTORICAL ARCHIVES MUSEUM

    The Historical Archives Museum of Hydra, founded in 1918, is housed in an elegant stone mansion that once belonged to local shipowner Ghikas Koulouras.

    The museum holds numerous items donated by descendants of prominent families who shaped Hydra’s social structure in the 1800s and played a key role in launching the Greek War of Independence. Its distinctive nautical theme reflects Hydra’s strategic importance as a safe harbor and base for the Greek fleet during that period.

    The Archives were originally classified and catalogued by Antonios Lignos, who served as both the island’s doctor and mayor. Ghikas Koulouras generously built and donated the original building for the Archives, intended for community use.

    The current director, Dina Adamopoulou, is a historian and archivist who curates the museum’s activities and events.

  • HYDRA TETSIS MUSUEM

    The fascinating Tetsis Museum of Hydra is housed inside the old residence and studio of Panayiotis Tetsis! Donated to the Historical and Ethnological Society by the late painter himself in 2007, this exciting structure was once a small grocery store, made evident upon entering the museum!

    The museum features vivid, colorful walls, and its interiors are decorated with countless paintings and various artworks of Tetsis himself! Its ground floor also has a bedroom and a couple of dining spots. In contrast, the first floor has a hallway with awards and a collection of paintings on paper, a secondary bedroom, and the artist’s main workspace, hosting a plethora of stunning exhibits!

    Tetsis Museum is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00 during the high season. Entrance to Tetsis Museum is granted with a ticket from the Mansion of Lazaros Koundouriotis!

    Official website: www.nhmuseum.gr

  • HYDRA LAZAROS KOUNDOURIOTIS MANSION

    A truly imposing three-story building constructed in 1780, the Mansion of Lazaros Koundouriotis is one of the most important sights in Hydra! Koundouriotis, a great figure in the Greek War of Independence, the country’s naval forces, and the island of Hydra, helped the revolution by donating most of his family’s fortune to support the cause and used this space as a meeting point for Greek fighters.

    A descendant of the Koundouriotis family decided to grant the mansion to the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece in 1979, now operating under the auspices and the overview of the National Historical Museum! It houses lots of family antiques, including paintings, old furniture, and tableware, as well as traditional costumes and a grandiose knitting loom! Plus, there is a gift shop on-site, with posters, cards, and other souvenirs.

    The Lazaros Koundouriotis Mansion is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 20:30, March to October!

  • HYDRA ECCLESIASTICAL MUSEUM

    One of the most interesting places to visit in Hydra is the Ecclesiastical and Byzantine (or Agios Makarios Notaras) Museum. The museum is housed in the church of Assumption, which is also the Cathedral of Hydra. This cathedral was originally built in 1648 and was reconstructed in 1774. For a short period, it also operated as a monastery.

    The Ecclesiastical Museum has rare Byzantine icons, clerk relics, and holy gospels.

    From April 1 to November 15, the Museum is open every day from 10:00 to 17:00 except for Mondays.