FILM SCREENINGS
From our 2024 ArtCinema Hydra Programme
DESTE FOUNDATION’S PROJECT SLAUGHTERHOUSE
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.
In 2025, New York–based Romanian artist Andra Ursuța presents Apocalypse Now and Then, featured 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.
HYDRA & SOPHIA:
ArtCinema announced the World Premiere of our first original production.
ECHOES OF THE DOLPHIN
This 30-minute experimental short documentary, filmed entirely on Hydra, is directed by acclaimed Greek filmmaker Antonis Sotiropoulos with producer Georgia Andreou, and commissioned by ArtCinema founder Amanda Palmer. It also marks the beginning of a feature-length project, set for completion next year on the 70th anniversary of Boy on a Dolphin.
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The film revisits the 39 days in 1956 when a Greek-American and Italian crew arrived with 22-year-old rising Italian actress Sophia Loren to film the iconic movie, forever linking the island to her international career. By combining personal stories, archival material, and live performances from Hydra residents, it is a work shaped by the community itself.
ARTCINEMA COLLABORATIONS
Exclusive First-Print Vinyl
KYRAN DANIEL
On the eve of his upcoming solo album, Like The Night Itself, which was partly recorded at Hydra’s historic Old Carpet Factory, Kyran Daniel released 100 exclusive first-print vinyl copies, reserving 10 for our ArtCinema community.
VITTORIA BERARDINONE
Italian Ceramicist
ArtCinema Hydra commissioned a special dinner service from Vittoria. Six sets of six hand-crafted plates created exclusively the 2025 Hydra event as part of our annual fundraiser. Her work was presented during the Artists & Patrons Lunch, celebrating the union of craft, and community.
LOCAL ART ATTRACTIONS
Explore the many museums and attractions on the island of Hydra dedicated to the artistry and history of the island.
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
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HYDRA YOUTH ARTS & FILM LABS
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ARTIST & FILMMAKER RESIDENCIES
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A MUCH NEEDED VETERINARY CLINIC
Founder of the DESTE Foundation, Dakis Joannou, enjoyed an informal tour of our exhibitions. It meant so much to ArtCinema and the artists to personally introduce him to their work and to share the experience of ArtCinema’s first steps in patroning and supporting our artist residencies and exhibitions on Hydra.
"Dakis has already inspired me to understand the true value of patronage - that it’s much more than acquiring artworks. It’s about offering support, resources, and networks, and engaging with artists in ways that help them create their best work. His enthusiasm for our resident artists’ work was an incredible gift. He has done so much for art in Hydra and Greece, and to have his blessing felt like a true elevation of what we can achieve in the future."
- Amanda Palmer, Founder of ArtCinema
ARTCINEMA HYDRA 2025: FEATURED ON GREEK EURONEWS
We’re grateful to Euronews journalist George Mitropoulos for covering ArtCinema’s second edition and sharing our year-round mission with a wider audience
