Press Release The 14th “Routes in Marpissa” Festival Concludes Successfully

Digital tours, atmospheric concerts, exciting workshops, contemporary art works, and experiential activities that provided food for thought were some of the highlights of the 14th “Routes in Marpissa” Festival, held this year with the theme of the elements of nature, on the island of Paros.

For three days, from August 23rd to 25th, a strong breeze of creativity blew through the land of Marpissa, bringing small sparks and centers of culture and inspiration to every alley and square in the village, composing a diverse program of events and activities that flowed like water throughout the traditional settlement.

The festival’s young friends conducted Physics experiments with simple materials under the guidance of Dr. Tina Nantsou, tried “Fairy Tale Recipes” in a specially designed storytelling workshop with Sissy Kassandra and Aleka Elioti, solved the “enigma of the secret formula” in a game with the help of the iGEM Athens 2024 Synthetic Biology student research team, and attended art and pottery workshops held in collaboration with the Learning Department of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) and the Center for the Study of Modern Pottery, respectively.

Meanwhile, visitors had the opportunity to visit the Anoussakis residence, the Agouros windmill, and the churches of the Evangelismos, Saint Paraskevi, and Saint Georgios. Passing through the points of interest inspired by this year’s theme, they participated in original experiential activities, took part in works in progress, and with the help of HERMeS (HERitage Management e-Society), they digitally toured two traditional houses and a lime kiln, using VR headsets or simply their mobile phones!

In addition, the public attended an excellent lecture titled “The Islands of the Cyclades, from the past to today” by Eleni Maistrou, President of the Council of Architectural Heritage of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture. They also enjoyed the contemporary art exhibition titled “Our Ears to the Cement,” curated by Despina Zefkili. For the first time, a roundtable discussion on visual arts activities on the Greek islands was held as part of the exhibition, featuring exhibition curators (Akis Kokkinos, DEO Projects, Chios, and Iordanis Kerenidis, Phenomenon, Anafi), art historians (Evita Tsokanta), and artists (Paky Vlassopoulou).

Each day concluded with music, as always. The first night featured an atmospheric jazz concert by the Andreas Polyzogopoulos Trio, whose melodies transported us around the world. On the second night, Martha Frintzila and The Kubara Project captivated the audience with their theatricality and improvisation. The festival’s finale was a traditional celebration “with bagpipes and toumbakia,” with musicians from Paros and Antiparos, and an authentic island festivity led by Nikos Economides and Kyriaki Spanou.

Thank you for walking with us in Marpissa once again this year, and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Organized by: Routes in Marpissa
Co-organized by: South Aegean Region, Municipality of Paros
Under the Auspices of: Ministry of Culture
Main Sponsor: Blue Star Ferries

In collaboration with the Community of Marpissa

Photos: Antonis Katrakazis
Copyright: Routes in Marpissa