Hydra island! Art on the rocks!

There is people that change our lives, and there are places that can change our lives. For me that place is Hydra island. In the early 80’s Hydra was buzzing with artists and writers and musicians and vagabonds and adventurers of all kinds, from all over the world. They swarm here, on this little rocky island, sipping its energy and beauty and enjoying the feeling that this was the last place of old time beauty in the world. Amazing architecture, 300 century old houses made out of stone that climb up the rocky hills created a very dramatic looking amphitheater. Narrow little streets and paths in between the houses and thousands of steps to climb. The only transportation is the mules and the donkeys that do all the hard work. And I shouldn’t forget the water taxis that are fun to ride and easy to use. Anyway, very little or maybe nothing has changed on the island since the 80’s. People still come for the first time and decide to stay for much longer than planned, houses change hands from old residents to new ones, artists still love the place, the Pirate bar is always the best place for night drinks and the best one for brunches and lunch. The steps that lead to Hydroneta, the bar that hangs over the sea are still there, and that’s the place to dive into the blue water and have a daiquiri right after that. Condylenia is a beauty of a tavern overlooking Peloponesse , at the Camini, the small village next to the port, and in case you are in the mood to hike you’ll have many many choises as there are tens of paths along the water front or paths that take you deeper and higher up the island This time I came in Hydra assisting friends to shoot a movie and that was great fun. It’s early in May, the island is blooming with red puppies and all kinds of tiny flora, the sea breeze smells of lust and adventure and as always my high expectations of the island once more they have been met. I will be back in June, for the opening of two really big events. One is the the DESTE Foundation’s Slaughterhouse Project. The old place has been used by famed collector Dakis Ionannou’s Art Foundation for internationally acclaimed art events. Mathew Barney, Mauricio Catelan,Doug Aitken have worked on site specific projects and this summer it’s Pawel Althamer who will be the visting artist. And then there is the Hydra School Project, curated for 14 years by artist and inhabitant Dimitris Antonitsis . The very old school of the island serves as a gallery/hot spot for artists from around theworld. So all that starts in June and ends late September and in case you visited the island you must definitely take a glimse at these events. And in case you won’t make it this year, by the end of June in this blog you will find all the news and pictures of the openings

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