During Vanishing Landscapes, TAVROS connected with dozens of local residents, groups, and associations. Local organisations and community actors became valuable allies throughout the initiative and played an active and decisive role in shaping the outcomes and public activities of the programme. TAVROS thus shared the project it carried out as part of Transformative Territories with numerous stakeholders and audiences across different organisations.
A guided tour at the Vasso Katraki Museum introduced visitors of all ages to the Collection, the temporary exhibition presented by TAVROS (Nuno da Luz and hiboux architecture), and the broader programme. Numerous follow-up tours were offered to local schools, engaging students with both the permanent and temporary exhibitions. During these visits, students also had the opportunity to discover the printmaking workshops developed through Research Creation.
One of the most significant actions was an open discussion between programme contributors and local stakeholders at the 1st Primary School of Aitoliko. This meeting provided a space for collective expression, where residents shared their concerns, hopes, and visions for the future of their area after months of interaction with the project. This meaningful dialogue laid the foundations for the design of the first Citizens’ Climate Assembly in Greece, to be hosted in Aitoliko by one of the programme’s supporters, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, highlighting the transformative impact of the activities carried out.
A public presentation of the programme was organised at the local Cultural Association building, offering an overview of its aims and themes. The event featured a lecture-performance by the artist collective Campus Novel, who shared their research and artistic approach during their involvement. The presentation concluded with a film screening organised in collaboration with Cinema Fulgor, creating yet another avenue for community engagement.
An immersive theatrical tour by Dulcinea Compania, developed in collaboration with the Aitoliko Theatre Group, constituted another intergenerationally successful action. This performance-walk, designed for children aged 8+ and their guardians, combined the Vasso Katraki Museum’s collection, local history, and natural heritage, inviting participants to rediscover their surroundings through theatrical play. The initiative not only captivated younger participants, but also strengthened residents’ relationship with their town, allowing them to experience the landscape as a “stage” for new narratives.
An organised boat trip with the Association of Free Fishermen of Aitoliko in the lagoon was one of the programme’s most powerful moments. It offered 95 participants the chance to navigate the lagoon and listen to fishermen share their stories, revealing the many dimensions of the wetland and their involvement with the project and artistic research. This activity activated collective memory and deepened residents’ connection with the aquatic landscape. It brought locals and visitors together and highlighted the importance of lived, local knowledge.
Overall, the impact of these activities was multifaceted and deeply social. Vanishing Landscapes strengthened residents’ connection to their homeland, highlighted local heritage through contemporary narratives, and opened the way for new community-based and artistic initiatives, with the local community now playing a central role in shaping the artistic programme.
More informations on our parteners website : https://tavros.space/
