Amalia Gardens Artistic Residency

Press Release

Aligned to the Horizon

July 5 - August 31, 2025 | Empirikeion High School, Chora, Andros

Exhibition Opening: July 5 at 20:00
Opening Hours: Daily and weekends, 10:30-14:30 & 18:30-21:30

In July 2025, Amalia Gardens Residency launches its inaugural artist residency under the title Aligned to the Horizon, bringing together nine international artists on the island of Andros. During June, artists Sergej Andreevski (Skopje), Anne Lise Broyer (Paris), Stano Buban (Bratislava), Marianna Katzara (Tunisia), Markos Hatziipateras (London - Athens), Nikola Pijanmanov (Strumica), Gerlinde Pistner (Nuremberg), Christina Rahme (Beirut), and Carla Salem (London - Beirut) immerse themselves in the landscape, architecture, and stories etched into the stones and ancient paths of Andros - and transform these encounters into artworks during their stay at Amalia Gardens Residency in Vitali, Andros.

The residency culminates in a group exhibition opening on July 5 at the Empirikeion High School of Andros, and running through August 31. Hosted in a historic building in Chora, the exhibition is free and open to the public, inviting both locals and visitors to engage with artworks created in direct dialogue with the island.

The invited artists participate in planned encounters with the true guardians of Andros' heritage - local producers and residents - and explore landscapes that bear strong traces of human presence through the centuries: ancient stone terraces that have shaped the fields, centuries-old olive groves, stone farmhouses, and traditional footpaths.

Through this engagement with the island and its people, the artists are invited to reflect on how these elements serve as living testaments to a long-standing, harmonious relationship between people and their environment. How can past ways of life be adapted to today's realities, and what role can art play in aligning the island's heritage with contemporary rhythms?

The goal of the residency and the exhibition is to highlight the timeless relevance of Andros' traditions - not as relics of the past, but as valuable resources for the present: essential components in mapping the island, upon which contemporary artists are invited to reflect, interact, and create.

Supporters & Sponsors

The Amalia Gardens artist residency and the exhibition Aligned to the Horizon are held under the auspices of the Municipality of Andros, the French Embassy in Tunisia, and the CNAP (National Center for Visual Arts, France). The initiative is realized in collaboration with Andros Routes, Art Volt, and La Non Maison, with funding from elytron.eu and the kind support of Fast Ferries.

About Amalia Gardens Residency

The initiative is carried out by Amalia Gardens AMKE, founded by architects and designers Haris Savvidis and Penny Valsamidou. The name of the organization pays tribute to Amalia Athanasiou, the last resident of the abandoned settlement of Kalokairini, with the aim of revitalizing it as a new hub of artistic creativity.

The Amalia Gardens Residency aims not only to promote contemporary visual art, but also to foster a meaningful dialogue between artists and the cultural heritage of the island. Through this exchange, the program seeks to create a living dialogue that will leave a lasting imprint on the present and future of Andros.