thermal baths project

The Thermal Baths project focuses on the municipal thermal baths of Nisyros. The bathhouse complex is located in Mandraki and consists of three distinct sections. However, only one of these remains operational today, while the other two have been abandoned.

The Traces of Water installation is an in situ artwork set in the abandoned section of the baths, featuring ceramics and cement tiles. Inspired by the building’s history, I aimed to recreate a part of it as a symbolic act of returning a piece to a place that is gradually fading with time. The ceramics were installed in the openings of the exterior walls where windows once were, now sealed with concrete, rendering the building inaccessible to visitors. The cement tiles, crafted from local materials like black sand and pumice stone, were placed on the floor to fill in gaps left by missing original tiles.

The video performance Thermal Baths is an ongoing project that captures the ritual of bathing, conveying the sensations of body and water as a means of exploring personal space. It is displayed on a small screen in the same space where it was filmed, immersing the viewer in a physical and mental co-presence with an “other” who is now absent. This experience seeks to explore questions around private space and the concept of presence, as well as how one’s sense of “self” is redefined through interaction with the digital image.

Additionally, an educational workshop was held for the students of the Nisyros Primary School, with the aim of reactivating the baths through art. The students created tile-sized artworks that were temporarily placed in the floor gaps, connecting the local community with its history through a participatory art process.

The tiles were created at the “Kamini” workshop in Nisyros in collaboration with visual artist Artemis Michaelidou.