ARTWORKS x STONE FARM

In 2027, ARTWORKS will launch a collaboration with Stone Farm to design and implement an ecologically focused artistic research residency on the Greek island of Aegina. This project extends ARTWORKS’ dual mission of creating opportunities for artists and connecting the international art community with Greece.

The Stone Farm residence was originally designed by the artist Eleni Mylonas in collaboration with the architect Philippos Photiadis and was built to serve as her home and studio.

“Ground Station MIR,” Eleni Mylonas’ first residence at Stone Farm (2002)

While living in “Ground Station MIR,” the artist supervised the construction of the building over the course of several years. As Stone Farm took shape, she gradually shaped it according to her personal needs for both work and leisure. During this period—surrounded by stones and soil and the island’s rich history—Mylonas simultaneously worked with the local limestone, creating a series of works entitled “MudWorks Archive” (which will soon be published as an artist’s book).

Aegina’s luminous atmosphere, shifting constantly throughout the day and more gradually with the seasons, also exerted a significant influence on Mylonas’ work. Fascinated by the landscape’s nocturnal aspect, the artist created a series of photographic works in which moonlight acted as the sole source of illumination.

Moonlight Conference, Eleni Mylonas, photographed under the light of the moon. In the background, her then-completed residence is visible.

Stone Farm was intentionally constructed so that the building did not impose itself on the landscape but merged with it. To this day, the artist takes great care to preserve the surrounding area and avoids unnecessary interventions: for example, avoiding fencing so as to not hinder the movement of wildlife. After all, she believes she is only the temporary supervisor of this land. Her enduring wish for Stone Farm is for its care to be continued by colleagues who share her joy for life-giving creativity. She only wishes that this legacy be carried on with consistency and respect.

Photograph by Eleni Mylonas showing the Stone Farm residence situated in the landscape.

Aegina has always been a site of inspiration and a meeting place for creative spirits. Along the same coastal road where Stone Farm is located, there are also the residences of numerous great artists such as Nikos Kazantzakis, Christos Kapralos, Yiannis Moralis, Nikos Nikolaou. At the same time, across the island, ancient traditions of pottery coexist with ongoing initiatives to revitalize the artistic and ecological wealth of Aegina.

Horizon Triangle and Copperhead Snake from the series “GroundWorks” by Eleni Mylonas. Just one of several site-specific installations created by the artist in the spaces surrounding the residence.

The artists’ residency will be piloted by the ARTWORKS team in collaboration with Alexander Strecker, a writer and book editor. In order to prepare the ground for the project, Strecker has spent the last year researching similar residency programs, some of which he visited in Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, and the United States through the ARTWORKS Curatorial Exchange. The goal of this collaboration is to combine Mylonas’ creative vision with ARTWORKS’ extensive experience so that Stone Farm can be established as a meeting point for Greek and international artists and transformed into an inspiring site for workshops and public events that engage both the local and wider public.

View to the west from the house’s covered terrace.