IOTA MYRTSIOTI

Seven letters, made out of shining, stainless sheet-iron, are placed on the ground in a circle that reads «Breathe.» Because of the material from which they are made, the letters' surface reflects the natural environment. The visual effect is completed by the sounds of breathing and heart beats.

Artist Danae Stratou displays her latest installation, titled «Breathing Circle,» at the foot of Sani Hill. Her work was created especially for the Sani Festival in Halkidiki. The internationally acclaimed artist is well known for her landscape installations that explore the relationship between man and nature with sounds and images. This work, which she created and placed on the hill, was realized under the supervision of art historians Areti Leopoulou and Thodoris Markoglou, in collaboration with the Thessaloniki Contemporary Art Center and the Sani Festival. It will add its own dimension to the rest of the festival events until mid-September.

Speaking about «Breathing Circle,» Stratou has said that while the letter-mirrors reflect the natural environment, the sound composition presents nature as a living being and highlights man's role in the burning issue of environmental destruction.

The letters are 90 centimeters long, spaced equidistantly and placed in such a way as to form a circle with a 7-meter diameter. They challenge spectators to ponder nature's upset balance.