Sculptors of international prestige such as Edward Fleming, Giorgie Cpajak and Kamen Tanev participate in the 2nd International Marble Sculpture Symposium (Greek Marble Initiative), which takes place on the site Myró Antiques House, at Souroti in Thessaloniki.

Among them, a new “raw” talent, the 22-year old Giorgos Spyridonof who had participated in last year’s event as a blacksmith, helping sculptors at work. This was the first time he came in contact with sculpture (studying auto mechanic), art that eventually charmed and encouraged him to begin creating his own works.

While speaking to the Athens Agency the founder of Myró Antiques House, Mr. Stavros Myronidis said that artists have the opportunity to create in the space of the House in an environment of freedom, without deadline pressure and time, choosing their own theme that will inspire them. Space for them to stay is provided and they can take a break any time they want “to live Greece” as he said. He added: “If you put the artist in the mold of the working environment, the result will have no relation to art.”

So far more than 1,000 sculptors have filed applications for the Symposium, but the ones who will eventually join up until its completion in October, are expected to be 30-40.

Mr. Stavros Myronidis noted that last year’s inaugural event was the largest symposium of sculpture ever made in Greece and one of the most important worldwide. Indicatively a26 sculptures took part at the 1st international symposium and used 1,600 tons of marble and created 400 sculptures.

The aim of this year’s Symposium is the area to become a magnet for sculptors worldwide and a place where they will be able to create, while contributing to the economic development of the surrounding villages. In this direction, an area was donated to 7 sculptors so that they can build their own homes in order to create the “village of the sculptures.”

It is worth mentioning that the International Marble Sculpture Symposium attracts tourists to the area, as Norwegians rented a house in San Antonio, a village next to Souroti, to be able to see up close the sculptors to work.