The Fantastic Haul

An Artistic Installation inspired by the improvised constructions of fishermen of Aegina, Greece.

Aegina art project Cultural festival Event fishmarket fistiki fest installation interactiondesign

The exhibition was held with the collaboration of professors and students of the Departments: Graphic Design and Visual Communication and Photography and Audiovisual Arts, with the Cultural Events team of the 13th Fistiki Fest, within the framework of the Cooperation Protocol signed by the Workshop and the Municipality of Aegina. The specific installation was a part of the whole project created by the graphic design team under the supervision Vanda Chalyvopouloy and the participating students: Panagiotis Tsinikas and Olga Karagianni.

photo taken by, https://aeginalight.gr/2022/09/εγκαίνια-της-εγκατάστασης-στην-ψαραγ/

The""Fantastic Haul" came about after some visits and wanderings in Aegina, such as in the area of the fish market, in the folklore museum, in the municipal library, in the port and in the alleys of the island. We observed, discussed, gathered and recorded material that helped us organize our thinking and create a similar climate, drawing inspiration for the process that would follow. Of all the stimuli we received, the existence of various micro-constructions that appeared on boats and were created by each owner for some purpose, which sometimes you could not imagine, particularly attracted our attention. The ingenuity and the combination of materials that one had at hand, at no extra cost, this simplicity and the passion for construction led to the creation of our own idea. The choice of materials concerns exclusively materials used in fishing and with our own eye we gave them a new function, turning them into parts of our improvised construction, which may not be used to bring about a real fish-catch, but can create thoughts and to convey a feeling characterized by a need to create.

The inspiration for our "Fantastic Haul" construction was the improvised constructions we observed on the boats in the harbor and the constructions we learned about from the fishermen we spoke to. So many everyday for them materials, tied in a very imaginative and functional way that sometimes you try to guess how and what they are used for. So we wanted to create a structure, which would be a supposed fish trap. We started by letting our minds free to imagine the shape of this project and then proceed to its implementation by solving every issue that would arise through various tests. A process similar to that of a master fisherman. The functionality of the structure does not focus on its use as an actual trap, but invites the viewer to notice it because of its materials and the way they were combined and joined to build it.

We also designed a manual book that narrates the creative process behind the whole concept from start to finish and also the design and construction of the imaginary trap.