6th Panhellenic Wood Sculpture Symposium in Gournes – Part 1: Works in Progress

From September 19–25, 2025, the 6th Panhellenic Wood Sculpture Symposium “On Wood” is taking place in the beautiful grove next to the Town Hall in Gournes (former American Base).

For the third consecutive year, the Municipality of Hersonissos hosts this important cultural event as part of the 2nd Arts & Culture Festival of Hersonissos Municipality, organized by the Deputy Mayor of Culture & Education with the support of the Cultural Association of Gournes Pediados “Proodos”.

This morning I visited the spot so that I could take some shots without being noticed and without any distractions. It was early in the morning, the sun was coming out, and apart from some students who had probably intentionally missed the first hour at school, there was noone else around me.

In this post I will share some of the photos I took. There will be probably 9 pieces of art, but I could only find 6. We can take a guess of what they will end up to be and I will try to make a nice post on the 25th or 26th of September when they will be finished :)

Artwork 1 - the hands holding each other...

This is easy, community, togetherness, only with cooperation we can accomplish our dreams.

Artwork 2 - Maybe a girl playing the harp?

Artwork 3 - A puppet?

I am not sure but I am very intrigued to see how this ends up :)

Artwork 4 - I honestly dont have a clue. A flower? Half of it?

Artwork 5 - Again, no idea!!

Artwork 6 - Gee, I think maybe a .. cat?

This may look obvious, but I really liked it and cant wait to see it finished!

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Every day, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., visitors can watch the artists at work, as the symposium remains open to the public. It’s an inspiring opportunity not only for locals and tourists but also for school visits and educational programs, allowing students and teachers to experience the creative process up close and interact with the sculptors.

The Artists Participating in 2025

This year, talented artists from Italy, Cyprus, and across Greece bring their skills and creativity :

Manolis Thomakakis (Italy)

Nikos Georgiou (Argolis)

Nikos Manesis (Crete)

Stratos Pallas (Crete)

Filippos Kalamaras (Florina)

Zafeiria Athanasopoulou (Thessaloniki)

Andri Pafiti (Cyprus)

Giorgos Karagiannis (Athens)

Stavros Tsavdaridis – Ambatzoglou (Thessaloniki)

A Gift to the Municipality

Just like last year, the completed wooden sculptures will be donated to the Municipality of Hersonissos during the closing ceremony on Thursday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m., held in the grove of Gournes.

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The artists, in a joint statement, expressed their shared vision:

Our goal is to establish in Crete a museum of contemporary sculpture that will showcase our works and efforts to promote culture. What began as a shared idea in 2018 has already contributed to raising awareness of wood sculpture as an art form.”

In this first part of my coverage, I’m sharing a glimpse of the creative process—the energy, the details, and the transformation of wood into art.

Below are some additional photos from the workshops in progress:

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I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know what you think these arts will be come, especially number 4 and 5 :)