Sun, sea, sand—and art: luxury hotel in Crete commissions works in response to the island
The G. & A. Mamidakis Foundation has taken on the challenge of putting outdoor art in scorching Mediterranean conditions at the Minos Palace Resort
Wayne Garrett, a Canadian artist, describes the humility of working alongside nature while standing in the sculpture garden of the Minos Palace Resort in Crete. The paradise-like setting, surrounded by olive trees, dusty hills, and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea, has inspired the creation of the winning piece, Chronotopia, for this year's G. & A. Mamidakis Foundation Art Prize.
Chronotopia is an installation made from hundreds of unused eyeglass lenses that shatter the horizon into infinite miniature worlds and obscures viewers from the outside world. The project was inspired by the artists' desire to connect with a large body of water, as they did not have such experiences in their Calgary hometown near the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
They did not get to see the site before submitting their proposal but made a model to visualize it. The foundation chose the final location to showcase the work in the best light. The foundation's Art Prize, running since 2019, has received over 450 proposals from 65 countries, with this year's winners being Canadian artists Caitlind R.C.
Brown and Wayne Garrett. Their previous works, such as Long Waves and The Resilient Thread, are displayed inside the Minos Palace Resort. The foundation, established by hotel owner Gina Mamidaki, aims to create meaningful outdoor artworks using simple materials found in the surroundings.
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