Traces of memory (Ages 65+)
Educational workshop series (Ages 65+)
The program “Traces of Memory” of the Vorres Museum has been specially designed for people aged 65+, drawing inspiration from the objects of the folklore collection of the Pyrgi. Through printmaking and ceramics, participants will have the opportunity to explore the history, material qualities, and narratives embedded in traditional utensils and tools, while at the same time experimenting with contemporary forms of artistic expression.
The workshops will be led by visual artist Sofia Simaki. The program consists of two thematic units, each focusing on the transformation of the Pyrgi’s objects into artistic imprints.
1st Series
Still life with elements of printmaking
The image of still life is a long-standing artistic tradition, where everyday objects are combined with fruits, plants, or flowers, creating compositions that capture the relationship between what remains and what fades away. In this workshop, participants will draw inspiration from the folklore collection of the Pyrgi: wooden shepherd’s tools and utensils, weaving tools, marble lintels, ecclesiastical woodcarvings, baskets, kneading troughs, and bronze bells.
The activity begins with a short guided tour of the collection, during which participants will select objects, study their forms, textures, and details, and record these elements on paper through drawing and shape classification. These sketches will then be transferred onto printmaking plates (linoleum), producing relief prints of still-life compositions. Through this process, participants will develop a new relationship with traditional objects, seeing them not only as historical artifacts but also as living elements of cultural heritage that can acquire new form and narrative.
2nd Series
On my plate: reliefs and sgraffito
The faience plates of the Pyrgi collection, with their decorated surfaces, bear engraved and painted depictions of historical events and personalities that left their mark on collective memory. Dinnerware and utilitarian ceramics, produced mainly in European workshops and distributed by trading houses, became part of Greek everyday life, “carrying” stories through their motifs and imagery.
In this workshop, participants will experiment with the idea of enlargement and relief imprinting, creating clay replicas of utensils on which they will depict designs inspired by the historical decorative elements of faience. Through relief and incised carvings, impressed forms, and sgraffito, they will transform the surface of their objects, giving historical motifs a contemporary form. This activity will provide participants with an experiential understanding of the cultural significance of decorative ceramics, while also offering them the opportunity to creatively experiment with materiality and storytelling through clay.
Information
Traces of memory
Educational workshop series (Ages 65+)
The program will be conducted by visual artist Sofia Simaki
1st Series
Still life with elements of printmaking
Dates: Sundays, October 19 & 26, 2025
Hours: 11:00–14:00
Participation fee: €30 (for both sessions of the cycle)
Attendance at both sessions of the thematic unit is required.
2nd Series
On my plate: reliefs and sgraffito
Dates: Sundays, November 16 & 23, 2025
Hours: 11:00–14:00
Participation fee: €30 (for both sessions of the cycle)
Attendance at both sessions of the thematic unit is required.
This workshop is part of the new series of educational programs titled “Materials, Techniques, and Memory in Contemporary Creation: The Garden and Pyrgi of the Vorres Museum as Carriers of Cultural Heritage.”
Educational program design/curation: Myrto Lavda
With the support and under the auspices:
Register
To reserve a spot in the workshop, please call us at +30 2106642520 or fill out the form using the link below..
Bio
Sofia Simaki
Sofia Simaki studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts under professors Chronis Botsoglou and Giorgos Lappas and completed her postgraduate studies at the same institution in “Digital Forms of Art.” The media she works with vary: painting, sculpture, video, photography, and text. In her recent solo exhibitions, she creates environments that explore the possibilities of connecting different elements to form poetic associations and narratives.
She has presented four solo exhibitions and has participated in group shows such as (indicatively): The Inner Side of the Wind, curated by Christoforos Marinos, Chrysanthopoulos Mansion, Kymi, Evia; Mere-exposure effect, curated by Galini Lazani, Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center; The symptom projects 7 – Identifying Loss, curated by Niki Papaspyrou & Kostas Christopoulos, Old Hospital of Amfissa – Delphi Museum; Moving Mouths, commissioned and curated by “a glimpse of,” House of Cyprus, Athens; “MONODROMOS” – 3rd Athens Biennale, curated by Nicolas Bourriaud & XYZ. Her videos have been presented in exhibitions and festivals in Greece and abroad.
An important part of her broader activity includes art education, the artistic direction of theatrical performances, and the opening of her studio to the public with cycles of conversations between artists and/or curators, as well as exhibitions and workshops. She lives and works in Athens.