Kiki Smith: Memory

A multipart installation on the island of Hydra exploring mythic themes of earth and sky

In 2019, multidisciplinary artist Kiki Smith (born 1954) was invited to present a site-specific project at the DESTE Foundation Project Space in Hydra, a former slaughterhouse perched on the edge of the sea. Drawing on maritime history, mythology, astronomy and site-specific anthropology, Smith combined naturalistic and fantastic elements into a multipiece composition that reflects the lived and imagined memory of both the slaughterhouse—a stage for sacrifices—and the Hydra region itself.

Alongside photographs of the installation and texts by Maggie Wright and Nadja Argyropoulou, Kiki Smith: Memory presents documentation of Smith''s process for this project, which draws on a variety of mediums including sculpture, textiles and drawing.