Interdisciplinary art • site-specific projects • art–science collaboration • cultural initiatives
We design, curate and deliver cultural initiatives that connect research, creativity and place.
KALLIERGON syn seeks to leave a lasting imprint on culture by opening paths of thought, creation and collaboration, paths that remain open and continue to be walked
Because creation begins with syn, together
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE
ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND THE PREVENTION OF FEMICIDES
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This initiative has been organized and implemented by KALLIERGON syn since 2023, reflecting a firm commitment to zero tolerance of gender-based violence and an ongoing effort to provide information about this longstanding social issue. At its core lie the cultivation of awareness, the assumption of responsibility, and the development of a conscious approach to coexistence.
The initiative was symbolically launched on 25 November, the date designated by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, highlighting its international dimension and its underlying values.
Within this framework, women from different parts of the world — including publicly recognized figures — voluntarily participate in photographic portraits, wearing jewellery made from sugar-coated almonds (koufeta), a material imbued with symbolism relating to memory, fragility, and resilience. The portraits are accompanied by personal texts written by the participants, presented in both Greek and English to promote accessibility and inclusion. Additional formats are envisaged for the future, including video presentations of the content in sign language.
The initiative draws its inspiration from the historical events surrounding Kyra Frosyni and the women who were drowned in Lake Pamvotida in the early 19th century. This narrative, preserved and transformed through collective memory and legend, inspired Christina Tzialla's literary work “OUI – Tropaea Atropaea” («ΟΥΙ – Τρόπαια ΑποΤρόπαια»), published by Aparsis Editions. This creative starting point gave rise to the idea for the present campaign, which highlights the enduring nature of gender-based violence by connecting historical memory with contemporary public discourse.
The initiative's digital presentation is gradually expanded and regularly updated. Its content may be made available free of charge for non-commercial, non-profit use, subject to prior agreement with interested organizations, with the shared aim of providing information, supporting education, and spreading the message against gender-based violence. This digital platform serves as a foundation for the initiative's further development and networking, primarily through in-person meetings, collaborations, and meaningful interaction.
The initiative forms part of the broader international landscape of information-sharing activities and public dialogue addressing gender-based violence, while maintaining a distinctive cultural and artistic identity in which historical memory, personal testimony, and artistic expression coexist.
At the core of this initiative lies memory, as a living act of awareness. The jewellery made of silver confetti, worn by the participants, draws its symbolism from a narrative in which violence and loss are transformed, insisting on remembrance.
The story behind the silver confetti
An excerpt from the forthcoming work of fiction by Christina Tzialla, “OUI – Tropaea ApoTropaea” (Aparsis Editions), drawing on collective memory and mythic narrative, illuminating the transformation of violence into symbol.
“ApoTropaea” is a Greek wordplay carrying a dual meaning: it refers both to “trophies derived from trophies” and to the notion of the “atrocious” or “abhorrent”, revealing the layered nature of the narrative.
[" In the end, as dawn began to break, and while the strands of their hair were still damp at the roots, the executioners seized them eagerly, as if they had become feathers. Perhaps their conscience felt lighter at the thought of how worthwhile their effort would prove, when they would return to claim their trophies…
Only Kyra-Frosyni they could not tear away from her nurse, Chrysi… for even if you were to place a blade between them, you might easily be deceived into thinking they shared a single heart…
And the metal turned into sweetness… and the lake itself was sweetened…
One need only fall silent — and listen.”]
For the story behind the jewellery made of silver confetti, you may listen to the recorded audio below, presented at the 1st Pamvotis Festival, in anticipation of the forthcoming fiction book by Christina Tzialla, published by Aparsis Editions, titled OUYI, Tropaea from Tropaea.
This recording forms part of one of the book’s chapters, as do all the texts accompanying the following videos.
NOTE: The participants selected to date are women with whom the KALLIERGON syn team has established meaningful contact over time, recognizing their stance in life and, in many cases, their activist engagement with issues of gender-based violence. The selection process is carried out by the team and evolves gradually, taking into account the overall availability of time and resources dedicated to the initiative.
The KALLIERGON syn team sincerely thanks all the women who pose voluntarily, enhancing our cause!
We also warmly thank Marielle Thomas, Managing Director of UHU for sponsoring the adhesive used in the creation of the “jewellery”.