Interdisciplinary art • site-specific projects • art–science collaboration • cultural initiatives
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
The Ideogram of Stoupa
The Ideogram of Stoupa
A trace of human presence in the landscape, between creation and freedom
STOUPA
The Place Where Kazantzakis Met Zorbas
The Stoupa Ideogram, conceived and created by Vasiliki Kateri, was designed in early 2026 for the WEST MANI: The Kazantzakis – Zorbas Project of KALLIERGON syn. It serves as a contemporary symbol connecting place, memory and human experience.
The ideogram draws inspiration from Stoupa in Western Mani, and more specifically from Kalogria Beach — the place where Nikos Kazantzakis met Giorgis Zorbas, and where their encounter later inspired one of the most widely recognized works of modern Greek literature. Stoupa is not presented here merely as a geographical reference, but as a place of memory, experience and creation, continuing to connect people with the landscape and the idea of freedom.
Within this context, the festival “In the Footsteps of Kazantzakis and Zorbas: Land, Human and Freedom in Kazantzakis’ Mani” unfolds, taking place this September (25–27) in Stoupa, Western Mani.
Its structure is based on a minimal, almost primordial relationship between a vertical and a curved form — an axis between stillness and movement, contemplation and freedom. The human figure is not presented as dominant, but as part of a dynamic relationship with place, revealed through a gradual layering.
The hierarchy of lines plays a significant role: the main forms (Kazantzakis and Zorbas) are of equal thickness and function as the dominant elements, the wave is rendered with a slightly finer line as a secondary element, while the mountain peaks, in the background, are drawn with an even finer line, forming a third level.
It is, ultimately, an incision — a trace upon the earth: spirit – body – place – flow
• Kazantzakis (curved form) → inward movement = creation
• Zorbas (upright form) → outward movement = freedom
• Taygetus (in the background) → place
• Sea wave (base) → continuity, root
Use and Attribution of the Ideogram
The Stoupa Ideogram was created through the WEST MANI: The Kazantzakis – Zorbas Project of KALLIERGON syn as a contemporary symbol connecting place, memory and human experience. It was conceived and created by Vasiliki Kateri.
The ideogram is made available for use in the promotion, communication and presentation of activities related to the place, the project and its collaborating organizations.
The intellectual property and economic rights of the work remain with its creator.
Whenever technically and practically possible, any use of the ideogram should be accompanied by the following attribution:
“Ideogram: conceived and created by Vasiliki Kateri”
The use of the ideogram does not imply the transfer of any intellectual property or economic rights related to the work.
For reproduction on products, commercial applications, or any use beyond the scope described above, please contact the creator in advance.
For further information or to obtain the relevant files and supporting material, please contact the creator directly.