Icaro Contemporary Art Gallery & Agency and Galleria Pe.Mu.Vi.A. (A.M.K.E.), in collaboration with the Region of South Aegean and the French Cultural Center, present the group exhibition “Behold Rhodes – Hic Rhodus,” curated by Apostolos Artinos. The exhibition will be on view from October 9 to 31, 2026, at the French Residence, in the Medieval City of Rhodes, as part of the parallel program of the 2nd Rhodes Biennale of Contemporary Ceramics. The opening will take place on Friday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Following its premiere in May 2023 at Space 52 in Athens, the exhibition has been expanded and is now returning to its place of origin, Rhodes, nearly a century after the factory’s founding. This exhibition serves as a modest tribute to the owners of IKAROS, Kostas and Phaedra Hatzikostantis, as well as to all the employees of this historic pottery who created an exceptional cultural legacy, now found in collections and museums both within and outside Greece. Fourteen artists draw inspiration from the ceramics of the renowned IKAROS pottery in Rhodes and create contemporary works of art, challenging the notion of tradition.
According to a note by curator Apostolos Artinos: “The artists in the exhibition undertake a visual exploration of the ceramic production of the Ikaros factory. Within the contemporary aesthetic context, they are called upon to undertake the experience of evocation. That is, to evoke in their work the memory of the object and to engage with its allure. It is not a formalistic approach that dictates their work, but rather the transparency of a decorative style that possesses its own distinctive features. The floral decoration of IKAROS ceramics, the mythical saz leaf, the sailboats, the fawns, and the birds—all serve as sources of inspiration here. “An established aesthetic environment that, in its own time, always proves its truth.”
The I.C.A.RO. ceramics factory was founded in 1928 in Rhodes by Italians. It managed to survive during World War II, and after the liberation and incorporation of the Dodecanese into Greece, it was purchased in 1947 by the Rhodian businessman K. D. Hatzikostantis and renamed IKAROS. Capitalizing on the island’s growth, the new owner established the second-largest pottery factory in Greece, after Kerameikos in Athens, employing more than 400 workers during its operation. Among them were notable artists, such as the first artistic director of the Greek period, Spyros Oikonomidis, the painter and engraver Dimitris Davis, as well as Memetis with his secret glazing formula. Thanks to the innovations and techniques employed—such as relief decoration on the surface of fresh clay—IKAROS ceramics have stood the test of time. In 1985, the company was awarded the International Quality Award in Madrid. The factory’s operations came to an abrupt halt on June 14, 1987, when Kostas Hatzikostantis and his wife, Phaedra, lost their lives in a car accident.
The following artists are participating in the exhibition:
- Olga Vlassi
- Leoni Giagdzoglou
- Ioanna Gouma
- Vasilis Zografos
- Stella Kapezanou
- Apostolos Karakatsanis
- Konstantinos Ladianos
- Natalia Manta
- Kyriaki Mavrogiorgi
- Maro Michalakakou
- George Tserionis
- Dimitris Fragakis
- Ioanna Hatzipanigyri
- Dionysis Christofilogiannis
The exhibition will be open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is free.