2nd Year (2026) Balkan Projects' Mentorship Program:Efstathia (Evi) Savvidou .–
During the Balkan Projects’ mentorship, Evi Savvidou developed PLOUS A, an interactive, participatory installation thematically organized around the element of water. The installation is accompanied by a narrative publication of the same name, which also stands as an independent work.
The central theme is play as a means of exploration, creativity, learning, and inclusion. Visitors, especially children, are invited to participate actively by moving, combining, and reimagining the elements within the space, free from predetermined rules. Inspired by the ocean, underwater life, and Greek mythology, the installation creates an imaginative world in which the pieces function simultaneously as sculptures, toys, and educational tools.
Drawing on participatory art, design, and contemporary pedagogy, PLOUS A places particular emphasis on accessibility and the inclusion of children with and without disabilities. The use of handmade and recycled materials also introduces an ecological dimension. The installation lacks a fixed final form; instead, it evolves through the choices and actions of its visitors. In this way, it becomes an open space for play, freedom, and co-creation, where the experience itself is an integral part of the work.
Bio
Efstathia Savvidou is a visual artist and an art educator based in Greece. She graduated from the Department of Visual and Applied Arts at the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Also, she took classes at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Granada in Spain and worked at La Salle Campus Barcelona -University Ramon Llull as a teaching and research assistant in the field of digital arts. She is currently working as an art educator for kids with special needs.
Her artistic practice is rooted in a formalistic exploration influenced by pop art, the shaped canvas movement, comics, and cartoons. Drawing from the animal kingdom, the digital realm, and industrial design, her work addresses social and political issues through humor and irony, allowing for multiple layers of interpretation. Her compositions balance abstraction and representation through simplified forms, maintaining a tension between a utopian, playful sensibility and a grounded realist view. Her artworks have been exhibited in museums, foundations, and art spaces, including MOMus – Experimental Arts Center, MOMus – Museum of Contemporary Art, and the French Institute of Thessaloniki.
https://www.instagram.com/f.stazia/