Kiki Smith: Memory Text

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. Kiki Smith: Memory presents documentation of Smith's process for this project, which draws on a variety of mediums including sculpture, textiles and drawing.